Flesh in Different Languages
Discover 'Flesh' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'flesh' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often referring to the soft, vulnerable parts of our body. It's a term that transcends simple anatomical description, often used metaphorically to convey concepts of human frailty, mortality, and sensuality. Its cultural importance is evident in art, literature, and religious texts worldwide.
For instance, in the Christian Bible, 'flesh' is used to describe human nature and our susceptibility to sin. In literature, authors like Shakespeare have used the term to explore the human condition's physical and emotional aspects. In the realm of art, 'flesh' is a favorite subject of painters, sculptors, and photographers, highlighting the beauty and vulnerability of the human form.
Given its profound implications, one might wonder how 'flesh' is translated in different languages. After all, understanding these translations can provide valuable insights into how different cultures perceive this fundamental aspect of human existence.
Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'carne'
- French: 'chair'
- German: 'Fleisch'
- Mandarin: '肉' ('rou')
- Japanese: '肉' ('niku')
Flesh
Flesh in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vlees | ||
| "Vlees" is cognate with the Dutch word "vlees" and the German word "Fleisch." | |||
| Amharic | ሥጋ | ||
| In Amharic, the word "ሥጋ" also means "the physical body" or "the material world". | |||
| Hausa | nama | ||
| The Hausa word "nama" can also refer to the meat of sacrificial animals or the dried flesh of a corpse. | |||
| Igbo | anụ ahụ | ||
| The Igbo word "anụ ahụ" also encompasses spiritual qualities and the essence of a being. | |||
| Malagasy | nofo | ||
| The Malagasy word "nofo" can also mean "person" or "human being". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | thupi | ||
| "Thupi" also means "body" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | nyama | ||
| The word "nyama" in Shona not only signifies "flesh," but also symbolizes the essence of a person, their well-being, and their vulnerability. | |||
| Somali | hilib | ||
| The Somali word "hilib" can also refer to the meat of an animal or the human body, emphasizing its physicality or material substance. | |||
| Sesotho | nama | ||
| The word 'nama' originates from Khoisan, where it refers to an edible plant. | |||
| Swahili | mwili | ||
| In Swahili, 'mwili' not only means 'flesh', but also 'body', 'substance', and 'essence'. | |||
| Xhosa | inyama | ||
| 'Inyama' is occasionally also metaphorically used to refer to the material or physical assets of a community or a nation. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹran ara | ||
| Ẹran ara is derived from the Proto-Yoruboid *ran, meaning "body" or "substance". | |||
| Zulu | inyama | ||
| The Zulu word 'inyama' can also refer to meat or food. | |||
| Bambara | farisogo | ||
| Ewe | ŋutilã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inyama | ||
| Lingala | mosuni | ||
| Luganda | omubiri | ||
| Sepedi | nama | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nam | ||
Flesh in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لحم | ||
| The word "لحم" is derived from the Semitic root "L-H-M", meaning "to be moist" or "to be tender", and can also refer to the edible portions of meat in Arabic culinary traditions. | |||
| Hebrew | בשר | ||
| בשר can also refer to humans or animals in a general sense, similar to the English word "creature". | |||
| Pashto | غوښه | ||
| In Pashto, "غوښه" also refers to the meat of animals, particularly when cooked and consumed as food. | |||
| Arabic | لحم | ||
| The word "لحم" is derived from the Semitic root "L-H-M", meaning "to be moist" or "to be tender", and can also refer to the edible portions of meat in Arabic culinary traditions. | |||
Flesh in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mish | ||
| In Albanian, "mish" can also refer to "meat" or "a cooked meat dish". | |||
| Basque | haragia | ||
| The Basque word "haragia" is also used figuratively to refer to "meat" or "flesh of a person." | |||
| Catalan | carn | ||
| The word "carn" in Catalan comes from the Latin "caro" and can also refer to meat or the human body. | |||
| Croatian | meso | ||
| Meso also means 'village', 'hamlet' or 'settlement'. | |||
| Danish | kød | ||
| The Danish word "kød" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*keti-**, meaning meat or flesh, and is related to the English word "cattle". | |||
| Dutch | vlees | ||
| The Dutch word "vlees" derives from the Proto-West Germanic root "*flaisk" and can also refer to the meat of animals. | |||
| English | flesh | ||
| The Old English word 'flǣsc' is related to the word 'flake', referring to skin that is shed. | |||
| French | la chair | ||
| The French word 'la chair' originally denoted the living parts of an animal, with the specific meaning of 'flesh' being a more recent application. | |||
| Frisian | fleis | ||
| In Frisian, "fleis" also refers to the soft and fleshy parts of fruit and vegetables. | |||
| Galician | carne | ||
| In Galician, "carne" can also mean "meat" or "flesh of a fruit." | |||
| German | fleisch | ||
| The word "Fleisch" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*flaisk" which also meant "meat". | |||
| Icelandic | hold | ||
| In Icelandic, "hold" also means "to hold, to keep, to grasp" and "to prevent from moving". | |||
| Irish | flesh | ||
| The Irish word "feoil" (pronounced "flay-ol") is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*wlesno-," meaning "flesh" or "meat." | |||
| Italian | carne | ||
| "Carne" can also refer to the meat of animals used for food, in which case it is usually preceded by an article (e.g. la carne, la bistecca). | |||
| Luxembourgish | fleesch | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Fleesch" is derived from the Old High German word "fleisk" and is related to the English word "flesh". | |||
| Maltese | laħam | ||
| The word "laħam" is derived from Semitic roots meaning "food" or "meat". | |||
| Norwegian | kjøtt | ||
| The word "kjøtt" in Norwegian, meaning "flesh," is derived from the Old Norse "kjötr," which also meant "meat" or "food." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | carne | ||
| The word "carne" in Portuguese can also refer to meat or the edible part of an animal. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | feòil | ||
| The word "feòil" can also mean "holiday" or "festival" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | carne | ||
| The Spanish word "carne" is derived from the Late Latin word "carnis" or "carnem," which itself originated from the Proto-Indo-European word "*k̂r̥ós," meaning "flesh" or "blood". | |||
| Swedish | kött | ||
| Cognate with the English word "meat," and like the English word, "kött" can also refer to the edible part of a plant, such as the fleshy part of a fruit. | |||
| Welsh | cnawd | ||
| The Middle Breton root *knaod may have given rise to the Welsh word cnawd. | |||
Flesh in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | мякаць | ||
| Мякаць is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *męso, which also meant "meat" or "flesh". | |||
| Bosnian | meso | ||
| It also means "the side" in mathematics, like in "mesoscale," or "mesothelioma." | |||
| Bulgarian | плът | ||
| The Old Church Slavonic word "плътъ" (plĭtŭ) also means "the people," from Proto-Slavic *plьtь "body, life, family" | |||
| Czech | maso | ||
| The Czech word "maso" also refers to the meat consumed as food. | |||
| Estonian | liha | ||
| Liha also refers to the 'body of an animal' and, figuratively, to 'relatives' or 'comrades'. | |||
| Finnish | liha | ||
| The word "liha" can also refer to the soft, inner part of fruits or vegetables. | |||
| Hungarian | hús | ||
| The word "hús" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱwe-ws- "to swell", and is cognate with the English word "flesh". | |||
| Latvian | miesa | ||
| In Latvian, "miesa" also refers to the inner part of a fruit or to the pulp of a berry. | |||
| Lithuanian | kūnas | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'kūnas' means 'body' or 'embodiment'. | |||
| Macedonian | месо | ||
| The word "месо" can also mean "meat" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | ciało | ||
| The Polish word 'ciało' can also refer to the body of water or the thickness of a liquid. | |||
| Romanian | carne | ||
| The Romanian word "carne" is derived from the Latin "caro" and can also refer to meat from hunted animals. | |||
| Russian | плоть | ||
| The Proto-Slavic root "*pьlьtъ" meant "full" and "thick". | |||
| Serbian | месо | ||
| The word 'месо' can also refer to 'meat' and is the root of the word 'месара' which means 'butcher'. | |||
| Slovak | mäso | ||
| The term 'mäso' can also refer to a type of Slovak meat soup. | |||
| Slovenian | meso | ||
| The word meso is also used in Slovenian to describe the middle section of something. | |||
| Ukrainian | плоть | ||
| “Плоть” (flesh) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root “*pleḱ-“ (to fold, to plait), akin to “плести” (to weave) and “пласт” (layer). | |||
Flesh in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মাংস | ||
| The word "মাংস" in Bengali is derived from the Sanskrit word "मांस" (māṃsa), which also means "flesh". In some contexts, it can also refer to "meat" or "animal tissue". | |||
| Gujarati | માંસ | ||
| The word "માંસ" (flesh) in Gujarati also has the alternate meaning of "body". | |||
| Hindi | मोटापा | ||
| "मोटापा" (flesh) refers to "the fleshy substance of an animal," "fleshiness" or "abundance," "a large piece," or "corpulence," related to "mass" or "weight." | |||
| Kannada | ಮಾಂಸ | ||
| The word 'ಮಾಂಸ' (flesh) in Kannada also refers to the 'pulp' of fruits and vegetables. | |||
| Malayalam | മാംസം | ||
| The word "മാംസം" is derived from the Sanskrit word "मांसम्" (māṃsam), which also means "flesh". In Malayalam, the word can also be used to refer to the body, especially the human body. | |||
| Marathi | देह | ||
| In Marathi, "देह" not only denotes "flesh" but also encompasses one's "body" and "self." | |||
| Nepali | मासु | ||
| In the context of Tantric Buddhism, the term "मासु" can also refer to the physical body of a practitioner. | |||
| Punjabi | ਮਾਸ | ||
| The word "ਮਾਸ" can also mean "meat", "substance", or "body". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මස් | ||
| The word “මස්” in Sinhala can also refer to the soft edible portion of a fruit. | |||
| Tamil | சதை | ||
| The word "சதை" (flesh) in Tamil also refers to the muscular or fleshy part of a fruit or vegetable. | |||
| Telugu | మాంసం | ||
| The word "మాంసం" can also refer to a kind of meat or fish that is sold in markets. | |||
| Urdu | گوشت | ||
| The word 'گوشت' (flesh) in Urdu originates from the Persian word 'گوشت' and is also used in Hindi to refer to 'meat or flesh'. In Sanskrit, the word 'गौषम्' translates to 'cow-flesh' and is related to 'गो' (cow). | |||
Flesh in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 肉 | ||
| In Chinese, "肉" can also mean "meat", "flesh and blood", or "relatives" | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 肉 | ||
| In some contexts, the Chinese character 肉 (pronounced "rou") can also refer to plants, animals, and even people. | |||
| Japanese | 肉 | ||
| The '肉' (niku) character's alternate meaning is 'meat', but also can refer to the flesh of fruits and vegetables. | |||
| Korean | 육체 | ||
| 육체 also refers to the physical body of a living being as opposed to their spiritual or emotional side. | |||
| Mongolian | махан бие | ||
| The Mongolian word "махан бие" can also mean "body" or "substance". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဇာတိပကတိ | ||
Flesh in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | daging | ||
| In Javanese, "daging" can also refer to the fruit of the jackfruit tree. | |||
| Javanese | daging | ||
| The Javanese word "daging" not only means "flesh" but also refers to meat from animals that are commonly eaten, such as chicken, fish, or beef. | |||
| Khmer | សាច់ | ||
| This Khmer word, which literally means 'flesh', is the same word used to define the 'meat' on a fruit. | |||
| Lao | ເນື້ອຫນັງ | ||
| Malay | daging | ||
| "Daging" in Malay derives from the Proto-Austronesian word *dadiɲ, meaning "body" or "person". | |||
| Thai | เนื้อ | ||
| "เนื้อ" also means "pulp", "meat", or "content" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | thịt | ||
| The word 'thịt' (flesh) in Vietnamese has a similar root to 'thit' (body) and 'thit' (meat) in Old Khmer, indicating a relation to the concept of the physical body. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | laman | ||
Flesh in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ət | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "ət" is also used to refer to other body parts, such as muscle and organs. | |||
| Kazakh | ет | ||
| The word "ет" also means "meat" and is related to the word "едік" (food). | |||
| Kyrgyz | эт | ||
| The word "эт" can also mean "body" or "self" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | гӯшт | ||
| The word "гӯшт" in Tajik can also refer to the part of an animal suitable for human consumption. | |||
| Turkmen | et | ||
| Uzbek | go'sht | ||
| The word "go'sht" is also used to refer to a specific type of Uzbek dish, typically consisting of braised or stewed meat with vegetables. | |||
| Uyghur | گۆش | ||
Flesh in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻiʻo | ||
| 'Iʻo' can also refer to an area covered in volcanic lava. | |||
| Maori | kikokiko | ||
| Maori word 'kikokiko' means 'flesh,' 'bone,' 'body,' and 'relative' | |||
| Samoan | aano | ||
| The Proto-Polynesian word for 'aano' is 'aano', meaning the substance of the body | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | laman | ||
| The word 'laman' also means 'inside' or 'content', highlighting the connection between flesh and the inner essence of a person or thing. | |||
Flesh in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aycha | ||
| Guarani | so'o | ||
Flesh in International Languages
| Esperanto | karno | ||
| The Esperanto word 'karno', meaning 'flesh or meat', originates from the Indo-European root '*k̑r̥so', which also appears in Germanic words like 'corpse' or 'carcass'. | |||
| Latin | carnes | ||
| The word 'carnes' relates to 'caro,' also 'flesh,' and 'carduus,' 'thistle.' | |||
Flesh in Others Languages
| Greek | σάρκα | ||
| In Greek mythology, `σάρκα` also means the personification of flesh and a daughter of Erebus and Nyx | |||
| Hmong | nqaij | ||
| The word "nqaij" in Hmong is derived from the Proto-Hmong-Mien word "*n̥gaj" and the Proto-Tai word "*ŋaːj"} | |||
| Kurdish | goşt | ||
| The Kurdish word "goşt" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰews-," meaning "to pour, flow," likely referring to the flowing blood of a slaughtered animal. | |||
| Turkish | et | ||
| The word "et" can also mean "substance, material, essence," or "meat" in Turkish, and is cognate with the Indo-European root *ed- "to eat." | |||
| Xhosa | inyama | ||
| 'Inyama' is occasionally also metaphorically used to refer to the material or physical assets of a community or a nation. | |||
| Yiddish | פלייש | ||
| In Yiddish, "פלייש" also means "meat" and is related to the German word "Fleisch". | |||
| Zulu | inyama | ||
| The Zulu word 'inyama' can also refer to meat or food. | |||
| Assamese | মাংস | ||
| Aymara | aycha | ||
| Bhojpuri | गूदा | ||
| Dhivehi | މަސް | ||
| Dogri | गेश्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | laman | ||
| Guarani | so'o | ||
| Ilocano | lasag | ||
| Krio | bɔdi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گۆشتی مرۆڤ | ||
| Maithili | मॉस | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯎꯅꯁꯥ | ||
| Mizo | tisa | ||
| Oromo | foon | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାଂସ | ||
| Quechua | aycha | ||
| Sanskrit | मांस | ||
| Tatar | ит | ||
| Tigrinya | ስጋ | ||
| Tsonga | nyama | ||