Sweet in Different Languages
Discover 'Sweet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'sweet' holds a special place in our hearts and taste buds, bringing to mind images of delectable desserts, loving affection, and simple pleasures. Its cultural significance is vast, spanning continents and languages, and is even used to describe those with a kind and gentle disposition. But did you know that the word 'sweet' has roots in Old English, and was used to describe not just taste, but also music and sleep?
Understanding the translation of 'sweet' in different languages can open up a world of cultural experiences and connections. For example, in Spanish, 'sweet' is 'dulce', in French it's 'sucré', and in German it's 'süß'. Each language offers a unique perspective on this universal concept, and learning these translations can be a fun and rewarding way to deepen your appreciation for language and culture.
Sweet
Sweet in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | soet | ||
| Afrikaans "soet" is probably related to the Old English "swēte", meaning "delightful", though it can also mean "fresh water" in some Dutch dialects. | |||
| Amharic | ጣፋጭ | ||
| The word "ጣፋጭ" in Amharic also means "cute" or "pretty" when describing people or things. | |||
| Hausa | mai dadi | ||
| The Hausa term `mai dadi` signifies sweetness but also denotes 'the provider of comfort' and `motherly affection`. | |||
| Igbo | ụtọ | ||
| Ụtọ (Igbo) can refer to natural or artificial sweeteners, or it can be figurative to mean 'pleasing' (in the senses of being enjoyable, satisfying, or even beautiful or handsome). | |||
| Malagasy | hanitra | ||
| The word "hanitra" in Malagasy originates from the Arabic word "hanîth", meaning "soft" or "tender". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lokoma | ||
| The word "lokoma" in Nyanja can also refer to a type of sweet potato. | |||
| Shona | zvinotapira | ||
| The word "zvinotapira" in Shona is derived from the word "tapira," meaning "to taste". It is also used to describe something that is pleasant or enjoyable. | |||
| Somali | macaan | ||
| "Macaan" in Somali can also refer to a type of candy or a sweet drink. | |||
| Sesotho | monate | ||
| The word "monate" can also refer to a type of sugar or candy in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | tamu | ||
| The word "tamu" in Swahili can also refer to "a guest" or "a respected person". | |||
| Xhosa | iswiti | ||
| "Iswiti" shares a root with "isu" (honey), indicating a sweet taste. | |||
| Yoruba | dun | ||
| The word "dun" in Yoruba also refers to a type of bird known for its melodious song, further emphasizing its association with sweetness and pleasantness. | |||
| Zulu | mnandi | ||
| The Zulu word "mnandi" can also mean "beautiful" or "handsome." | |||
| Bambara | bɔnbɔn | ||
| Ewe | vivi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | biryoshye | ||
| Lingala | elengi | ||
| Luganda | okuwooma | ||
| Sepedi | bose | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dɛ | ||
Sweet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حلو | ||
| The Arabic word "حلو" also means "pretty" or "beautiful". | |||
| Hebrew | מתוק | ||
| "מתוק" can also refer to a handsome man, a cute animal or a good friend. | |||
| Pashto | خوږ | ||
| The Pashto word "خوږ" ("sweet") is related to the Persian word "خوشی" ("happiness") and the Sanskrit word "स्वाद" ("savor"). | |||
| Arabic | حلو | ||
| The Arabic word "حلو" also means "pretty" or "beautiful". | |||
Sweet in Western European Languages
| Albanian | e embel | ||
| The word "e embel" in Albanian, meaning "sweet" or "sweetie", also has the alternate meaning of "cute" or "lovely" when used to describe a person. | |||
| Basque | gozoa | ||
| The Basque word "gozoa" is related to the Latin "dulcis" and Spanish "dulce," meaning "sweet." | |||
| Catalan | dolça | ||
| The word "dolça" originated from a Latin word "dulcis" meaning sweet in English, but the word in Catalan can also mean gentle or kind. | |||
| Croatian | slatko | ||
| Despite also meaning 'cute' in colloquial speech, 'slatko' originates from the Proto-Slavic word for 'honey' | |||
| Danish | sød | ||
| Sød in Danish also means "nice" or "kind," which is related to its original meaning of "delicious" because food was scarce in the past. | |||
| Dutch | zoet | ||
| The word 'zoet' also means 'pretty' or 'pleasant' in Dutch, which can be seen in the phrase 'zoete muziek' (sweet music). | |||
| English | sweet | ||
| The word "sweet" originated in the Old English word "swēte," meaning "sweet, pleasant, agreeable," and is related to the Dutch word "zoet" and the German word "süß." | |||
| French | sucré | ||
| The French word "sucré" derives from a Latin root meaning either "sugar" or "dried fruit". | |||
| Frisian | swiet | ||
| Frisian "swiet" is a cognate of "sweet" and "suave" in other Germanic languages and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *swōtiz, meaning "sweet". | |||
| Galician | doce | ||
| Galician "doce" comes from the Latin "dulcis," meaning "sweet," but can also mean "soft" or "gentle." | |||
| German | süss | ||
| In addition to meaning “sweet,” “Süss” can also refer to what is sugary or overly sentimental. | |||
| Icelandic | sætur | ||
| Sætur also means 'tame' or 'domesticated', and originally referred to the pleasantness of a familiar place or person. | |||
| Irish | milis | ||
| The Irish word “milis” can derive from the Proto-Indo-European root “*meld-“ (“honey, sweet”). | |||
| Italian | dolce | ||
| Dolce also means 'tender,' 'soft,' or 'delicate' when it refers to people, or 'gentle' or 'mellow' when referring to breezes, weather, etc. | |||
| Luxembourgish | séiss | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "séiss" originates from the Old High German word "suazi" and its meaning extends to "nice" and "kind". | |||
| Maltese | ħelu | ||
| The Maltese word "ħelu" is derived from the Arabic word "حلو" (ḥalw) meaning "sweet" or "nice". | |||
| Norwegian | søt | ||
| Its etymology is tied to the word "sød", meaning "peaceful" or "placid". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | doce | ||
| The Portuguese word 'doce' originates from the Latin 'dulcis' and can also mean 'mild' or 'gentle'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | milis | ||
| The word "milis" in Scots Gaelic also means "pleasant" or "kind". | |||
| Spanish | dulce | ||
| In some Latin American countries, "dulce" can also refer to a type of preserves or jam made with fruits. | |||
| Swedish | ljuv | ||
| The word "ljuv" comes from the Old Norse word "ljúfr", meaning "dear" or "pleasant." | |||
| Welsh | melys | ||
| The word "melys" in Welsh also has the secondary meaning of "joyful" or "pleasant". | |||
Sweet in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | салодкі | ||
| The Belarusian word "салодкі" ("sweet") is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sladъkъ, which also meant "sweet" and is the ancestor of the same word in many other Slavic languages. | |||
| Bosnian | slatko | ||
| The word 'slatko' is also used to describe a type of thick, fruit preserves. | |||
| Bulgarian | сладка | ||
| The word "сладка" can also mean "a dessert" or "a jam" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | bonbón | ||
| "Bonbón" is a loanword from French and refers to small pieces of candy, but can also be used figuratively to describe something sweet or charming. | |||
| Estonian | magus | ||
| The Estonian word “magus” has no alternate meanings | |||
| Finnish | makea | ||
| The word "makea" in Finnish has also been used to refer to a kind of mead drunk in the Iron Age. | |||
| Hungarian | édes | ||
| The word "édes" is also the name of a popular Hungarian folk dance that is traditionally performed at weddings. | |||
| Latvian | salds | ||
| The word "salds" in Latvian is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *s(w)ed- meaning "sweet". It is cognate with the words "sweet" in English, "suus" in Latin, and "γλυκύς" (glykys) in Greek. | |||
| Lithuanian | saldus | ||
| Lithuanian "saldus" is related to Old Prussian "saldis" and Latin "dulcis". | |||
| Macedonian | слатка | ||
| The Macedonian word "слатка" is also used to mean "candy". | |||
| Polish | słodkie | ||
| Słodkie can also mean "nice" and "pretty" in the contemporary Polish language. | |||
| Romanian | dulce | ||
| Dulce is derived from the Latin dulcis, meaning sweet, and can also refer to a type of Romanian folk song or a traditional Romanian dessert. | |||
| Russian | милая | ||
| In Russian, помиловать means "to have mercy" or "to pardon," while милый means "cute" or "sweet." | |||
| Serbian | слатко | ||
| In Serbian, 'слатко' can also refer to a type of fruit preserve made by boiling fruit in sugar syrup. | |||
| Slovak | sladký | ||
| The word "sladký" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "sladъkъ", which also means "sweet". | |||
| Slovenian | sladko | ||
| The word "sladko" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*slъdъkъ", meaning "sweet" or "tasty". | |||
| Ukrainian | солодкий | ||
| The word "солодкий" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swād-, which also gives us the English word "sweet". | |||
Sweet in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মিষ্টি | ||
| The Bengali word "মিষ্টি" can also refer to sweets, a type of dessert popular in the region. | |||
| Gujarati | મીઠી | ||
| The word "મીઠી" can also mean "sweetheart" or "a beautiful woman." | |||
| Hindi | मिठाई | ||
| The word 'मिठाई' in Hindi derives from Sanskrit 'madhura,' meaning 'sweet,' and can also refer to confectionery, dessert, or a sweet dish. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಿಹಿ | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಸಿಹಿ' ('sweet') is also used to describe 'pleasant' or 'agreeable' experiences | |||
| Malayalam | മധുരം | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word "madhura" has additional meanings, including "agreeable, pleasing, lovely" and "honeyed, delightful in speech." | |||
| Marathi | गोड | ||
| The Marathi word "गोड" (sweet) is cognate with the Sanskrit word "गुरु" (heavy), reflecting the connection between sweetness and weight in many cultures. | |||
| Nepali | प्यारो | ||
| "प्यारो" means "sweet" in Nepali, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रिय" (priya), meaning "dear" or "beloved". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਿੱਠਾ | ||
| The word 'ਮਿੱਠਾ' can also refer to pleasant sounds or speech, or to a person who is kind and gentle. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මිහිරි | ||
| The word "මිහිරි" (mihiri) shares the same root with the Sanskrit word "madhura" (sweet), also related to the Latin word "mel" (honey). | |||
| Tamil | இனிப்பு | ||
| "இனிப்பு" (sweet) is derived from the root "இன்" (sweet, pleasant, agreeable), and also means "happiness, delight, pleasure". | |||
| Telugu | తీపి | ||
| "తీపి" (sweet) can also refer to a pleasant or agreeable sensation. | |||
| Urdu | میٹھا | ||
| The word "miṭhā" can also refer to a "confectionery" or "sweetmeat" in Urdu. | |||
Sweet in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 甜 | ||
| 甜 originally referred to the sweetness of fruit and honey, but it has since expanded to include other sweet flavors, such as those of candy and desserts. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 甜 | ||
| "甜" (sweet) also refers to the 30th lunar mansion or one's home village. | |||
| Japanese | 甘い | ||
| 甘い can also mean "naive" or "simple". | |||
| Korean | 단 | ||
| The Middle Korean word for sweet, 달, is thought to be derived from the sound of the character 甜 in Classical Chinese, which also means "sweet." | |||
| Mongolian | сайхан | ||
| The Mongolian word 'сайхан', meaning 'sweet', also has alternate meanings such as 'beautiful' and 'pleasant'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ချိုမြိန် | ||
Sweet in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | manis | ||
| "Manis" can also mean "handsome" in Indonesian, and its root comes from the Sanskrit word "madhu" which means "honey". | |||
| Javanese | manis | ||
| The word "manis" in Javanese has its roots in the Proto-Austronesian word "*manis", which also means "sweet". | |||
| Khmer | ផ្អែម | ||
| The Khmer word "ផ្អែម" can also mean "calm", "pleasant", or "comfortable". | |||
| Lao | ຫວານ | ||
| The word “ຫວານ” (sweet) in Lao is also used to describe something that is beautiful or pleasing. | |||
| Malay | manis | ||
| In old Malay language, "manis" also means beautiful or pleasing. | |||
| Thai | หวาน | ||
| The Thai word "หวาน" (sweet) also means "ripe" or "mature" in some contexts. | |||
| Vietnamese | ngọt | ||
| The word | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matamis | ||
Sweet in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şirin | ||
| The word "şirin" in Azerbaijani also has the alternate meaning of "pretty" or "beautiful". | |||
| Kazakh | тәтті | ||
| In Kazakh, 'тәтті' can also refer to a traditional fermented dairy drink or a dessert made from dough. | |||
| Kyrgyz | таттуу | ||
| The word 'таттуу' in Kyrgyz also means 'nice' or 'kind'. | |||
| Tajik | ширин | ||
| "Shirin" also means "apple" in Tajik, a connection found in other Persian languages, as well as in Arabic and Hebrew. | |||
| Turkmen | süýji | ||
| Uzbek | shirin | ||
| Uzbek shirin also means "good" or "beautiful" from the Persian word "shirin" "pleasant". | |||
| Uyghur | تاتلىق | ||
Sweet in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻono | ||
| 'Ono also means 'delicious' | |||
| Maori | reka | ||
| The word 'reka' in Maori can also refer to a pleasant feeling or sensation. | |||
| Samoan | suamalie | ||
| The word "suamalie" can also refer to a person who is kind and gentle. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matamis | ||
| "Matamis" can also be used figuratively to describe the quality of a relationship or a conversation. | |||
Sweet in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | muxsa | ||
| Guarani | he'ẽ | ||
Sweet in International Languages
| Esperanto | dolĉa | ||
| Dolĉa also refers to the soft sound between consonants. | |||
| Latin | dulcis | ||
| The Latin word "dulcis" also means "charming" and is related to "dulcedo" ("delight") and "indulgeo" ("to indulge"). | |||
Sweet in Others Languages
| Greek | γλυκός | ||
| In Ancient Greek, "γλυκός" meant "delightful" or "charming", but it could also refer to the "fresh water" of a spring. | |||
| Hmong | qab zib | ||
| "Qab zib" is a Hmong word that originally meant "good to eat" but has since come to mean "sweet". | |||
| Kurdish | şêrîn | ||
| It also refers to someone who is lovely, amiable, or agreeable. | |||
| Turkish | tatlı | ||
| The word 'tatlı' also means 'dessert' in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | iswiti | ||
| "Iswiti" shares a root with "isu" (honey), indicating a sweet taste. | |||
| Yiddish | זיס | ||
| The Yiddish word זיס ('zis') can also mean 'nice', 'pretty', or 'good'. | |||
| Zulu | mnandi | ||
| The Zulu word "mnandi" can also mean "beautiful" or "handsome." | |||
| Assamese | মিঠা | ||
| Aymara | muxsa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मीठ | ||
| Dhivehi | ފޮނި | ||
| Dogri | मिट्ठा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matamis | ||
| Guarani | he'ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | nasam-it | ||
| Krio | swit | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شیرین | ||
| Maithili | मीठ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thlum | ||
| Oromo | mi'aawaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମିଠା | ||
| Quechua | miski | ||
| Sanskrit | मधुरम् | ||
| Tatar | татлы | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥዑም | ||
| Tsonga | nyanganya | ||