Garlic in Different Languages
Discover 'Garlic' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Garlic: a humble bulb with a powerful impact. Its pungent aroma and unique taste have made it a staple ingredient in cuisines around the world. But garlic's significance goes beyond the kitchen. Rich in medicinal properties, it has been used for centuries to prevent and treat various ailments, including the common cold and heart disease. Garlic's cultural importance is undeniable, too. From ancient Egyptian pyramids to Indian Ayurvedic practices, garlic has played a vital role in many traditions and rituals.
So why learn its translations in different languages? Understanding the word for garlic in various languages can open up new culinary experiences, deepen cultural connections, and even enhance your travel adventures. For instance, in Spanish, garlic is 'ajo', in French 'ail', in German 'Knoblauch', in Italian 'aglio', in Japanese 'にんにく' (ninniku), in Chinese '大蒜' (dàsuàn), and in Arabic 'ثوم' (thum).
Explore the world of garlic through language and culture, and discover the richness that this simple bulb has to offer.
Garlic
Garlic in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | knoffel | ||
| The word "knoffel" is related to "knob" and refers to the garlic bulb's shape and its cloves as "knobs". | |||
| Amharic | ነጭ ሽንኩርት | ||
| Hausa | tafarnuwa | ||
| The Hausa word 'tafarnuwa' may also refer to a plant with edible bulbs similar to garlic, called 'Allium ascalonicum'. | |||
| Igbo | galiki | ||
| Galiki, meaning "garlic" in Igbo, can also refer to the smell of garlic, especially on the breath. | |||
| Malagasy | tongolo gasy | ||
| The word "tongolo gasy" literally means "Malagasy onion" and is used to differentiate it from the other type of onion, "tongolo mainty" (black onion). | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | adyo | ||
| The Nyanja word 'adyo' also means 'to dig up'. | |||
| Shona | garlic | ||
| The Shona word "garlic" is derived from the Khoisan word "goro" | |||
| Somali | toon | ||
| "Toon" can also mean "small" in Somali, referring to the size of the garlic bulb. | |||
| Sesotho | konofole | ||
| The word 'konofole' may be derived from Proto-Bantu '*konofori' which also means 'bulb'. This is a shared root with the Khoekhoe word for 'garlic', '||k'onoo' | |||
| Swahili | vitunguu | ||
| "Vitunguu" in Swahili is related to the word "ntunguu," meaning "onion." Both words ultimately derive from the Proto-Bantu root "-tungu." Historically, "vitunguu" could refer to both garlic and onions. | |||
| Xhosa | igalikhi | ||
| The word "igalikhi" originates from the Khoisan language, where it also refers to the plant's medicinal properties, particularly its ability to cure coughs. | |||
| Yoruba | ata ilẹ | ||
| The term ata ilẹ (garlic) derives from a contraction in the Yoruba language; ata meaning 'pepper' in Yoruba and ilẹ meaning 'earth, spice' in Yoruba | |||
| Zulu | ugaliki | ||
| The Zulu word "ugaliki" can also refer to a type of fermented porridge made from maize meal, known as "maize porridge" or "pap" in English. | |||
| Bambara | layi | ||
| Ewe | ayo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | tungurusumu | ||
| Lingala | litungulu | ||
| Luganda | katungulu chumu | ||
| Sepedi | kaliki | ||
| Twi (Akan) | galeke | ||
Garlic in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ثوم | ||
| The Arabic word "ثوم" (thoom) is thought to be derived from the Persian word "سیر" (sir), which also means "garlic." | |||
| Hebrew | שום | ||
| The Hebrew word "שום" (shum) also means "nothing" or "none". | |||
| Pashto | ووږه | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ووږه" can be used in various forms, such as a noun denoting "garlic" or as a verb to describe "sprouting". | |||
| Arabic | ثوم | ||
| The Arabic word "ثوم" (thoom) is thought to be derived from the Persian word "سیر" (sir), which also means "garlic." | |||
Garlic in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hudhra | ||
| The word "hudhra" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerd-, meaning "stinging" or "sharp," and is related to the Latin word "urtica" (nettle). | |||
| Basque | baratxuria | ||
| The word baratxuria is a neologism coined in the 19th century to replace the original term baratzazuria (which literally means 'white of the garden'). | |||
| Catalan | all | ||
| The Catalan word "all" comes from the Latin word "alium", which means "garlic". | |||
| Croatian | češnjak | ||
| The word "češnjak" also means "garlic mustard" (Alliaria petiolata), a plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae, which is native to Europe and Asia. | |||
| Danish | hvidløg | ||
| "Hvidløg'' comes from the Old Norse words "hvitr" (white) and " laukr" (leek), and refers to the bulb's white appearance and leek-like leaves. | |||
| Dutch | knoflook | ||
| The Dutch "knoflook" derives its name partly from "knobbel", a "lump", referring to its shape or clumping growth habit. | |||
| English | garlic | ||
| The word "garlic" derives from the Late Latin "garlica" which means "garlic". | |||
| French | ail | ||
| In Old French, ail also meant "affliction," from the Latin "alium," a related word to "garlic," both coming from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bitter." | |||
| Frisian | knyflok | ||
| The word 'knyflok' is derived from the Middle Dutch word 'knoflook', which itself comes from the Old Saxon word 'knoflōk'. | |||
| Galician | allo | ||
| In Galician, "allo" can also refer to the wild garlic, Allium ursinum. | |||
| German | knoblauch | ||
| The word "Knoblauch" comes from the Old High German word "knobolouch," which means "club leek." | |||
| Icelandic | hvítlaukur | ||
| The Icelandic word for 'garlic' is 'hvítlaukur', which derives from the Old Norse 'hvítur' (white) and 'laukur' (leek). | |||
| Irish | gairleog | ||
| Though it is commonly thought to mean "garlic", it actually translates to "heroic onion" or "onion of champions". | |||
| Italian | aglio | ||
| The word "aglio" derives from the Latin "allium", meaning "garlic" or "onion", and is related to the Sanskrit "laśuna" meaning "garlic". | |||
| Luxembourgish | knuewelek | ||
| The Luxembourgish word for "garlic" is derived from the Germanic root "kniw-," meaning "to gnaw" or "to bite," suggesting the strong flavor of garlic. | |||
| Maltese | tewm | ||
| "Tewm" also refers to the number "eight" in Arabic (the Maltese language is derived from Arabic) and to an archaic measure of grain. | |||
| Norwegian | hvitløk | ||
| The word “hvitløk” literally means “white leek” because of its appearance. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | alho | ||
| The word "alho" is derived from the Arabic "al-thūm" and is also used to refer to "head" or "top" in some Portuguese dialects. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | garlic | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word "garlic" is also used to refer to the wild garlic plant, known as "geugan garleic" or "geugan seanair". | |||
| Spanish | ajo | ||
| The word "ajo" originates from the Latin "allium," meaning "garlic". | |||
| Swedish | vitlök | ||
| The Swedish word "vitlök" comes from the Middle Low German "witlock" and is cognate with the English "white leek". | |||
| Welsh | garlleg | ||
| The Welsh word "garlleg" is derived from the Old English word "garleac" and the Latin word "allium". | |||
Garlic in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | часнык | ||
| The Belarusian word "часнык" not only means "garlic," but also refers to a person who grows or sells garlic. | |||
| Bosnian | bijeli luk | ||
| The word 'bijeli luk' literally translates to 'white onion' and is a type of garlic commonly used in Bosnian cuisine. | |||
| Bulgarian | чесън | ||
| The word "чесън" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "česnъ", which also meant "garlic" or "strong-smelling herb". | |||
| Czech | česnek | ||
| The word "česnek" is also used in other Slavic languages, such as Polish, Slovak, and Russian, and is thought to be derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čьsnokъ, which may be related to the Albanian word "qëshur" and the Armenian word "sēr". | |||
| Estonian | küüslauk | ||
| The name "küüslauk" derives from an Old Germanic word that means "small onion". | |||
| Finnish | valkosipuli | ||
| The word 'valkosipuli' originates from 'valko' meaning 'white' and 'sipuli' meaning 'onion', referring to the white color of garlic compared to the red onion. | |||
| Hungarian | fokhagyma | ||
| "Fok" (the first half of the word) can also mean "choke", which might refer to the strong flavors that garlic releases when eaten. | |||
| Latvian | ķiploki | ||
| Etymology uncertain, may be related to Lithuanian "kilpikas" (a type of mushroom), or Latvian "cipars" (a type of herb). | |||
| Lithuanian | česnako | ||
| The Lithuanian word 'česnako,' meaning 'garlic', derives from the Proto-Indo-European 'kesnek-,' signifying 'to cut', referring to the garlic bulb's segmentation. | |||
| Macedonian | лук | ||
| In Macedonian, "лук" can also refer to an onion, a bow, or a bend in a river. | |||
| Polish | czosnek | ||
| From Proto-Slavic *čьsnokъ, from Proto-Indo-European *kes-no-k-, meaning "to cut, to prick". | |||
| Romanian | usturoi | ||
| The Romanian word **usturoi** ultimately derives from Proto-Slavic *ǫstъroi̯, which also meant "garlic" and is related to Latin *ūstō" (I burn). | |||
| Russian | чеснок | ||
| The word "чеснок" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čьsnokъ, itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *kesno-ko-, meaning "to smell". This suggests that the original meaning of the word was "something that smells", and it was later applied specifically to garlic because of its strong odor. | |||
| Serbian | бели лук | ||
| It can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂lewk- ( | |||
| Slovak | cesnak | ||
| The Slovak word "cesnak" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *česnъkъ, which is ultimately derived from the Latin word "caepa" (onion). | |||
| Slovenian | česen | ||
| The Slavic word "česen" (garlic) is cognate with words for onion and garlic in other Slavic languages, which ultimately derive from a Proto-Indo-European word for "pungent". Similar words exist in Baltic and Germanic languages. | |||
| Ukrainian | часник | ||
| The Ukrainian word "часник" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "čьsanъ" meaning "garlic" and from the Old Church Slavonic word "česnъkъ" meaning "garlic". | |||
Garlic in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রসুন | ||
| The word "রসুন" (roshún) in Bengali originates from the Sanskrit word "रसोन" (rasona), meaning "pungent juice." | |||
| Gujarati | લસણ | ||
| The word 'લસણ' (garlic) in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word 'लशुन' (lasuna), meaning 'to desire'. | |||
| Hindi | लहसुन | ||
| In ancient Sanskrit texts, "लहसुन" also referred to other similar bulbous plants like onions and shallots. | |||
| Kannada | ಬೆಳ್ಳುಳ್ಳಿ | ||
| Malayalam | വെളുത്തുള്ളി | ||
| Marathi | लसूण | ||
| The Marathi word "लसूण" is also used to refer to the "garlic cloves". | |||
| Nepali | लसुन | ||
| The word लसुन is derived from the Sanskrit word 'lashuna' meaning 'the pungent one'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲਸਣ | ||
| The word "ਲਸਣ" (lasan) comes from the Sanskrit word "लशुनं" (laśunaṃ), which itself is derived from the Prakrit word "लसुणं" (lasuṇaṃ). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සුදුළුනු | ||
| Tamil | பூண்டு | ||
| "பூண்டு" is also used to refer to the garlic plant's bulb, head, or clove. | |||
| Telugu | వెల్లుల్లి | ||
| In Telugu, the word "వెల్లుల్లి" is also used to refer to a person who is very knowledgeable and experienced. | |||
| Urdu | لہسن | ||
| لہسن derives from the Sanskrit word "lasuna" and also refers to the garlic plant's flower stalk in Urdu. | |||
Garlic in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 大蒜 | ||
| 大蒜 comes from an Old Chinese term that also referred to ginger. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 大蒜 | ||
| The word "大蒜" can also mean "large clam" in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | ニンニク | ||
| ニンニク (ninniku), known as "heaven's fragrant weed" in Japan, has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. | |||
| Korean | 마늘 | ||
| " 마늘 " is also the name for a very small unit of measurement, so tiny as to be unnoticeable. | |||
| Mongolian | сармис | ||
| Сармис (garlic) in Mongolian literally means 'stinking herb' | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကြက်သွန်ဖြူ | ||
Garlic in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bawang putih | ||
| The word "Bawang putih" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*bawaŋ", meaning "onion", and the Proto-Austronesian word "*puti", meaning "white". | |||
| Javanese | papak | ||
| 'Papak' also means 'flat' in Javanese, referring to the shape of its cloves. | |||
| Khmer | ខ្ទឹមស | ||
| The word "ខ្ទឹមស" (garlic) may be related to the Khmer word "ទឹម" (to smell), referring to its pungent odor. | |||
| Lao | ຜັກທຽມ | ||
| Malay | bawang putih | ||
| Bawang putih is a compound noun that literally translates to 'white onion', but is used exclusively to refer to garlic. | |||
| Thai | กระเทียม | ||
| The word "กระเทียม" is also used as slang to refer to a transgender woman. | |||
| Vietnamese | tỏi | ||
| The word "tỏi" can also refer to a variety of other plants, including chives, leeks, and shallots. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bawang | ||
Garlic in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sarımsaq | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "sarımsaq" is also used to refer to a type of wild flower. | |||
| Kazakh | сарымсақ | ||
| Kyrgyz | сарымсак | ||
| Tajik | сир | ||
| The word "сир" in Tajik also means "odor", "smell", or "scent." | |||
| Turkmen | sarymsak | ||
| Uzbek | sarimsoq piyoz | ||
| "Sarimsoq piyoz" literally means "yellow onion" in Uzbek, and it is also used to refer to garlic. | |||
| Uyghur | سامساق | ||
Garlic in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kālika | ||
| The word "kālika" also refers to the color "light green" or "yellow-green" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | karika | ||
| Karika, the Maori word for garlic, also refers to a type of small, edible fern root and the sweet-scented leaf-oil of the horopito plant. | |||
| Samoan | kaliki | ||
| 'Kaliki' is also the name of a Samoan folk tale and a specific kind of Samoan dance. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bawang | ||
| In the 16th century, 'bawang' also meant 'bulb' or 'onion' but slowly took on the specific meaning of 'garlic' in the 19th century. | |||
Garlic in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | aju | ||
| Guarani | áho | ||
Garlic in International Languages
| Esperanto | ajlo | ||
| Esperanto's "ajlo" derives from the Latin "alium", ultimately connected to "hale" in English and "hallr" in Old Norse for "to ward off"} | |||
| Latin | allium | ||
| The Latin word "allium" is also used to refer to other plants in the onion family, such as onions, leeks, and shallots. | |||
Garlic in Others Languages
| Greek | σκόρδο | ||
| The Greek word "σκόρδο" derives from ancient Greek and likely relates to "scortum," meaning "skin". | |||
| Hmong | qij | ||
| In the White Hmong dialect, "qij" is pronounced as "tsi" | |||
| Kurdish | sîr | ||
| The word "sîr" also means "secret" in Kurdish, reflecting the belief that garlic has protective and secretive qualities. | |||
| Turkish | sarımsak | ||
| The word "Sarımsak" in Turkish is derived from "sarı" (yellow) and "saçak" (tassel), referring to the yellow tassels that form around the garlic bulb. | |||
| Xhosa | igalikhi | ||
| The word "igalikhi" originates from the Khoisan language, where it also refers to the plant's medicinal properties, particularly its ability to cure coughs. | |||
| Yiddish | קנאָבל | ||
| In Polish "konobel" refers to a garlic sausage. | |||
| Zulu | ugaliki | ||
| The Zulu word "ugaliki" can also refer to a type of fermented porridge made from maize meal, known as "maize porridge" or "pap" in English. | |||
| Assamese | নহৰু | ||
| Aymara | aju | ||
| Bhojpuri | लहसुन | ||
| Dhivehi | ލޮނުމެދު | ||
| Dogri | थोम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bawang | ||
| Guarani | áho | ||
| Ilocano | bawang | ||
| Krio | galik | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | سیر | ||
| Maithili | लहसुन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯅꯝ | ||
| Mizo | purunvar | ||
| Oromo | qullubbii adii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରସୁଣ | | ||
| Quechua | ajo | ||
| Sanskrit | लशुन | ||
| Tatar | сарымсак | ||
| Tigrinya | ጻዕዳ ሽጉርቲ | ||
| Tsonga | galiki | ||