Food in Different Languages
Discover 'Food' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Food is more than just sustenance; it's a universal language that connects us all. Its significance extends beyond physical nourishment, playing a crucial role in social gatherings, cultural celebrations, and family traditions. The word 'food' itself has fascinating historical contexts and interesting facts associated with it. For instance, did you know that the English word 'companion' comes from the Latin words 'com' meaning 'together' and 'panis' meaning 'bread'? This etymology highlights the importance of sharing food as a symbol of friendship and camaraderie.
Understanding the translation of 'food' in different languages not only broadens your vocabulary but also offers insights into diverse culinary cultures. Here are some intriguing translations:
- French: 'nourriture'
- Spanish: 'comida'
- Mandarin: '食物' (shíwù)
- Japanese: '食べ物' (tabemono)
- German: 'Lebensmittel'
- Italian: 'cibo'
Food
Food in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kos | ||
| Etymology unknown, possibly an early loan from a Bantu language or via Dutch from an Indonesian language. | |||
| Amharic | ምግብ | ||
| "ምግብ" (food) derives from a root meaning "to feed, nourish, or sustain." | |||
| Hausa | abinci | ||
| In Hausa, | |||
| Igbo | nri | ||
| "Nri" also means "life" or "to live" in Igbo, capturing the vital role of food in sustaining life. | |||
| Malagasy | sakafo | ||
| The word 'sakafo' in Malagasy is a loanword from the Proto-Austronesian word 'kaen' meaning 'to eat' or 'food'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chakudya | ||
| The word "chakudya" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is also used to refer to the act of eating. | |||
| Shona | chikafu | ||
| The word 'chikafu' can also refer to agricultural produce or a meal. | |||
| Somali | cuntada | ||
| Sesotho | lijo | ||
| The Sesotho word for 'food' is thought to be derived from the Proto-Bantu word *lidyo, meaning 'to swallow'. | |||
| Swahili | chakula | ||
| The Swahili word "chakula" originally referred to "sustenance" and also means "that which is eaten". | |||
| Xhosa | ukutya | ||
| The word 'ukutya' in Xhosa is also used to describe plants used as food, emphasizing its organic origin. | |||
| Yoruba | ounjẹ | ||
| The Yoruba word ọ̀únjẹ, meaning "food", is a compound formed from the words "ọ̀ún" ("to drink") and "jẹ́" ("to eat"), suggesting that the act of eating in Yoruba culture traditionally encapsulates both drinking and eating. | |||
| Zulu | ukudla | ||
| "Ukudla" can also refer to a feast or a large quantity of food. | |||
| Bambara | dumuni | ||
| Ewe | nuɖuɖu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibiryo | ||
| Lingala | bilei | ||
| Luganda | emmere | ||
| Sepedi | dijo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aduane | ||
Food in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | طعام | ||
| The Arabic word "طعام" (food) is derived from the root "طعم" (taste), referring to the sensory experience associated with eating. | |||
| Hebrew | מזון | ||
| The word 'מזון' (food) in Hebrew also refers to 'nourishment,' 'sustenance,' and 'provisions.' | |||
| Pashto | خواړه | ||
| The Pashto word "خواړه" is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷʰer- "to warm, heat," and is also cognate with the Sanskrit word "gharma" and the Avestan word "garəma," both of which mean "heat, warmth." | |||
| Arabic | طعام | ||
| The Arabic word "طعام" (food) is derived from the root "طعم" (taste), referring to the sensory experience associated with eating. | |||
Food in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ushqim | ||
| The Albanian word "ushqim" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*h₁edh-skó" meaning "sustenance". | |||
| Basque | janari | ||
| The Basque word "janari" may be related to the words "jan" (to eat) or "jani" (food) found in other Basque languages such as Proto-Basque, Aquitanian, and Iberian. | |||
| Catalan | menjar | ||
| The Catalan word "menjar" comes from the Latin verb "mandere," meaning "to chew" or "to eat." | |||
| Croatian | hrana | ||
| The Croatian word 'hrana' derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂er- ('to grow, nourish'), also seen in the English word 'corn'. | |||
| Danish | mad | ||
| In Danish, "mad" can also refer to a meal or a feast. | |||
| Dutch | voedsel | ||
| The word "voedsel" is derived from the Old Dutch "voedsel", meaning "nourishment" or "what one feeds on". | |||
| English | food | ||
| "Food" comes from the Old English "foda," which also meant "young animal". | |||
| French | nourriture | ||
| Nourriture is derived from the Latin word "nutrire," meaning "nourish," but can also refer to "education" or "spiritual sustenance." | |||
| Frisian | iten | ||
| The Frisian word "iten" shares a common origin with the English word "eat" and the German word "essen" | |||
| Galician | comida | ||
| In Galician, 'comida' also means an occasion when food is provided, such as a meal, a snack or a banquet | |||
| German | lebensmittel | ||
| Literally translating to "means of living", "Lebensmittel" also includes animal feed, tobacco, and stimulants. | |||
| Icelandic | matur | ||
| In Icelandic, "matur" not only means "food", but also "bait" or "decoy", highlighting its importance in the cultural traditions of fishing and hunting. | |||
| Irish | bia | ||
| The Irish word 'bia' is a cognate of the Latin word 'cibus', meaning 'food', and is also related to the Greek word 'βιος' (bios), meaning 'life'. | |||
| Italian | cibo | ||
| "Cibo" derives from the Latin "cibus" meaning "food" or "sustenance". | |||
| Luxembourgish | iessen | ||
| Iessen may also refer to the act or process of devouring something. | |||
| Maltese | ikel | ||
| "Ikel" is a derivative of the Arabic word "akl" with the same meaning and cognate with the Hebrew "okhel". | |||
| Norwegian | mat | ||
| The Norwegian word "mat" (food) comes from the Old Norse word "matur", which also meant "food". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | comida | ||
| The word 'comida' derives from the Latin 'comedere', meaning 'to eat', and can also refer to a specific meal or dish. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | biadh | ||
| The word "biadh" is also used to refer to cooked food as opposed to raw ingredients, while "dalan" refers to cooked meat. | |||
| Spanish | comida | ||
| Comida can also refer to the act of eating, a meal, or the provisions for a journey in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | mat | ||
| In Swedish, "mat" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ed-," and also means "meal" or "supper." | |||
| Welsh | bwyd | ||
| "Bwyd" is borrowed from the Old Norse word "bǫð", meaning "provisions" or "rations". | |||
Food in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | харчаванне | ||
| Харчаванне, meaning "food" in Belarusian, derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʰer-, meaning "to nourish." | |||
| Bosnian | hrana | ||
| In Bosnian, the word “hrana” can also mean “nourishment,” “sustenance,” or “nutrition.” | |||
| Bulgarian | храна | ||
| The word 'храна' comes from an old Slavic root meaning 'to nourish' and is related to words like 'хлеб' ('bread') and 'хоровать' ('to be ill'). | |||
| Czech | jídlo | ||
| The Czech word "jídlo" can also refer to a meal or a course or dishes | |||
| Estonian | toit | ||
| Toit also means fodder, nourishment or pasture in the Estonian language. | |||
| Finnish | ruokaa | ||
| The word 'ruokaa' is derived from the Proto-Uralic word *ruka, meaning 'something to feed oneself' | |||
| Hungarian | étel | ||
| Étel originates in Proto-Uralic, where it had a wider variety of meanings like 'provision', 'food', and even 'medicine'. | |||
| Latvian | ēdiens | ||
| Ēdiens can also refer to a dish, a meal, or provisions. | |||
| Lithuanian | maistas | ||
| The word "maistas" is derived from the verb "maitinti" which means "to nourish or feed". | |||
| Macedonian | храна | ||
| The word "храна" in Macedonian also means "provision" or "sustenance". | |||
| Polish | jedzenie | ||
| "Jedzenie" can also mean "eating" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | alimente | ||
| In Romanian, 'alimente' is derived from the Latin 'alere' (to nourish) and also refers to 'goods' or 'supplies' in a general sense. | |||
| Russian | еда | ||
| The word "еда" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*jẹdъ", meaning "to eat" or "meal". | |||
| Serbian | храна | ||
| The word "храна" in Serbian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*xъrana", which also means "nourishment", "sustenance", or "sustenance". | |||
| Slovak | jedlo | ||
| The word "jedlo" in Slovak derives from the Proto-Slavic word "*jьdlo", meaning "that which is eaten". | |||
| Slovenian | hrano | ||
| The word "hrano" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂rew- meaning "to cut, tear". | |||
| Ukrainian | їжа | ||
| The word "їжа" originates from the Proto-Slavic word *jьdъ, meaning "meal" or "sustenance". | |||
Food in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | খাদ্য | ||
| The term is a shortened form of ''খাদ্য পদার্থ'' or ''eating substance''. | |||
| Gujarati | ખોરાક | ||
| The word "ખોરાક" also means "sustenance" or "nourishment" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | खाना | ||
| In Hindi the word "खाना" (food) has a double meaning - the food itself and a place where it is served. | |||
| Kannada | ಆಹಾರ | ||
| The word | |||
| Malayalam | ഭക്ഷണം | ||
| The Malayalam word 'ഭക്ഷണം' can also refer to the act of eating food or the place where food is served. | |||
| Marathi | अन्न | ||
| The word "अन्न" (food) in Marathi also means "grain" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "अन्नम्". | |||
| Nepali | खाना | ||
| The word "खाना" ("food" in Nepali) originally referred to the act of cooking or eating, rather than the food itself. | |||
| Punjabi | ਭੋਜਨ | ||
| ਭੋਜਨ ultimately derives from the word 'bhoj' meaning 'to eat'. It is also a synonym for 'prasad' or 'sanctified food' in the spiritual context. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ආහාර | ||
| The word 'ආහාර' in Sinhala means 'food', and it can be traced back to the Sanskrit word 'आहार' (āhāra), which means 'to eat'. | |||
| Tamil | உணவு | ||
| "உணவு" also means "feeling" or "sensation" in some Tamil dialects | |||
| Telugu | ఆహారం | ||
| ఆహారం (āhāram) derives from ā (to eat) and hāram (nourishment); an alternate meaning is 'the nourishment to the spirit' | |||
| Urdu | کھانا | ||
| The word "کھانا" is derived from the Sanskrit word "खादित" (khādita), meaning "eaten" or "consumed." | |||
Food in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 餐饮 | ||
| '餐饮' literally means 'drinking and eating' | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 餐飲 | ||
| The word "餐飲" (food) in Chinese (Traditional) is composed of two characters: "餐", meaning "meal" or "course", and "飲", meaning "drink" or "beverage". | |||
| Japanese | 食物 | ||
| The Japanese word for food, "食物", is literally translated as "the stuff that feeds the body". | |||
| Korean | 음식 | ||
| "음식" (food), in addition to its primary meaning, can also mean nourishment (영양) or a treat or dessert (과일). | |||
| Mongolian | хоол хүнс | ||
| The word "хоол хүнс" can also mean "provisions" or "supplies". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အစားအစာ | ||
| "အစား" is derived from the Sanskrit word "ācāra", meaning "custom, practice, or behavior," as food is a fundamental aspect of everyday life. | |||
Food in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | makanan | ||
| The Indonesian word "makanan" can also refer to a particular dish or type of food. | |||
| Javanese | panganan | ||
| In ancient Javanese, "panganan" also meant "offering to the gods." | |||
| Khmer | អាហារ | ||
| The Khmer word "aharn" (អាហារ) is derived from the Sanskrit word "āhāra" (आहार) and ultimately originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *aǵʰ- "to drive, move, carry". | |||
| Lao | ອາຫານ | ||
| The Lao word "ອາຫານ" (food) is derived from the Sanskrit word "आहार" (ahara), meaning "intake". It can also refer to the act of eating or the material taken into an organism for nourishment and growth. | |||
| Malay | makanan | ||
| "Makanan" is the Malay word for "food," but it also has roots in Sanskrit, where it means "substance," "essence," or "matter." | |||
| Thai | อาหาร | ||
| Derived from Sanskrit 'आहार' (a-ha-ra), meaning 'to convey', referring to the process of taking food into the body. | |||
| Vietnamese | món ăn | ||
| The word "món ăn" can also refer to the individual servings or dishes of food that make up a meal | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkain | ||
Food in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yemək | ||
| The word "yemək" in Azerbaijani also means "to eat". | |||
| Kazakh | тамақ | ||
| Тамақ in Kazakh can also mean | |||
| Kyrgyz | тамак-аш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "тамак-аш" originally referred to a traditional festive dish served at special occasions. | |||
| Tajik | хӯрок | ||
| The word "хӯрок" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "خوراک" (khurāk), meaning "food, sustenance, or nourishment." | |||
| Turkmen | iýmit | ||
| Uzbek | ovqat | ||
| The Uzbek word "ovqat" is a derivative of the Persian loanword "awqāt" (أوقات), which can refer to both set times (like prayer times) and food eaten at those times. | |||
| Uyghur | يېمەكلىك | ||
Food in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | mea ʻai | ||
| The word "mea ʻai" can also mean "something eaten", such as a meal or a snack. | |||
| Maori | kai | ||
| Maori word kai may mean the food itself or the process of eating depending on context. | |||
| Samoan | meaai | ||
| The word "meaai" in Samoan derives from the Proto-Austronesian root "*ma-kan", meaning "to eat". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagkain | ||
| "Pagkain," meaning "food" in Tagalog, is derived from the root word "kain," meaning "to eat," and the prefix "pag," which denotes an activity or process. | |||
Food in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manq'aña | ||
| Guarani | hi'upyrã | ||
Food in International Languages
| Esperanto | manĝaĵo | ||
| The word "manĝaĵo" also has an alternate meaning of "food storage". | |||
| Latin | cibus | ||
| The word 'cibus' has the rare secondary meaning 'sustenance for life and spirit'. | |||
Food in Others Languages
| Greek | φαγητό | ||
| The word 'φαγητό' is derived from the word 'Φάω', which means 'to eat', and is related to the word 'Φάρος', which means 'lighthouse', due to its role in attracting people during meal times. | |||
| Hmong | cov khoom noj | ||
| The Hmong word "cov khoom noj" literally translates to "things that are swallowed". | |||
| Kurdish | xûrek | ||
| The Kurdish word "xûrek" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰréw-", meaning "to grow, ripen, gather". | |||
| Turkish | gıda | ||
| The Turkish word "Gıda" originally meant "provisions", suggesting its use in a military context. | |||
| Xhosa | ukutya | ||
| The word 'ukutya' in Xhosa is also used to describe plants used as food, emphasizing its organic origin. | |||
| Yiddish | עסנוואַרג | ||
| עסנוואַרג derives from Middle High German 'ëssen' (to eat) and 'ware,' a collective term for goods. | |||
| Zulu | ukudla | ||
| "Ukudla" can also refer to a feast or a large quantity of food. | |||
| Assamese | আহাৰ | ||
| Aymara | manq'aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | खाना | ||
| Dhivehi | ކާތަކެތި | ||
| Dogri | रुट्टी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkain | ||
| Guarani | hi'upyrã | ||
| Ilocano | makan | ||
| Krio | it | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خواردن | ||
| Maithili | खाद्य | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯟꯖꯥꯛ | ||
| Mizo | chaw | ||
| Oromo | nyaata | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଖାଦ୍ୟ | ||
| Quechua | mikuna | ||
| Sanskrit | आहारः | ||
| Tatar | ризык | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግቢ | ||
| Tsonga | swakudya | ||