Kitchen in Different Languages
Discover 'Kitchen' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The kitchen: it's the heart of the home, where meals are prepared and memories are made. It's a place of nourishment, connection, and cultural significance. Have you ever wondered how the word 'kitchen' translates in different languages? Let's explore some sample translations and uncover interesting historical contexts along the way.
In Spanish, the word for kitchen is 'cocina.' This term comes from the Latin word 'coquina,' which means 'place for cooking.' In French, the word is 'cuisine,' which has roots in the Latin word 'coquere,' meaning 'to cook.' In German, the word is 'Küche,' which has origins in the Middle High German word 'küche,' also meaning 'kitchen.'
Understanding the translation of 'kitchen' in different languages can provide insight into cultural differences and similarities around the world. It can also be a fun and practical way to connect with people from different backgrounds and expand your language skills.
Kitchen
Kitchen in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kombuis | ||
| "Kombuis" is derived from the Low German "kombuse" or Dutch "kombuis", both meaning "ship's kitchen". | |||
| Amharic | ወጥ ቤት | ||
| The word "ወጥ ቤት" (wät bet) in Amharic can also refer to a "dining room" or "food storage room". | |||
| Hausa | kicin | ||
| "Kicin" in Hausa also means "the place where food is prepared" or "the cooking area". | |||
| Igbo | kichin | ||
| The Igbo word "kichin" is derived from the Proto-Niger-Congo word "*kɔŋ", meaning "hole" or "pit". | |||
| Malagasy | lakozia | ||
| This word likely relates to the word 'lakoana,' meaning 'inside,' referencing the idea of a kitchen being the 'inside' of a house or a shelter. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khitchini | ||
| "Kitchini" also means a small hut or shelter made from grass or plastic sheeting. | |||
| Shona | kicheni | ||
| The word 'kicheni' in the Shona language originates from the Bantu root '-cin-' meaning 'to cook' and is cognate with the word 'kwizin' in Swahili. | |||
| Somali | jikada | ||
| The word "jikada" likely derives from the Arabic word "jadda" meaning "to be fruitful". | |||
| Sesotho | kichineng | ||
| The Sesotho word "kichineng" derives from the English word "kitchen" and may also refer to a "camp kitchen" or "field kitchen". | |||
| Swahili | jikoni | ||
| The term "jikoni", a loanword from Arabic meaning "place of fire", refers to the kitchen, the area of the traditional Swahili house where meals are prepared. | |||
| Xhosa | ikhitshi | ||
| The word "ikhitshi" in Xhosa shares a root with the word "ukutshisa" (to burn), highlighting the traditional use of fire in kitchens. | |||
| Yoruba | idana | ||
| Idana's original meaning refers to the gathering of the family, particularly for the evening meal. | |||
| Zulu | ekhishini | ||
| The word 'ekhishini' (kitchen) is derived from the Zulu verb 'khishina', which means 'to cook' or 'to boil'. | |||
| Bambara | kabugu | ||
| Ewe | dzodoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igikoni | ||
| Lingala | kikuku | ||
| Luganda | effumbiro | ||
| Sepedi | khitšhing | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mukaase | ||
Kitchen in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مطبخ | ||
| مطبخ (miṭbaḵ) shares an etymological root with the word حطب (ḥaṭab) meaning "firewood". | |||
| Hebrew | מִטְבָּח | ||
| "מִטְבָּח" also means "slaughterhouse" or "place of bloodshed" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | پخلنځی | ||
| The word "پخلنځی" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "پختن" (pakhtan), meaning "to cook". It can also refer to a cookhouse or canteen. | |||
| Arabic | مطبخ | ||
| مطبخ (miṭbaḵ) shares an etymological root with the word حطب (ḥaṭab) meaning "firewood". | |||
Kitchen in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kuzhine | ||
| In Albanian, the word "kuzhine" derives from the Latin "coquina" and can also refer to a "stove" or "hearth" | |||
| Basque | sukaldea | ||
| The word "sukaldea" is thought to derive from the Basque words "su" (fire) and "kalda" (heat), suggesting a place where heat is generated. | |||
| Catalan | cuina | ||
| Cuina, meaning “kitchen” in Catalan, derives from the Latin word coquina, which originally meant “a place for cooking”. | |||
| Croatian | kuhinja | ||
| The Croatian word ‘kuhinja’ has several alternate meanings besides ‘kitchen’ including ‘workshop’ or ‘laboratory’ | |||
| Danish | køkken | ||
| The word "køkken" derives from the Middle Low German word "koken", which means "to cook". | |||
| Dutch | keuken- | ||
| The Dutch word "keuken" is derived from the Latin word "coquina", meaning "cooking place". | |||
| English | kitchen | ||
| The word "kitchen" derives from the Latin "coquina" meaning "place for cooking" and has evolved over time to refer to a room or area designated for cooking and preparing food. | |||
| French | cuisine | ||
| In French, the word "cuisine" has a double meaning, referring to both the kitchen and the culinary art. | |||
| Frisian | koken | ||
| The Frisian word "koken" comes a word meaning "fire place" or even "hearth" in Proto-Germanic | |||
| Galician | cociña | ||
| The word "cociña" in Galician is derived from the Latin word "coquina", meaning "a place where food is cooked". | |||
| German | küche | ||
| The word "Küche" also refers to "cuisine" or "culinary art" in German and derives from the Late Latin word "coquina" meaning "kitchen or hearth". | |||
| Icelandic | eldhús | ||
| Eldhús, meaning "firehouse" in Icelandic, derives its name from the word "eldur" (fire) and the word "hús" (house), reflecting the traditional role of the kitchen as the hearth of the household. | |||
| Irish | cistin | ||
| 'Cistin' is the Irish word for 'kitchen', deriving from the Latin word 'cistern', meaning a container for water. | |||
| Italian | cucina | ||
| The word "cucina" derives from the Latin "coquina" (kitchen), but it can also refer to a "female chef" or the "art of cooking". | |||
| Luxembourgish | kichen | ||
| In the Luxembourgish language, the term "Kichen" can also hold the additional meaning of a kitchen-themed event. | |||
| Maltese | kċina | ||
| "Kċina" originates from the Arabic "kuwayn" meaning "food storage". | |||
| Norwegian | kjøkken | ||
| The Norwegian word “kjøkken” is cognate with the English “kitchen” and the Swedish “kök,” and all derive from the Old Norse “kjøkkinn,” meaning “hearth” or “fireplace.” | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cozinha | ||
| The word "cozinha" is derived from the Latin word "coquina", which originally meant "a place where something is cooked." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cidsin | ||
| "Cidsin" (kitchen) derives from the Old Irish "cidisin," meaning a "fireplace" or perhaps "cooking room." | |||
| Spanish | cocina | ||
| The Spanish word "cocina", meaning "kitchen," derives from the Latin word "coquina", which means "a place for cooking." | |||
| Swedish | kök | ||
| Kök originally referred to a raised plank in the floor of a room used for keeping food warm or as a sleeping platform. | |||
| Welsh | cegin | ||
| The word 'cegin' shares roots with the Latin word 'coquina', meaning 'cooking place'. | |||
Kitchen in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кухня | ||
| "Кухня" (kitchen) can also refer to a set of dishes prepared in a particular way or a style of cooking. | |||
| Bosnian | kuhinja | ||
| The word 'kuhinja' is thought to be derived from the Old Church Slavonic word 'kǔxna', which may have originated from a Germanic word meaning 'to cook'. | |||
| Bulgarian | кухня | ||
| The word "кухня" (kitchen) is also used to refer to a restaurant's menu, especially in a pub. | |||
| Czech | kuchyně | ||
| In Czech, 'kuchyně' not only means 'kitchen', but also refers to the 'cooking activity' and 'culinary skills'. | |||
| Estonian | köök | ||
| The word "köök" is derived from the Middle Low German "koke" or the Swedish "kok". It also refers to a small room or hut, and a small cooking stove or oven. | |||
| Finnish | keittiö | ||
| The word "keittiö" derives from the Swedish word "kök" and ultimately from the Greek word "kathetos", meaning "falling down" or "going down", perhaps referring to the downward slope of the roof over the cooking hearth in ancient Greek houses. | |||
| Hungarian | konyha | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "konyha" can also refer to a small cottage or workshop | |||
| Latvian | virtuve | ||
| In Latvian, "virtuve" can also refer to a type of dance or a specific type of beer. | |||
| Lithuanian | virtuvė | ||
| "Virtuvė" is related to "virti" ("to boil"), and also means "cooking" or "cuisine". | |||
| Macedonian | кујна | ||
| The word "кујна" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kuxinja, meaning "hearth" or "fireplace". | |||
| Polish | kuchnia | ||
| The word 'kuchnia' in Polish originally meant a small room where food was stored and prepared, and is derived from Old Slavic 'kuchyna', which itself comes from the Proto-Slavic root 'kucha', meaning 'heap'. | |||
| Romanian | bucătărie | ||
| "Bucătărie" comes from the Latin word "coquina", meaning "a place for cooking". | |||
| Russian | кухня | ||
| The word "кухня" (kitchen) in Russian derives from the Greek word "μαγειρείον" (mageireion), meaning "cooking place." | |||
| Serbian | кухиња | ||
| The word "кухиња" also refers to a room used for sewing or storing food. | |||
| Slovak | kuchyňa | ||
| The word kuchyňa may also refer to the entire apartment or house in some Slovak dialects. | |||
| Slovenian | kuhinjo | ||
| The word "kuhinjo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "kuchnja", meaning "hearth", and is related to the Latin word "coquere", meaning "to cook". | |||
| Ukrainian | кухня | ||
| The word "кухня" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *kuxnьa, which meant "hearth" or "fireplace." | |||
Kitchen in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রান্নাঘর | ||
| The word 'রান্নাঘর' ('kitchen') is derived from the Sanskrit word 'रान्नागार' ('kitchen') | |||
| Gujarati | રસોડું | ||
| The word "રસોડું" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रसोई" (rasoi), which means "a place where food is cooked". | |||
| Hindi | रसोई | ||
| An alternate meaning of the Hindi word "रसोई" is a medicinal plant known as 'black cumin'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಡಿಗೆ | ||
| 'ಅಡಿಗೆ' also means 'cooking' or 'preparation of food', and is likely derived from the Proto-Dravidian root *aṭi, meaning 'to burn' or 'to cook'. | |||
| Malayalam | അടുക്കള | ||
| The term 'അടുക്കള' may also refer to a 'kitchen garden', where vegetables and fruits are grown. | |||
| Marathi | स्वयंपाकघर | ||
| "स्वयंपाकघर" can also mean a room where medicines are prepared in Ayurveda. | |||
| Nepali | भान्छा | ||
| The word "भान्छा" is also occasionally used to refer to a "secret". | |||
| Punjabi | ਰਸੋਈ | ||
| The word "ਰਸੋਈ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "रसोइ" (расой), which means "cooking or kitchen." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මුළුතැන්ගෙය | ||
| Tamil | சமையலறை | ||
| The word "சமையலறை" is derived from the Tamil word "சமை" meaning "to cook" and "அறை" meaning "room", denoting a place specifically designated for cooking. | |||
| Telugu | వంటగది | ||
| The word "వంటగది" is derived from the root word "వంట", meaning "to cook", and the suffix "గది", meaning "room". Thus, it literally translates to "a room for cooking". | |||
| Urdu | باورچی خانه | ||
| The word "باورچی خانه" is derived from the Persian words "bawarchi" (cook) and "khana" (house), and originally referred to the room where the cook worked. | |||
Kitchen in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 厨房 | ||
| In Chinese, "厨房" (chufang) originally meant "fire room" or "cookhouse". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 廚房 | ||
| The Chinese characters "廚房" can also refer to a "stove" or a "cooking range" in some contexts. | |||
| Japanese | キッチン | ||
| "キッチン" (kitchen) can also mean a small dining area in a Japanese apartment. | |||
| Korean | 부엌 | ||
| 부엌 (kitchen) comes from an Old Korean word which meant “house.” | |||
| Mongolian | гал тогоо | ||
| "гал" means "fire" and "тогоо" means "to light a fire" or "to cook". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မီးဖိုချောင် | ||
Kitchen in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | dapur | ||
| Dapur can also mean "kitchen utensils" or "cooking equipment" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | pawon | ||
| "Pawon" in Javanese also refers to the hearth or fireplace in a traditional Javanese house, symbolizing the warmth and gathering of the family. | |||
| Khmer | ផ្ទះបាយ | ||
| ផ្ទះបាយ is literally 'house of rice,' a reflection of rice's central role in Khmer cooking | |||
| Lao | ເຮືອນຄົວ | ||
| Though the word ເຮືອນຄົວ usually refers to a room or building used for cooking, it can also mean "dining room" or "mess hall". | |||
| Malay | dapur | ||
| The word 'dapur' originates from the Tamil word 'chuppu', meaning 'hearth'. | |||
| Thai | ครัว | ||
| In Old Thai, 'ครัว' also refers to the 'royal palace', 'army', 'navy', and even 'government offices'. | |||
| Vietnamese | phòng bếp | ||
| The word "phòng bếp" is derived from the Chinese 词組 "房間" meaning "room" combined with the Vietnamese word "bếp" meaning "fireplace". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kusina | ||
Kitchen in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | mətbəx | ||
| The word "mətbəx" is of Arabic origin and means "a place for cooking". | |||
| Kazakh | ас үй | ||
| The word “ас үй” (kitchen) in Kazakh literally means “a house for food”. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ашкана | ||
| The word "ашкана" has Proto-Turkic and Proto-Altaic roots, where its meaning was either "kitchen" or "cooking". | |||
| Tajik | ошхона | ||
| The word "ошхона" comes from the Persian word "آشپزخانه" (âshpazkhaheh), which means "kitchen". | |||
| Turkmen | aşhana | ||
| Uzbek | oshxona | ||
| Oshxona is derived from the Persian words "osh" meaning "food" and "khona" meaning "house, room" | |||
| Uyghur | ئاشخانا | ||
Kitchen in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | lumi kuke | ||
| In ancient Hawaiian, lumi kuke also referred to a cooking pit, with lumi being a hole in the ground and kuke meaning digging. | |||
| Maori | kīhini | ||
| The word "kīhini" in Maori derives from the English word "kitchen". | |||
| Samoan | umukuka | ||
| "Umukuka" is derived from the word "umu," which refers to an earth oven, the traditional method of cooking in Samoa, and "kuka," which means to heat or cook. Thus, "umukuka" can also be translated as "the place for heating or cooking." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kusina | ||
| The word "kusina" also refers to a household or a small family. | |||
Kitchen in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | phayaña | ||
| Guarani | kosina | ||
Kitchen in International Languages
| Esperanto | kuirejo | ||
| The word "kuirejo" can be divided into two parts: "kuiri" (to cook) and "-ejo" (place). | |||
| Latin | culina | ||
| Culina, deriving from the Greek 'kylinē' ('tongs, vessel'), also means 'tongs' or 'kettle' in Latin. | |||
Kitchen in Others Languages
| Greek | κουζίνα | ||
| "Κουζίνα" (kitchen) also means a "conversation" or "gossip" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | chav ua noj | ||
| The word "chav ua noj" is also used to refer to the hearth or fireplace in a traditional Hmong home. | |||
| Kurdish | aşxane | ||
| The word "aşxane" in Kurdish comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ekʷ-s-, meaning "stone" or "hearth", and is related to the Latin word "coquina" and the Sanskrit word "aśman". | |||
| Turkish | mutfak | ||
| "Mutfak" originally meant "place to wash" in Old Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | ikhitshi | ||
| The word "ikhitshi" in Xhosa shares a root with the word "ukutshisa" (to burn), highlighting the traditional use of fire in kitchens. | |||
| Yiddish | קיך | ||
| In Yiddish, "קיך" initially referred to a wood shed, but due to wood stoves being placed there for warmth, it later became associated with the kitchen. | |||
| Zulu | ekhishini | ||
| The word 'ekhishini' (kitchen) is derived from the Zulu verb 'khishina', which means 'to cook' or 'to boil'. | |||
| Assamese | পাকঘৰ | ||
| Aymara | phayaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | रसोईघर | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަދިގެ | ||
| Dogri | रसोई | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kusina | ||
| Guarani | kosina | ||
| Ilocano | kusina | ||
| Krio | kichin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەتبەخ | ||
| Maithili | भनसा घर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯛꯈꯨꯝ | ||
| Mizo | choka | ||
| Oromo | kushiinaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରୋଷେଇ ଘର | ||
| Quechua | yanuna | ||
| Sanskrit | पाकशाला | ||
| Tatar | кухня | ||
| Tigrinya | ኽሽነ | ||
| Tsonga | xitsumba | ||