Football in Different Languages
Discover 'Football' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Football, known as 'fútbol' in Spanish and 'le foot' in French, is more than just a game. It's a universal language that transcends borders, connecting people from all walks of life. From the thrilling World Cup matches to local pick-up games, football embodies sportsmanship, strategy, and sheer athleticism.
Originating in England in the mid-19th century, football has since grown into a global phenomenon, becoming an integral part of many cultures. It's not just about scoring goals; it's about the camaraderie, the stories, and the emotions that unfold on the pitch.
Understanding the translation of 'football' in different languages can open up a world of cultural exchange. For instance, in Germany, it's 'Fußball', in Italy, 'calcio', and in Brazil, 'futebol'. Each language carries its own unique footballing traditions and passions.
So, whether you're a seasoned fan or a curious linguist, exploring the world of football through its various translations is a great way to appreciate the game's global impact and diversity.
Football
Football in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sokker | ||
| The word "sokker" in Afrikaans is derived from the English word "soccer" and has the same meaning in South Africa, but elsewhere in Afrikaans-speaking countries it refers to regular football. | |||
| Amharic | እግር ኳስ | ||
| The Amharic word 'እግር ኳስ' literally means 'foot ball', referring to the round shape of the ball. | |||
| Hausa | kwallon kafa | ||
| "Kwallon kafa" literally means "head ball" in Hausa, referring to the common method of playing soccer using the head. | |||
| Igbo | bọọlụ | ||
| Igbo word 'bọọlụ' derives from the English word 'football', but can also refer to any type of team ball game. | |||
| Malagasy | baolina kitra | ||
| The Malagasy word "baolina kitra" literally means "ball to be kicked". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mpira | ||
| The word "mpira" also means "ball" in general, such as a playground ball or tennis ball. | |||
| Shona | nhabvu | ||
| In Zimbabwe, "nhabvu" refers to association football and other sports involving kicking a ball, such as netball and handball. | |||
| Somali | kubada cagta | ||
| The word "kubada cagta" is derived from the Somali words "kubad" (ball) and "cag" (foot), denoting the use of the foot to play the game. | |||
| Sesotho | bolo ea maoto | ||
| Swahili | mpira wa miguu | ||
| Mpira wa miguu, derived from "mpira" for "ball" and "miguu" for "legs", represents the action of kicking the ball with the feet. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhola ekhatywayo | ||
| The word 'ibhola ekhatywayo' literally translates to 'the ball that is kicked with the foot'. | |||
| Yoruba | bọọlu | ||
| The Yoruba term "bọọlu" translates to "foot to ball". | |||
| Zulu | ibhola | ||
| I-Ibhola originated from 'amabhora' meaning balls of crushed paper or leather, rolled up for use in 'igame lezintombi' (game for girls). | |||
| Bambara | ntolatan | ||
| Ewe | bɔl | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umupira wamaguru | ||
| Lingala | ndembo | ||
| Luganda | omupiira | ||
| Sepedi | kgwele ya maoto | ||
| Twi (Akan) | bɔɔl | ||
Football in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | كرة القدم | ||
| In Arabic, the term 'كرة القدم' (literally 'foot ball') also refers to the game of table football. | |||
| Hebrew | כדורגל | ||
| The Hebrew word "כדורגל" literally translates to "ball-foot", referring to the gameplay. | |||
| Pashto | فوټبال | ||
| The Pashto word "فوټبال" can also refer to the sport of soccer. | |||
| Arabic | كرة القدم | ||
| In Arabic, the term 'كرة القدم' (literally 'foot ball') also refers to the game of table football. | |||
Football in Western European Languages
| Albanian | futboll | ||
| "Futboll" in Albanian is a loanword from English, ultimately derived from the Old English word "fōtball" meaning "ball kicked with the foot". | |||
| Basque | futbola | ||
| The Basque word "futbola" also means "soccer" and "football" in English.} | |||
| Catalan | futbol | ||
| In Catalan, "futbol" specifically refers to association football, while "rugbi" designates rugby football. | |||
| Croatian | nogomet | ||
| The word "nogomet" in Croatian, meaning "football," comes from the English word "soccer" and the Hungarian word "labdarúgás." | |||
| Danish | fodbold | ||
| The Danish word "fodbold" originated from the English term "football" in the 1870s. | |||
| Dutch | amerikaans voetbal | ||
| The name 'Amerikaans voetbal' was coined to differentiate the sport from 'voetbal,' which refers to association football in the Netherlands. | |||
| English | football | ||
| Before the 1860s, the word "football" could refer to any of several ball games resembling modern-day football, rugby, and soccer. | |||
| French | football | ||
| The French word "football" can also refer to American football, with the French term for football being "soccer". | |||
| Frisian | fuotbal | ||
| In Frisian, the word fuotbal is composed of the Old Frisian words `foet` meaning 'foot' and `bal` meaning 'ball'. | |||
| Galician | fútbol | ||
| In Galician, "fútbol" can also refer to a board game known as "futbolín" or "table football". | |||
| German | fußball | ||
| While "Fußball" in German translates to "football" in English, "ball" means "balloon" in German whereas "ball" in English can also mean "dance" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | fótbolti | ||
| "Fótbolti" is an Icelandic word that comes from the English word "football" and means "soccer" or "football" in a more general sense. | |||
| Irish | peil | ||
| The word peil derives from the Irish words "peil" or "peile" meaning "a ball" or "a game played with a ball". | |||
| Italian | calcio | ||
| Calcio is the Italian word for "football" and is derived from the Latin "calx", meaning "heel". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fussball | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Fussball" can also refer to soccer, American football, or even table football. | |||
| Maltese | futbol | ||
| The Maltese word "futbol" is derived from the Italian word "football" and originally referred to the game of rugby, while the game of association football was known as "ballun". | |||
| Norwegian | fotball | ||
| Fotball, in Norwegian, can also refer to what is known as soccer in some regions, a team sport played with a ball between two teams of eleven players. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | futebol | ||
| Futebol originated from the English "football", but also relates to the French word "foule" (crowd, group). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | ball-coise | ||
| "Ball" in Scots Gaelic may also mean a spot/place and "coise" a foot or leg (or a step). | |||
| Spanish | fútbol americano | ||
| In Mexican Spanish, the term "fútbol americano" also refers to soccer, and "fútbol" is used only for soccer. | |||
| Swedish | fotboll | ||
| In Swedish, "fotboll" refers specifically to association football, while "amerikansk fotboll" designates American football. | |||
| Welsh | pêl-droed | ||
| In traditional Welsh sports, 'pêl-droed' referred to a game closer to rugby or hockey, rather than modern football. | |||
Football in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | футбол | ||
| In Belarusian, "футбол" (futbol) can also refer to the board game, checkers. | |||
| Bosnian | fudbal | ||
| In Bosnian, "fudbal" may also refer to a type of bread roll shaped like a football. | |||
| Bulgarian | футбол | ||
| "Футбол" means "football" as well as "soccer" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | fotbal | ||
| In Czech, "fotbal" can also refer to soccer, a version of football played with a smaller ball and different rules. | |||
| Estonian | jalgpall | ||
| "Jalgpall" also means "soccer ball" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | jalkapallo | ||
| "Jalkapallo" also means "foot game" or "leg game" in Finnish | |||
| Hungarian | futball | ||
| In Hungarian, "futball" also refers to "soccer" as opposed to American football. | |||
| Latvian | futbols | ||
| The Latvian word "futbols" is derived from the English word "football". | |||
| Lithuanian | futbolas | ||
| The etymology of "futbolas" is unclear, but it is possibly related to the French "football" or the English "football". | |||
| Macedonian | фудбал | ||
| In Macedonian, "фудбал" can also refer to American football, while in the rest of the Balkans it typically refers to soccer. | |||
| Polish | piłka nożna | ||
| The Polish word for "football" is "piłka nożna", literally meaning "foot-ball" and referring to the old game of "soccer-football" which is still popular in schools today. | |||
| Romanian | fotbal | ||
| In Romanian the word "fotbal" also means "soccer ball" and is not used to refer to American football, which is known as "fotbal american" or "fotbal cu mingea ovala". | |||
| Russian | футбол | ||
| The word «футбол» comes from the English word "football" and originally denoted a game similar to soccer, which is now known in Russian as "классический футбол" | |||
| Serbian | фудбал | ||
| "Фудбал" ultimately derives from the Old English words "fōt" (foot) and "ball" (ball). | |||
| Slovak | futbal | ||
| The Slovak word "futbal" is derived from the English word "football", but can also refer to the sport of soccer. | |||
| Slovenian | nogomet | ||
| "Nogomet" is derived from the words "noga" (leg) and "met" (throw) and also means "soccer". | |||
| Ukrainian | футбол | ||
| The Ukrainian word “футбол” also refers to table football (“foosball”) and American football. | |||
Football in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফুটবল | ||
| In Bengali, the word "ফুটবল" also refers to the game of "soccer". | |||
| Gujarati | ફૂટબ .લ | ||
| "ફૂટબ .લ" is derived from the English word "football" and can also refer to "soccer" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | फ़ुटबॉल | ||
| The word फ़ुटबॉल in Hindi is originally derived from the English word 'football', but in Hindi it is commonly used to refer specifically to association football (soccer). | |||
| Kannada | ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ | ||
| "ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್" is also a popular dish in the North Karnataka region, made from boiled chickpeas and flavored with coconut and coriander. | |||
| Malayalam | ഫുട്ബോൾ | ||
| The word "ഫുട്ബോൾ" (football) is borrowed from English, and it also refers to "soccer". | |||
| Marathi | फुटबॉल | ||
| In Marathi, "फुटबॉल" can also refer to a "foot" or a "shoe" | |||
| Nepali | फुटबल | ||
| The Nepali word "फुटबल" can also mean "soccer" or "football association." | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੁਟਬਾਲ | ||
| The Punjabi word "ਫੁਟਬਾਲ" ("football") is borrowed from the English word and typically refers to the British game of football (soccer). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පාපන්දු | ||
| Tamil | கால்பந்து | ||
| The term 'கால்பந்து' in Tamil can refer to either soccer or American football depending on the context. | |||
| Telugu | ఫుట్బాల్ | ||
| ఫుట్బాల్ is the Telugu equivalent of English "football", and it can refer to either association football, or American football | |||
| Urdu | فٹ بال | ||
| The Urdu word "فٹ بال" is derived from the English word "football", but can also refer to the game of soccer or American football. | |||
Football in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 足球 | ||
| In Chinese, "足球" (football) literally means "foot" + "ball" and also refers to soccer, not American football. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 足球 | ||
| 足球 (soccer) literally means "kick ball" in Chinese, and can also refer to table football (foosball) or hacky sack. | |||
| Japanese | フットボール | ||
| Originally a verb meaning "to kick" in English, today "football" refers to various ball sports worldwide. | |||
| Korean | 축구 | ||
| 축구 literally means 'foot ball' in Korean, but the word is also used to refer to soccer specifically. | |||
| Mongolian | хөл бөмбөг | ||
| In Mongolian, "хөл бөмбөг" can refer to either "football" or "soccer," depending on the context. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘောလုံး | ||
Football in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sepak bola | ||
| The word "sepak bola" derives from the Javanese word "sepak" (to kick) rather than the English word "ball". | |||
| Javanese | bal-balan | ||
| The word "bal-balan" in Javanese can also refer to a spinning top, a children's game played with a small ball, or a ball made of coconut leaves used for kicking games. | |||
| Khmer | បាល់ទាត់ | ||
| In Cambodian, "បាល់ទាត់" can also refer to the ball itself, known in English as a "soccer ball". | |||
| Lao | ບານເຕະ | ||
| The Lao word ບານເຕະ (football) can also refer to a ball made of woven reeds or bamboo and used in traditional games. | |||
| Malay | bola sepak | ||
| In Malay, the word "bola sepak" literally means "kicked ball" and is not specifically used for the sport of football | |||
| Thai | ฟุตบอล | ||
| ฟุตบอล (football) is also used in Thai to refer to the American football style played with an oval-shaped ball. | |||
| Vietnamese | bóng đá | ||
| In Vietnamese, "bóng đá" literally means "round ball", but it is used to refer to football (soccer). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | football | ||
Football in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | futbol | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "futbol" means "football" in English, but also refers to "soccer" or "association football." | |||
| Kazakh | футбол | ||
| The Kazakh word "футбол" can also mean "soccer" | |||
| Kyrgyz | футбол | ||
| The word "футбол" ("football") in Kyrgyz comes from the Russian word "футбол" with the same meaning. | |||
| Tajik | футбол | ||
| The word “футбол” comes from English and means “playing with feet”. | |||
| Turkmen | futbol | ||
| Uzbek | futbol | ||
| "Futbol" is also used in Uzbek to mean "soccer ball". | |||
| Uyghur | پۇتبول | ||
Football in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pôpeku | ||
| Pôpeku also refers to 'kickball,' 'foot-soccer,' or 'the sport of kicking' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whutupaoro | ||
| The word "whutupaoro" also means "kicked ball" or "game of kicking ball" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | lakapi | ||
| The word "lakapi" is derived from the English word "rugby" and is also used to refer to other forms of football, such as soccer and American football. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | football | ||
| "Football" in Filipino can also be used to refer to soccer, or a general match between two teams in sports like basketball and volleyball. | |||
Football in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pilut anatawi | ||
| Guarani | fútbol | ||
Football in International Languages
| Esperanto | futbalo | ||
| The Esperanto word "futbalo" derives from the English "football", but in practice is used to refer specifically to association football, while "pilkpiedo" is used for other types of football such as American football. | |||
| Latin | eu | ||
| The Latin word "eu" can also mean "I" or "myself". | |||
Football in Others Languages
| Greek | ποδόσφαιρο | ||
| In Greek, "ποδόσφαιρο" means "foot"+"ball," and also refers to a leather bag containing air, water, or sand that doctors used in ancient times to treat various diseases. | |||
| Hmong | ncaws pob | ||
| 'Ncaws pob' is a compound word that literally means 'kick ball' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | futbol | ||
| In Kurdish, "futbol" shares the same etymology as the word "foot", meaning "lower leg or paw". | |||
| Turkish | futbol | ||
| In Turkish, "Futbol" is also informally used to refer to a form of lottery or betting on soccer matches. | |||
| Xhosa | ibhola ekhatywayo | ||
| The word 'ibhola ekhatywayo' literally translates to 'the ball that is kicked with the foot'. | |||
| Yiddish | פוטבאָל | ||
| In Yiddish, פוטבאָל can also refer to Association Football, or soccer, as opposed to American football. | |||
| Zulu | ibhola | ||
| I-Ibhola originated from 'amabhora' meaning balls of crushed paper or leather, rolled up for use in 'igame lezintombi' (game for girls). | |||
| Assamese | ফুটবল | ||
| Aymara | pilut anatawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | फुटबॉल | ||
| Dhivehi | ފުޓްބޯޅަ | ||
| Dogri | फुटबाल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | football | ||
| Guarani | fútbol | ||
| Ilocano | football | ||
| Krio | futbɔl | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تۆپی پێ | ||
| Maithili | फुटबाल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯨꯠꯕꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | football | ||
| Oromo | kubbaa miillaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫୁଟବଲ୍ | ||
| Quechua | futbol | ||
| Sanskrit | फुटबालं | ||
| Tatar | футбол | ||
| Tigrinya | እግሪ ኩዕሶ | ||
| Tsonga | ntlangu wa bolo | ||