Fish in Different Languages
Discover 'Fish' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Fish have been an essential part of human diets and cultures for thousands of years. From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern-day sushi, fish have played a significant role in our culinary and social lives. The word 'fish' itself has a rich history, and its translations in different languages are just as fascinating.
Did you know that the English word 'fish' comes from the Old English 'fisc'? Or that in Latin, fish is 'piscis'? In many languages, the word for fish is descriptive of its appearance or movement, like in Japanese where it's 'sakana' or in Hebrew where it's 'dag'.
Understanding the translations of fish in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and language learning opportunities. It can also be useful for travelers, chefs, and anyone interested in marine life or environmental conservation.
Fish
Fish in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vis | ||
| "Vis" also means "way" in Afrikaans, a legacy of its Dutch origins in which "vis" means "course". | |||
| Amharic | ዓሳ | ||
| "ዓሳ" also can mean "an amount, or some". | |||
| Hausa | kifi | ||
| The etymology of kifi is uncertain, and some speculate it might be related to an older Semitic root meaning 'fin'. In some contexts it may also mean "meat". | |||
| Igbo | azụ | ||
| The word "azụ" in Igbo can also refer to the spine or backbone. | |||
| Malagasy | trondro | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "TRONDRO" means both "fish" and "a living thing that can move in water." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nsomba | ||
| The word "nsomba" in Nyanja also refers to meat other than fish, particularly beef. | |||
| Shona | hove | ||
| The word "hove" in Shona also refers to a variety of fish, including bream, tilapia, and barbel. | |||
| Somali | kalluunka | ||
| The word "kalluunka" also means "ocean" in the Somali language. | |||
| Sesotho | litlhapi | ||
| The Sesotho word "litlhapi" also means "something that swims". | |||
| Swahili | samaki | ||
| The Swahili word 'samaki' originates from the Proto-Bantu root *-sámi, meaning 'meat of the sea'. | |||
| Xhosa | intlanzi | ||
| In some areas, **intlanzi** is a type of small sardine that is used for making isonka senhlanhla (a type of bread). | |||
| Yoruba | eja | ||
| The Yoruba word "eja" also refers to a type of soup or stew made with fish as the primary ingredient. | |||
| Zulu | inhlanzi | ||
| The Zulu word "inhlanzi" also refers to a "serpent" in some contexts, reflecting the traditional belief in a serpent guardian spirit of the waters. | |||
| Bambara | jɛgɛ | ||
| Ewe | tɔmelã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amafi | ||
| Lingala | mbisi | ||
| Luganda | eky'enyanja | ||
| Sepedi | hlapi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsunam | ||
Fish in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سمك | ||
| The word "سمك" is derived from a Semitic root "smk", which means "fat" or "plump" and has a connection to the shape of fish. | |||
| Hebrew | דג | ||
| The word "דג" (fish) can also refer to a military formation or a type of fabric, but is probably derived from the Akkadian word "duku" meaning "to be fat". | |||
| Pashto | کب | ||
| The word "کب" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰebʰ-**, meaning "to catch" or "to grasp". | |||
| Arabic | سمك | ||
| The word "سمك" is derived from a Semitic root "smk", which means "fat" or "plump" and has a connection to the shape of fish. | |||
Fish in Western European Languages
| Albanian | peshk | ||
| The word "peshk" in Albanian has an ancient Indo-European root meaning "finny water creature" and is related to the English word "fish". | |||
| Basque | arrainak | ||
| The word “arrainak” is derived from Proto-Basque and is ultimately of Indo-European origin, possibly related to the Latin “aringus” (a type of fish) or the Gothic “areinas” (fish). | |||
| Catalan | peix | ||
| The Catalan word for "fish" (peix) also means "measure" or "weight". | |||
| Croatian | riba | ||
| In Croatian, the word "riba" can also mean "a lot" "wealth" or "profit". | |||
| Danish | fisk | ||
| In Danish, "fisk" (fish) is cognate with English "fiscal" and French "fisc," all derived from Latin "fiscus" (treasury). | |||
| Dutch | vis | ||
| Although the Dutch word "vis" primarily means "fish," it also has the archaic meaning of "flesh" or "meat," as in the phrase "het visch des menschen" (the flesh of man). | |||
| English | fish | ||
| The word “fish” originated from the Old English word “fisc,” which referred to any aquatic animal. | |||
| French | poisson | ||
| The word "poisson" in French derives from the Latin word "piscis," which means "fish," and is also related to the English word "poison." | |||
| Frisian | fisk | ||
| "Fisk" comes from the Middle Dutch "visc" or "visch", which also means "fish". | |||
| Galician | peixe | ||
| The word "peixe" in Galician also means "weight". | |||
| German | fisch | ||
| The German word "Fisch" (fish) likely derives from the Proto-Germanic "*fiskôz," meaning "to catch," and is related to the English word "fisher." | |||
| Icelandic | fiskur | ||
| 'Fiskur' also means 'devil', 'fiend', or 'demon' in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | iasc | ||
| The Irish word "iasc" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂es-/*h₂esḱ- " meaning "to swim, to move in water." | |||
| Italian | pesce | ||
| "Pesce" is derived from the Latin word piscis and has the same root as "piscina" ("swimming pool"). | |||
| Luxembourgish | fësch | ||
| Maltese | ħut | ||
| The word 'ħut' also means 'threads' (of a fabric) in Maltese and is etymologically related to thread. | |||
| Norwegian | fisk | ||
| The Norwegian word "fisk" also means "fart" in Danish. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | peixe | ||
| In Portuguese, "peixe" derives from the Latin "piscis," also meaning "fish," and in Brazil, it additionally refers to an informal lottery scheme. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | iasg | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "iasg" is related to the Irish "iasc", the Welsh "pysg", and the English "fish". | |||
| Spanish | pez | ||
| The word "pez" can also refer to a piece of fish or a type of foot. | |||
| Swedish | fisk | ||
| "Fisk" in Swedish can also refer to a small stick used for lighting matches | |||
| Welsh | pysgod | ||
| The word "pysgod" in Welsh also refers to the zodiac sign Pisces. | |||
Fish in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рыба | ||
| The word 'рыба' (рыба) originates from a Proto-Balto-Slavic root *ribъ, which also gave us the words 'ryba' (Polish), 'ryba' (Czech), and 'ruba' (Latvian), all meaning 'fish'. | |||
| Bosnian | riba | ||
| The word "riba" is also used to refer to money earned through interest. | |||
| Bulgarian | риба | ||
| The word "риба" also means "scales" in Bulgarian, deriving from the Proto-Slavic word "ryba" with the same meaning. | |||
| Czech | ryba | ||
| The word "ryba" likely derives from the Proto-Slavic "*ryba" and is cognate with German "Rippe" (rib), indicating a historical connection between the concepts of fish and ribs. | |||
| Estonian | kala | ||
| The Estonian word "kala" (fish) may derive from the Proto-Uralic root *kala, or be related to the Finnish word kalanen (small fish). | |||
| Finnish | kalastaa | ||
| Kalastaa also means to deceive, swindle, cheat, or trick others in Finnish, most likely derived from the old word kala, meaning a lie or a fraud. | |||
| Hungarian | hal | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "hal" can also refer to death, the state of being dead, or to the underworld. | |||
| Latvian | zivis | ||
| The Latvian word "zivis" originates from the Proto-Baltic root "*žewi-s", meaning "fish", and is cognate with other Baltic and Slavic languages. | |||
| Lithuanian | žuvis | ||
| In Lithuanian, "žuvis" not only refers to fish but also to a sign of the zodiac (Pisces). | |||
| Macedonian | риба | ||
| The word "Риба" in Macedonian originates from the Proto-Slavic word "ryba", meaning "fish". | |||
| Polish | ryba | ||
| Polish "ryba" is a West Slavic term related to the verb "ryć" meaning "to dig". Thus, it originally referred to burrowing fish like a lamprey or eel before extending to all fish. | |||
| Romanian | peşte | ||
| In Romanian, "peşte" is cognate to the Latin "piscis" and also signifies a constellation (Pisces) and the zodiacal sign (also Pisces). | |||
| Russian | рыбы | ||
| The Russian word "рыбы" (fish) comes from the Proto-Slavic word "ryba", which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₁reǵ-s", meaning "to swim" or "to move in water". | |||
| Serbian | риба | ||
| The word "риба" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁reyp- "to tear, cut, cut off," which also gave rise to the English word "rib". | |||
| Slovak | ryby | ||
| The Slovak word “ryby” means “fish,” but it can also refer to scales. | |||
| Slovenian | ribe | ||
| The word Ribe is also used in a figurative sense in reference to a group of people. | |||
| Ukrainian | риба | ||
| The Ukrainian word "риба" ("fish") may originate from the Proto-Slavic word '*ryba' or may be connected to "ри́ти" ("dig"), referring to the habit of some fish to dig holes in the riverbed. | |||
Fish in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাছ | ||
| "মাছ" also means "hook" and shares an etymology with the English word "mash". | |||
| Gujarati | માછલી | ||
| The Gujarati word "માછલી" (fish) is derived from the Sanskrit word "matsya", which also means "fish". | |||
| Hindi | मछली | ||
| The word "मछली" is derived from the Sanskrit word "matsya" meaning "a living being in water". | |||
| Kannada | ಮೀನು | ||
| The Kannada word "ಮೀನು" is cognate with the Tamil word "மீன்" and the Telugu word "మీను". | |||
| Malayalam | മത്സ്യം | ||
| The word 'മത്സ്യം' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'matsya' and shares the same root with the English word 'fish'. It can also refer to a constellation or a zodiac sign. | |||
| Marathi | मासे | ||
| मासे (fish) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *matsya- (*fish) and is cognate with the Sanskrit word मत्स्य (matsya). | |||
| Nepali | माछा | ||
| The Nepali word "माछा" (fish) is derived from the Sanskrit word "मत्स्य" and also refers to the zodiac sign Pisces. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੱਛੀ | ||
| The word 'ਮੱਛੀ' (fish) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'matsya', which also means 'fish', and is related to the English word 'fish'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මාළු | ||
| The word 'මාළු' can also mean 'a shoal of fish' or 'a person who catches fish'. | |||
| Tamil | மீன் | ||
| The word "மீன்" in Tamil can also mean "the zodiac sign Pisces" or "a measure of weight". | |||
| Telugu | చేప | ||
| The word "చేప" (fish) in Telugu is cognate with Sanskrit "सर्प" (sarp), likely derived from Proto-Indo-European "*serp-", meaning "to crawl". | |||
| Urdu | مچھلی | ||
| The word "مچھلی" is derived from the Sanskrit word "matsya", which means "a fish", and is also related to the English word "meek". | |||
Fish in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 鱼 | ||
| 鱼 in Cantonese and Hokkien means "abundance or surplus" | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 魚 | ||
| The Chinese character 魚 is based on the shape of a fish and also means "abundance". | |||
| Japanese | 魚 | ||
| The character 魚 may also refer to the Pisces zodiac sign or the constellation of Pisces. | |||
| Korean | 물고기 | ||
| The word '물고기' can also refer to any marine animal or insect that swims or moves in water. | |||
| Mongolian | загас | ||
| The word "загас" comes from the Proto-Mongolic root word "*zaga" meaning "water," thus the "fish" is the "being of the water." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငါး | ||
| The Proto-Burushaski-Sino-Tibetan form of *ŋa-ga (“fish”) is thought to be related to the Indo-European *ḱḱor (“snake”). | |||
Fish in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ikan | ||
| The Javanese word for "fish" (iwak) may be derived from "ikan", with assimilation of the word-initial vowel. | |||
| Javanese | iwak | ||
| The word "iwak" in Javanese is also used to refer to a dish made from fish. | |||
| Khmer | ត្រី | ||
| The word "ត្រី" can also refer to a constellation or the zodiac sign Pisces. | |||
| Lao | ປາ | ||
| "ປາ" can also mean "luck" or "fortune" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | ikan | ||
| In Brunei and Singapore, 'ikan' also refers specifically to saltwater fish. | |||
| Thai | ปลา | ||
| In Thai, "ปลา" (pla) can also refer to a flat object or a person who is gullible. | |||
| Vietnamese | cá | ||
| In Vietnamese, "cá" also means "a type of betting game using a deck of cards" | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isda | ||
Fish in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | balıq | ||
| "Balıq" also means a constellation, i.e. the Pisces, in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | балық | ||
| The Kazakh word "балық" can also be interpreted as "food." | |||
| Kyrgyz | балык | ||
| The word 'балык' also means 'a big fish', but in a derogatory way, implying that the fish is old and tough. | |||
| Tajik | моҳӣ | ||
| "Моҳӣ" (fish) comes from Old Persian (language of the Achaemenid Empire) "maciya" and Proto-Indo-European "*meḱsós" (fish); it is cognate with Persian "māhi," English "minnow," and Lithuanian "žuvys" (fishes). | |||
| Turkmen | balyk | ||
| Uzbek | baliq | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "baliq" derives from the Old Turkic "balïq" and also refers to a fortified city in historical documents. | |||
| Uyghur | بېلىق | ||
Fish in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | iʻa | ||
| The Hawaiian word "iʻa" not only refers to fish but also to other marine creatures like turtles, eels, and even whales. | |||
| Maori | ika | ||
| In Maori mythology, the fish spirit Ika-tere ('moving fish') is considered a guardian of the ocean. | |||
| Samoan | iʻa | ||
| The term "iʻa" can also refer to sea creatures such as octopus, jellyfish, and sea turtles in Samoan language. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | isda | ||
| In the Philippines, the term "isda" can also refer to a type of card game similar to Go Fish. | |||
Fish in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | challwa | ||
| Guarani | pira | ||
Fish in International Languages
| Esperanto | fiŝo | ||
| The word "fiŝo" is derived from the French word "poisson", which itself comes from the Latin word "piscis". | |||
| Latin | piscis | ||
| The word "piscis" in Latin can also refer to the zodiac sign Pisces. | |||
Fish in Others Languages
| Greek | ψάρι | ||
| The word "ψάρι" is derived from the Ancient Greek word "ὀψάριον" (opsarion), meaning "small fish" or "side dish". | |||
| Hmong | ntses | ||
| The Hmong word "ntses" comes from the Proto-Hmong-Mien "ntseiqs", which also meant both "fish" and "slippery". | |||
| Kurdish | masî | ||
| The word "masî" in Kurdish also refers to a small amount of something, such as a drop of water or a speck of dust | |||
| Turkish | balık | ||
| The word 'balık' comes from the Persian word 'mahi', which also means 'fish'. | |||
| Xhosa | intlanzi | ||
| In some areas, **intlanzi** is a type of small sardine that is used for making isonka senhlanhla (a type of bread). | |||
| Yiddish | פיש | ||
| The Yiddish word "fish" has the secondary meaning of "nonsense," "bunk," or "rubbish." | |||
| Zulu | inhlanzi | ||
| The Zulu word "inhlanzi" also refers to a "serpent" in some contexts, reflecting the traditional belief in a serpent guardian spirit of the waters. | |||
| Assamese | মাছ | ||
| Aymara | challwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मछरी | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސް | ||
| Dogri | मच्छी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | isda | ||
| Guarani | pira | ||
| Ilocano | lames | ||
| Krio | fish | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ماسی | ||
| Maithili | माछ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯉꯥ | ||
| Mizo | sangha | ||
| Oromo | qurxummii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଛ | | ||
| Quechua | challlwa | ||
| Sanskrit | मीन | ||
| Tatar | балык | ||
| Tigrinya | ዓሳ | ||
| Tsonga | hlampfi | ||