Fat in Different Languages
Discover 'Fat' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fat' carries significant meaning in our daily lives, often associated with food, health, and body image. Its cultural importance varies across societies, from being a symbol of prosperity in some to a sign of neglect in others. Understanding the translation of 'fat' in different languages can provide fascinating insights into how diverse cultures perceive and interact with this concept.
Historically, fat has been used for various purposes, from cooking and lighting lamps to preserving human bodies for mummification. In English, the word 'fat' is often used colloquially to describe someone who is overweight, but in many languages, there are distinct words for different types of fat, reflecting their unique cultural perspectives.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, exploring the translations of 'fat' in different languages can be a rewarding journey. Here are a few examples to get you started:
Fat
Fat in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vet | ||
| In Afrikaans, 'vet' can also refer to strength or energy. | |||
| Amharic | ስብ | ||
| "ስብ" can also refer to the residue left on a bowl of porridge, as well as "to become numb from staying in a certain position too long". | |||
| Hausa | mai | ||
| The word "mai" also means "big" or "great" in Hausa, emphasizing the significant size or stature when referring to fatness. | |||
| Igbo | abụba | ||
| The Igbo word "abụba" can also refer to a type of edible snail found in the region. | |||
| Malagasy | matavy | ||
| In the Menabe region of Madagascar, "matavy" also means "sacred" or "fertile". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wonenepa | ||
| "Wonenepa" shares the same etymology with the phrase "kuwononga nepho," which means "to put in the sun". | |||
| Shona | mafuta | ||
| The Shona word "mafuta" can also mean "wealth" or "riches". | |||
| Somali | baruur | ||
| In the Somali language, "baruur" also refers to "the fat of an animal" or "the fat of the body", and can also mean "grease" or "oil". | |||
| Sesotho | mafura | ||
| Mafura, which shares the same spelling and pronunciation as 'fat,' also refers to the fruit of a tree. | |||
| Swahili | mafuta | ||
| The word 'mafuta' also refers to the essence or spirit of something in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | amafutha | ||
| Amafutha also means 'money' as it symbolises wealth and plenty in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yoruba | ọra | ||
| "Ọra" also means "plenty", "abundant", "wealth" and "riches", which are all good things in Yoruba culture. | |||
| Zulu | amafutha | ||
| In the context of cattle, "amafutha" can also refer to calves. | |||
| Bambara | belebeleba | ||
| Ewe | da ami | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibinure | ||
| Lingala | mafuta | ||
| Luganda | obunene | ||
| Sepedi | lekhura | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɛseɛ | ||
Fat in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سمين | ||
| The word “سمين” in Arabic can also mean “generous” or “plentiful”. | |||
| Hebrew | שמן | ||
| "שמן" (fat) in Hebrew can also refer to "oil" or "grease". | |||
| Pashto | غوړ | ||
| The word "غوړ" in Pashto can also refer to an "abundance" or "large quantity" of something, not just "fat". | |||
| Arabic | سمين | ||
| The word “سمين” in Arabic can also mean “generous” or “plentiful”. | |||
Fat in Western European Languages
| Albanian | yndyrë | ||
| The word "yndyrë" also means "grease" or "oil". | |||
| Basque | potolo | ||
| The word "potolo" in Basque also means "swelling" or "bulge". | |||
| Catalan | greix | ||
| In Catalan, "greix" can also refer to the thickest, juiciest parts of sausages like butifarra or fuet. | |||
| Croatian | mast | ||
| The Croatian word "mast" can also mean "bait" or "grease". | |||
| Danish | fed | ||
| The word 'fed' in Danish can also refer to a unit of weight or an area of land. | |||
| Dutch | vet | ||
| The Dutch word "vet" has an alternative meaning of "bold" and derives from the Old Frisian word "fēt" | |||
| English | fat | ||
| The word "fat" comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*fatuz", meaning "a vessel, a cask". | |||
| French | graisse | ||
| "Graisse" derives from the Gaulish "graissos", meaning "lard". | |||
| Frisian | fet | ||
| Fet can also mean 'good' or 'healthy', especially in the context of food. | |||
| Galician | graxas | ||
| Galician "graxas" has Germanic roots, but also refers to "mercy" due to phonological proximity with its Latin cognate. | |||
| German | fett | ||
| The word "Fett" in German is also used in the context of "fett" music, which refers to a genre of electronic music that is characterized by a heavy bassline and a repetitive beat. | |||
| Icelandic | feitur | ||
| Icelandic word "feitur" (meaning both "fat" and "wealthy" in modern language) derives from an Old Norse word meaning "greasy". | |||
| Irish | saille | ||
| The Irish word "saille" is derived from the Old Irish word "seilg", meaning "hunting" or "game". | |||
| Italian | grasso | ||
| The surname Grasso can also be a toponym, meaning "rocky place" | |||
| Luxembourgish | fett | ||
| Fett literally means 'fat', but can also refer to a 'stain', 'grease', or a 'smudge'. | |||
| Maltese | xaħam | ||
| The word xaħam is a loanword from Arabic and can also refer to 'oil', particularly lamp oil | |||
| Norwegian | fett | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "fett" has a culinary connotation and refers to fats used in cooking such as butter, cream, and lard, rather than body fat. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | gordura | ||
| In Portuguese, 'gordura' is derived from the Latin 'grossus', meaning 'thick' or 'heavy', and can also refer to thickness, richness, or wealth. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | geir | ||
| The word "geir" can also mean "greed" or "avarice" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | grasa | ||
| The Spanish word "grasa" is derived from the Latin word "crassus," meaning "thick" or "solid."} | |||
| Swedish | fett | ||
| In Swedish, the word 'fett' can also refer to 'greatness' or 'abundance'. | |||
| Welsh | braster | ||
| Braster, meaning 'fat' in Welsh, originates from the root word 'bras,' meaning 'thick' or 'coarse.' | |||
Fat in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тлушч | ||
| In Belarusian, the word "тлушч" has the same root as the verb "тлусціць" (to make greasy). | |||
| Bosnian | debeo | ||
| "Debelo" comes from the same Indo-European root as the English word "deep", denoting its primary meaning as "thick," "large." | |||
| Bulgarian | дебел | ||
| "Дебел" (fat) is derived from the Proto-Slavic "dъbъ", meaning "thick, strong, sturdy", which also gave rise to words like "дебелост" (thickness), "дебел (thick, massive)" | |||
| Czech | tlustý | ||
| The word "Tlustý" derives from Proto-Slavic root *tlъstъ meaning "thick" or "dense" and is akin to Sanskrit sthūlá meaning "thick". | |||
| Estonian | paks | ||
| "Paks", meaning "thick" or "dense", has a cognate in Finnish meaning "to swell". | |||
| Finnish | rasvaa | ||
| The word "rasvaa" can also mean "grease" or "lard" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | zsír | ||
| The word "zsír" can also mean "grease", "oil", or "wealth" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | tauki | ||
| The word "tauki" can also refer to a small, fatty pastry filled with meat or cabbage. | |||
| Lithuanian | riebus | ||
| The word "riebus" is a contraction of the Proto-Baltic root *rieb- and the suffix *-us. | |||
| Macedonian | дебели | ||
| The word "дебели" in Macedonian can also mean "strong" or "thick" | |||
| Polish | gruby | ||
| The word "gruby" can also mean "coarse" or "rough" in Polish, possibly due to its historical association with the unrefined nature of fat. | |||
| Romanian | gras | ||
| The Romanian word "gras" also means "thick" or "dense".} | |||
| Russian | жир | ||
| The word "жир" in Russian can also refer to "the main part" or "the most important thing". | |||
| Serbian | дебео | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "дебел" ("debel") has the same meaning as "дебео" in Serbian, but it also means "thick" or "stout". | |||
| Slovak | tučný | ||
| The word "tučný" in Slovak can also mean "bold" or "rich". | |||
| Slovenian | maščobe | ||
| In Slovene, "maščobe" can also translate to "grease" or "oil". | |||
| Ukrainian | жиру | ||
| The Ukrainian word "жиру" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*žirъ", meaning "fat, oil, or grease." | |||
Fat in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চর্বি | ||
| In Bengali, "চর্বি" can also refer to the "grease" or "oil" used in cooking. | |||
| Gujarati | ચરબી | ||
| The word 'charbi' originates from Sanskrit 'charbhi' meaning 'lard' and can also refer to 'fertilizer' in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | मोटी | ||
| The word "मोटी" (moti) is also used to refer to a large, round pearl. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೊಬ್ಬು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಕೊಬ್ಬು" can also refer to "grease". | |||
| Malayalam | കൊഴുപ്പ് | ||
| In Malayalam, “കൊഴുപ്പ്” not only means “fat”, but also “goodness”, “generosity”, “abundance”, or “riches” | |||
| Marathi | चरबी | ||
| चरबी ('fat') is derived from Sanskrit 'charbhi', which also means 'grease' or 'ointment'. | |||
| Nepali | मोटो | ||
| मोटो also means "big" in the context of physical size and "great" in the context of quantity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਰਬੀ | ||
| The word "charbi" can also refer to an ointment or salve in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මේදය | ||
| In ancient Sinhala texts, "මේදය" referred to the oil and fat in certain plants and animals, not just the bodily fat. | |||
| Tamil | கொழுப்பு | ||
| The word "கொழுப்பு" in Tamil can also mean "grease" or "oil", and is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *kol- "to be fat". | |||
| Telugu | కొవ్వు | ||
| The word "కొవ్వు" in Telugu is related to the Sanskrit word "कुम्भ" (kumbha) meaning "pot" or "vessel", and is also used in other languages such as Hindi and Marathi with the same meaning. | |||
| Urdu | چربی | ||
| چربی can also mean 'dirt', 'stain' or 'grease' in Urdu. | |||
Fat in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 脂肪 | ||
| The character 脂 originally meant "animal oil" or "fatty substance," but its meaning extended to include "fat" in general. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 脂肪 | ||
| The word 脂肪 in Chinese is derived from the classical Chinese word '肥脂', which referred to animal fat used in cooking. | |||
| Japanese | 太い | ||
| 太い also means "thick" and is an antonym of both 細い ("thin") and 狭い ("narrow"). | |||
| Korean | 지방 | ||
| 지방 (jibang) also means "district" or "municipality" in Korean | |||
| Mongolian | өөх тос | ||
| Өөх тос is the Mongolian word for 'fat'; in some Mongolian dialects and in the written Mongolian alphabet, it also refers to 'oil'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အဆီ | ||
| The term "အဆီ" is a loanword from Mon (a member of the Mon-Khmer group) "ဆို" but may have originally come from the Proto-Tai "*hɤŋ". | |||
Fat in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | lemak | ||
| "Lemak" comes from the Proto-Austronesian (*pənək), meaning "oil, oil-fat, grease, lard". | |||
| Javanese | lemu | ||
| Lemu is also a character from Indonesian mythology, a giant bird that is said to be the origin of the Javanese people. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្លាញ់ | ||
| The word "ខ្លាញ់" (fat) can also be used to refer to the fat that is used in cooking or to the fat that is stored in the body. | |||
| Lao | ໄຂມັນ | ||
| Malay | lemak | ||
| The Malay word "lemak" also means "rich" or "oily" in the context of food. | |||
| Thai | อ้วน | ||
| The word "อ้วน" can also refer to "to be pregnant" or "to be full" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | mập | ||
| Mập is derived from the Mon-Khmer word "maap," meaning "to swell" or "to puff up." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataba | ||
Fat in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yağ | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "yağ" can alternatively mean "oil" or "grease". | |||
| Kazakh | май | ||
| The word "май" in Kazakh can also refer to an oilseed crop known as "safflower" | |||
| Kyrgyz | май | ||
| In Kyrgyz, 'май' can also mean 'butter' and is derived from the Proto-Turkic root 'may' with the same meaning. | |||
| Tajik | фарбеҳ | ||
| The word "фарбеҳ" can also mean "fertile" or "rich" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | ýag | ||
| Uzbek | yog ' | ||
| The Uzbek word "yog'" can also mean "oil" or "grease". | |||
| Uyghur | ماي | ||
Fat in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | momona | ||
| In Hawaiian, momona also conveys plumpness, freshness, and prosperity. | |||
| Maori | momona | ||
| The word "momona" in Maori not only means "fat," but also "plump," "stout," or "fertile." | |||
| Samoan | gaʻo | ||
| Samoan word "gaʻo" also means "fullness" and "satiety". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mataba | ||
| The Tagalog word "mataba" is derived from the Malay word "tapah". It also means "thick". | |||
Fat in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | lunqhu | ||
| Guarani | ñandy | ||
Fat in International Languages
| Esperanto | dika | ||
| "Dika" also means "fertile" in Greek | |||
| Latin | crassus | ||
| The surname Crassus is a Latin family name that may have originally implied 'thick' or 'slow'. | |||
Fat in Others Languages
| Greek | λίπος | ||
| "Λίπος" also means "fertility" in Ancient Greek, and its Latin cognate "libertas" means "freedom". | |||
| Hmong | rog | ||
| The word "rog" can also mean "lard" or "grease" in the Hmong language. | |||
| Kurdish | rûn | ||
| The word "rûn" in Kurdish can also mean "grease" or "oil". | |||
| Turkish | şişman | ||
| The word "şişman" in Turkish likely derives from the Persian word "şişm" or "çişm" meaning "plump" or "fattened". | |||
| Xhosa | amafutha | ||
| Amafutha also means 'money' as it symbolises wealth and plenty in Xhosa culture. | |||
| Yiddish | גראָב | ||
| The Yiddish word "גראָב" is cognate with the German word "grob" and the English word "crave" and has the alternate meaning of "rough" or "coarse". | |||
| Zulu | amafutha | ||
| In the context of cattle, "amafutha" can also refer to calves. | |||
| Assamese | শকত | ||
| Aymara | lunqhu | ||
| Bhojpuri | मोट | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަލަ | ||
| Dogri | मुट्टा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mataba | ||
| Guarani | ñandy | ||
| Ilocano | nalukmeg | ||
| Krio | bɔmp | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قەڵەو | ||
| Maithili | मोट | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯅꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | thau | ||
| Oromo | furdaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚର୍ବି | | ||
| Quechua | wira | ||
| Sanskrit | स्थूलः | ||
| Tatar | май | ||
| Tigrinya | ረጒድ | ||
| Tsonga | mafurha | ||