Lemon in different languages

Lemon in Different Languages

Discover 'Lemon' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Lemons, with their bright yellow skin and tangy juice, are a beloved citrus fruit around the world. Signifying rejuvenation and purity, lemons have cultural significance in various societies, including appearing in art, literature, and cuisine. You might be interested in knowing the translation of 'lemon' in different languages for various reasons - perhaps you're a traveler wanting to order a refreshing lemon drink, a language learner expanding your vocabulary, or a culinary enthusiast exploring global recipes.

Did you know that lemons were first cultivated in Asia, specifically in northeastern India? Or that the word 'lemon' comes from the Old French 'limon,' which may have originated from the Arabic 'laimun' or Persian 'limun?' This fascinating etymology showcases the fruit's historical journey across continents.

Below, you'll find a list of translations for 'lemon' in various languages, from Spanish and Mandarin to Swahili and Hawaiian. Expand your linguistic and cultural horizons with this zesty citrus fruit!

Lemon

Lemon in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssuurlemoen
Derived from Dutch "suur" (sour) and "citroen" or "limoen" (lemon), via Middle Dutch "sûrlemūn".
Amharicሎሚ
The Amharic word "ሎሚ" has been suggested to be borrowed from Arabic and Turkish words for "citron" or "lime".
Hausalemun tsami
The word "lemun tsami" is a compound word in Hausa, derived from the words "lemun" (a type of grapefruit) and "tsami" (sour).
Igbooroma nkịrịsị
The Igbo word 'oroma nkịrịsị' also means 'a person who is very beautiful and attractive'.
Malagasyvoasary makirana
Nyanja (Chichewa)mandimu
The Nyanja word “mandimu” has other meanings including “a fruit tree” and “the fruit of the mandimu tree.”
Shonandimu
The Shona word 'ndimu' is thought to be derived from Portuguese 'limão', which in turn comes from Persian 'līmūn' and ultimately from Sanskrit 'nimbū'.
Somaliliin dhanaan
The word “liin dhanaan” is most likely derived from the Arabic word “laymūn,” which ultimately derives from the Persian word “līmu”.
Sesothosirilamunu
"Sirilamunu" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*ciləmɔŋu" meaning "sour fruit".
Swahililimau
In Swahili, "limau" can also refer to a type of sour fruit similar to a lime.
Xhosailamuni
While "ilamuni" means "lemon" in Xhosa, it also refers to a sour expression on a person's face.
Yorubalẹmọnu
The word "lẹmọnu" is a combination of the Yoruba words "lẹ" (to taste) and "ọmọnu" (child), and can also refer to other sour things like lime or tamarind.
Zuluilamuna
The word "ilamuna" likely originates from the Arabic word "laymūn", meaning "lemon".
Bambaralimoni
Ewelime
Kinyarwandaindimu
Lingalacitron
Lugandaenniimu
Sepedilemone
Twi (Akan)lemon

Lemon in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicليمون
The word "ليمون" (lemon) in Arabic also refers to a yellow or light green citrus fruit with a sour taste.
Hebrewלימון
The word "לימון" is derived from the Persian word "limu", which also means "lime".
Pashtoليمو
In Pashto, "ليمو" can also refer to a citrus fruit similar to but distinct from a lemon, known as a "lime".
Arabicليمون
The word "ليمون" (lemon) in Arabic also refers to a yellow or light green citrus fruit with a sour taste.

Lemon in Western European Languages

Albanianlimon
In Albanian, "limon" can also refer to a type of citrus fruit similar to a grapefruit.
Basquelimoia
"Limoia" is derived from Persian "limu" and Arabic "laymun", both meaning "lemon".
Catalanllimona
The word “llimona” is a cognate of the Spanish “limón” and comes from the Arabic “lima”, which is also the root of the word “lime”
Croatianlimun
The word "limun" in Croatian is of Arabic origin, meaning "citron" or "sweet lemon".
Danishcitron
In Danish, "citron" originally meant "citrus fruit" and later specifically "lemon".
Dutchcitroen
In Dutch, "citroen" also means "citric acid" and "citrus fruit".
Englishlemon
The word "lemon" can also refer to a person or thing that is worthless or undesirable.
Frenchcitron
In Old French, the word "citron" originally meant a green-fleshed pumpkin or melon.
Frisiansitroen
"Sietroen", meaning "lemon" in West Frisian, shares its root "citr-" with "citrus" in English, reflecting its shared origin in the Greek "kedros" (citrus plant).
Galicianlimón
In Galician, the word 'limón' can also refer to the citrus fruit known as 'lime' in English.
Germanzitrone
The word 'Zitrone' is derived from the Arabic word 'zaytūn', which originally referred to olives, but was later extended to lemons.
Icelandicsítrónu
The word "sítrónu" in Icelandic means "lemon," but is also related to the words for "citron" and "citrus," and is ultimately derived from the Persian word "limun."
Irishlíomóid
Italianlimone
The Italian word for "lemon" originally referred to "citrus fruit" in general but gradually shifted to mean specifically the yellow fruit known as a lemon in English.
Luxembourgishzitroun
Zitroun is derived from the French word "citron" and is also used to refer to oranges in Luxembourgish.
Malteselumi
The word "lumi" may have originated from the word "lum" meaning "sour" or "bitterness".
Norwegiansitron
"Sitron" is also the Norwegian word for "citron," a type of citrus fruit similar to the lemon, but larger and less sour.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)limão
In Portuguese, the word "limão" can also refer to a large, sour lime, known as a Key lime in English.
Scots Gaeliclemon
In Scots Gaelic, the word "lemon" also means "sweetheart" or "darling."
Spanishlimón
Spanish "limón" originates from Persian "lîmûn", meaning "citrus fruits" in general and not solely lemons.
Swedishcitron-
In Swedish, "citron" can also refer to a "zest," the outermost part of a citrus peel.
Welshlemwn
In Welsh, the word "lemwn" not only means "lemon," but also can refer to "lime" or "citron."

Lemon in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianцытрына
"Цытрына" is derived from the Greek word "kitron", which referred to a citron, a type of citrus fruit.
Bosnianlimun
The Bosnian word "limun" comes from the Arabic word "laymūn", which in turn comes from the Persian word "līmū".
Bulgarianлимон
"Лимоните" в българска народна песен са не цитрусите, а момиче със жълта рокля, откъдето и поговорката, че "мома си е мома и пременена в лимон".
Czechcitrón
"Citrón" is also the name for the citron, a citrus fruit similar to a lemon but larger and without any juice.
Estoniansidrun
The word "sidrun" is derived from the Arabic "zaytūn" through the French "cedre" and the German "Zitrone". The Estonian word "sidrun" can also refer to the citron, a similar citrus fruit with a thick, bumpy rind.
Finnishsitruuna
The Finnish word "sitruuna" comes from the German "Zitrone", which in turn derives from the Arabic "al-utrunj". The word "utrunj" originally referred to the citron, a large, citrus fruit similar to a lemon.
Hungariancitrom
In Hungarian, "citrom" derives from the Latin word "citrus" meaning "citron tree". It also means "sour".
Latviancitrona
The word "citrona" likely originates from the Old Prussian word "*citra" meaning "sour," but could also derive from the Greek word "kitrion" meaning "tree with sour fruit."
Lithuaniancitrina
The word "citrina" for "lemon" in Lithuanian is derived from the name of the city of Citrum in Italy, where lemons were once cultivated.
Macedonianлимон
In Macedonian, "лимон" not only means "lemon", but also "a million".
Polishcytrynowy
"Cytrynowy" in Polish also means "citric".
Romanianlămâie
The word 'lămâie' comes from the Persian word 'lîmûn', which also means 'lime'
Russianлимон
"Лимонада" по-испански - это "лимонный напиток". В русском языке "лимонадом" стали называть газированную воду со вкусом лимона.
Serbianлимун
The Serbian word "лимун" (lemon) is derived from the Persian word "limun", which is in turn derived from the Arabic word "laymūn".
Slovakcitrón
In Slovak, "citrón" also denotes the color yellow as well as "citrus" in general, not just the lemon fruit.
Slovenianlimona
The Slovenian word "limona" also refers to the fruit of the lime tree (Citrus × aurantiifolia).
Ukrainianлимон
The word "лимон" (lemon) in Ukrainian also refers to a million hryvnias, the currency of Ukraine.

Lemon in South Asian Languages

Bengaliলেবু
In Sanskrit, the word "Nimbu" derives from the Dravidian word "Nin-bu" meaning "king of lemons".
Gujaratiલીંબુ
The Gujarati word "લીંબુ" not only refers to the lemon fruit, but also to the color yellow and to a sour or acidic taste.
Hindiनींबू
The word 'नींबू' is also used to refer to a person with a sour disposition.
Kannadaನಿಂಬೆ
The term "ನಿಂಬೆ" comes from the Persian word "limbu", meaning "citrus fruit".
Malayalamചെറുനാരങ്ങ
Marathiलिंबू
The word "लिंबू" is a Marathi equivalent of "lemon". In Sanskrit, it also means "a kind of sour fruit".
Nepaliकागती
The Nepali word "कागती" (lemon) derives from the Sanskrit word "कार्कटी" (karkoṭī), also meaning lemon.
Punjabiਨਿੰਬੂ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)දෙහි
The word "දෙහි" can also refer to the citrus fruit called "lime".
Tamilஎலுமிச்சை
Teluguనిమ్మకాయ
The word "నిమ్మకాయ" originally meant "what is like lime" and was used to refer to both lemons and limes.
Urduلیموں
"ليموں" also means "an unpleasant or disappointing thing" in Urdu.

Lemon in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)柠檬
"柠檬"在古代中医被称为“益母草”，又名“酸石脂”，是一种酸性水果，富含维生素C。
Chinese (Traditional)檸檬
The Chinese word for "lemon," 檸檬, is derived from the Sanskrit word "nimbu," meaning "lime".
Japaneseレモン
雷門 (らいもん) refers to the famous gate of Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo.
Korean레몬
레몬 (Lemon) is a word borrowed from English that refers to a citrus fruit, as well as to a pale yellow color.
Mongolianлимон
The word
Myanmar (Burmese)သံပယိုသီး

Lemon in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianlemon
In Indonesian, "lemon" also refers to a type of traditional cake or pastry.
Javanesejeruk nipis
In Javanese, "jeruk nipis" can also refer to the bergamot lime or the kaffir lime.
Khmerក្រូចឆ្មា
"ក្រូចឆ្មា" is the Khmer term for "lemon". It is also used to refer to a type of Cambodian soup made with tamarind and lemongrass.
Laoໝາກ ນາວ
"ໝາກ ນາວ" is a Lao word that does not literally mean "lemon", but rather is a type of tropical fruit related to the grapefruit.
Malaylimau
The word "limau" in Malay is derived from the Tamil word "elimi", which also means "lemon".
Thaiมะนาว
"มะนาว" (lemon) derives from the Mon language, where it means "sour-tasting fruit".
Vietnamesechanh
Chanh is also a Vietnamese word for
Filipino (Tagalog)limon

Lemon in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanilimon
The Azerbaijani word "limon" is also a slang term for "beautiful woman" related to the phrase "limon kimi sarı" (yellow like a lemon).
Kazakhлимон
In Kazakh, "лимон" can also refer to "billion" (10^9), derived from the Russian "миллиард".
Kyrgyzлимон
In Kyrgyz, “лимон” can also refer to a type of citrus fruit similar to the lemon, known as a limequat.
Tajikлимӯ
In Tajik, "лимӯ" (limon) can also refer to citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, not just specifically lemons.
Turkmenlimon
Uzbeklimon
The word «limon» in Uzbek can occasionally also mean «lime».
Uyghurلىمون

Lemon in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlemona
In Hawaiian, "lemona" is also the name of a fruit similar to the guava.
Maorirēmana
In Maori mythology, the rēmana or lemon is said to have been brought to New Zealand by the ancestor Māui
Samoantipolo
In Samoan, "tipolo" has roots in the Proto-Polynesian word "tipolo" and can also refer to other citrus fruits like "lime" or "grapefruit"
Tagalog (Filipino)limon
In Tagalog, the word "limon" specifically refers to the 'sweet lime', a small citrus fruit distinct from the sour 'lemon' found in English.

Lemon in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaralimón satawa
Guaranilimón rehegua

Lemon in International Languages

Esperantocitrono
Citrono is derived from the Latin word "citrus", meaning "a kind of tree" or "a citrus fruit".
Latincitrea
"Citrea" (lemon) comes from the Latin word "citrus," which also means "tree of the gods."

Lemon in Others Languages

Greekλεμόνι
The word "λεμόνι" is derived from the Persian word "limu", meaning "citrus fruit".
Hmongtxiv qaub
This word could also mean lime.
Kurdishleymûn
The word "leymûn" in Kurdish, like its English counterpart "lemon," has an alternate meaning of "worthless" or "useless."
Turkishlimon
In Turkish, “limon” means “lemon,” but it also means “lime" and can be used to refer to both fruits.
Xhosailamuni
While "ilamuni" means "lemon" in Xhosa, it also refers to a sour expression on a person's face.
Yiddishלימענע
The Yiddish word לייםען may derive from Middle High German līmōne and refer to the fruit, but is more often used for its fruit beverage meaning.
Zuluilamuna
The word "ilamuna" likely originates from the Arabic word "laymūn", meaning "lemon".
Assameseনেমু
Aymaralimón satawa
Bhojpuriनींबू के बा
Dhivehiލުނބޯ އެވެ
Dogriनींबू दा
Filipino (Tagalog)limon
Guaranilimón rehegua
Ilocanolemon
Kriolɛmon
Kurdish (Sorani)لیمۆ
Maithiliनींबू
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯂꯦꯃꯟ꯫
Mizolemon a ni
Oromoloomii
Odia (Oriya)ଲେମ୍ବୁ |
Quechualimón
Sanskritनिम्बूकः
Tatarлимон
Tigrinyaለሚን ምዃኑ’ዩ።
Tsongalamula

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