Menu in Different Languages
Discover 'Menu' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word menu holds a significant place in our daily lives, particularly when it comes to food and drink. It is more than just a list of items; it is a culinary roadmap that guides us through an exciting gastronomic journey. From the French menu, meaning 'small measure', it has evolved to represent a variety of choices in different cultures and cuisines.
Understanding the menu in different languages is not only a useful skill for travelers but also a window into the cultural importance of food. For instance, in Spain, you'd ask for the carta, while in Germany, it's the Speisekarte. In Japan, the menu is a tsuuchou, reflecting their respect for meticulous presentation. And in Italy, the menù is a prideful expression of their regional diversity.
The menu's translation can also uncover historical contexts. For example, in Russia, the menu is a menyu, borrowed from French during the Tsarist era. Similarly, in China, the word for menu, cài dān, was influenced by Western culture in the late 19th century.
Join us as we explore the menu in different languages, a delicious journey through culture and history!
Menu
Menu in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | spyskaart | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'spyskaart' is derived from the Dutch word 'spijskaart', which literally means 'food list'. | |||
| Amharic | ምናሌ | ||
| The word "ምናሌ" is derived from the Ge'ez word "መነ" (mene) meaning "to count" and refers to the counting of dishes on a menu. | |||
| Hausa | menu | ||
| "Menu" is a loanword from English that has come to be used in Hausa to refer to a list of food items available at a restaurant or other eating establishment. | |||
| Igbo | menu | ||
| The Igbo word "menu" can also mean "schedule" or "program." | |||
| Malagasy | sakafo | ||
| The word "sakafo" in Malagasy also means "food" and "to eat". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | menyu | ||
| In Nyanja, the word "menyu" also means "a list of items or choices." | |||
| Shona | menyu | ||
| In Shona, "menyu" can mean "an inventory". | |||
| Somali | liiska | ||
| The word "liiska" in Somali, meaning "menu", is derived from the Arabic word "lista," which means "a list." | |||
| Sesotho | menu | ||
| The word 'menu' in Sesotho can also mean 'list'. | |||
| Swahili | menyu | ||
| In Swahili, 'menyu' also refers to a type of small freshwater fish. | |||
| Xhosa | imenyu | ||
| The Xhosa word 'imenyu' originally referred to a list of dishes served at a traditional ceremony or feast. | |||
| Yoruba | akojọ aṣayan | ||
| In the Yoruba language, "akojọ aṣayan" also refers to a list or registry where information is kept for future use. | |||
| Zulu | imenyu | ||
| In Zulu, "imenyu" not only refers to a menu, but also to a list, inventory, or catalogue. | |||
| Bambara | menu (menu) ye | ||
| Ewe | menu ƒe nuɖuɖudzraɖoƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibikubiyemo | ||
| Lingala | menu | ||
| Luganda | menu | ||
| Sepedi | menu ya | ||
| Twi (Akan) | menu no mu | ||
Menu in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قائمة طعام | ||
| The Arabic word "قائمة طعام" (menu) likely derives from the verb "قمت" (to stand up), alluding to the fact that menus are often elevated in presentation. | |||
| Hebrew | תַפרִיט | ||
| "תַפרִיט" (menu) derives from the root "תפר" (to sew), suggesting that the menu is a sewn-together list of dishes. | |||
| Pashto | غورنۍ | ||
| In Pashto, "غورنۍ" (menu) is also used to refer to a specific type of table used for dining. | |||
| Arabic | قائمة طعام | ||
| The Arabic word "قائمة طعام" (menu) likely derives from the verb "قمت" (to stand up), alluding to the fact that menus are often elevated in presentation. | |||
Menu in Western European Languages
| Albanian | menu | ||
| The Albanian word "meny" is derived from the French word "menu" and can also refer to a restaurant's daily list of dishes or a program of events. | |||
| Basque | menua | ||
| The Basque word "menua" also means "small" or "young". | |||
| Catalan | menú | ||
| In Catalan, the word "menú" can also refer to a daily or fixed-price meal. | |||
| Croatian | izbornik | ||
| The Croatian word "izbornik" is derived from the Russian word "izbornik" which means anthology, collection of texts. | |||
| Danish | menu | ||
| In Danish, the word "menu" can also mean "a list of dishes served at a meal." | |||
| Dutch | menu | ||
| In Dutch, "menu" can also mean "dinner party" or "dinner list". | |||
| English | menu | ||
| Derived from the French word "menu," originally meaning "a detailed list or document," or "something small." | |||
| French | menu | ||
| The word menu comes from the French word minue, meaning "small list" or "detailed statement". | |||
| Frisian | menu | ||
| The Frisian word "menu" can also mean "announcement", "declaration", or "list of dishes". | |||
| Galician | menú | ||
| In Galician, "menú" also means "meal", "dish", or "food". | |||
| German | speisekarte | ||
| Speisekarte derives from the Middle High German words 'spîse' (food) and 'karte' (card), and originally meant a list of dishes available at an inn. | |||
| Icelandic | matseðill | ||
| "Matseðill" is also the name of an Icelandic indie rock band formed in 1997. | |||
| Irish | roghchlár | ||
| Roghchlár can also mean a "table of contents" or a "list of options". | |||
| Italian | menù | ||
| The Italian word "menù" derives from the French word "menu" and the Latin word "minutus," meaning "small" or "detailed." | |||
| Luxembourgish | menu | ||
| In Luxembourgish, Menu (Menü) can also refer to a small meal, often with a drink, served during the day | |||
| Maltese | menu | ||
| In Maltese, the word "menu" can also refer to a "price list" or "invoice" | |||
| Norwegian | meny | ||
| "Meny" is the word for menu in Norwegian, but also refers to a chain store in Scandinavia known for selling food. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | cardápio | ||
| The word “cardápio” comes from the Latin word “cartha”, meaning “paper”, and the Greek word “apo”, meaning “from”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | clàr-taice | ||
| The Gaelic word "clàr-taice" literally means "board of support" or "table of support". | |||
| Spanish | menú | ||
| The word "menú" comes from the French word "menu", which in turn comes from the Latin word "minutus", meaning "small". | |||
| Swedish | meny | ||
| "Meny" is derived from the French word "menu" and also means "amount" or "number" in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | bwydlen | ||
| The word "bwydlen" is derived from the Welsh word "bwyd", meaning "food", and the suffix "-len", meaning "place" or "container". | |||
Menu in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | меню | ||
| The word "меню" can also refer to the list of dishes and prices at a restaurant or café. | |||
| Bosnian | meni | ||
| In Bosnian, "meni" can also mean "opinion" or "viewpoint". | |||
| Bulgarian | меню | ||
| The word "меню" in Bulgarian came from the French language, where it means "detailed list". It also refers to "repertoire" in theater. | |||
| Czech | jídelní lístek | ||
| The word "Jídelní lístek" literally means "a list of food" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | menüü | ||
| The word "menüü" is derived from the French word "menu" and also has the alternate meaning of "appetizer" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | valikossa | ||
| The word "valikossa" can also refer to an assortment of options or the availability of choices. | |||
| Hungarian | menü | ||
| The word "menü" in Hungarian also means "heaven" or "paradise" in Turkish. | |||
| Latvian | izvēlne | ||
| The Latvian word "izvēlne" is derived from the verb "izvēlēties", meaning "to choose", and thus reflects the fact that a menu presents a range of options from which to select. | |||
| Lithuanian | meniu | ||
| "Meniu" is borrowed from French "menu", whose root "min" means "small" or "fine". | |||
| Macedonian | мени | ||
| "Мени" е заемка от френски език, която на свой ред произлиза от латинското "minutus", което означава "дребен, малък, незначителен". | |||
| Polish | menu | ||
| The Polish word "menu" derives from the French word "menu" meaning either a small itemized menu displayed on a board or, colloquially, a detailed program. | |||
| Romanian | meniul | ||
| The Romanian word "meniul" originates from the French word "menu", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "minutus" meaning "small" or "fine". | |||
| Russian | меню | ||
| The term "меню" (menu) likely originated from the French words "menu" (small, detailed) or "menuet" (small, dainty) as menus at the time were small sheets of paper with dishes to select from. | |||
| Serbian | мени | ||
| The word "мени" in Serbian also carries the meaning of "exchange," coming from the Old Church Slavonic word "měna," which means "coin" or "currency." | |||
| Slovak | ponuka | ||
| Ponuka shares its root with 'ponúknuť', meaning 'to offer'. | |||
| Slovenian | meni | ||
| The Slovene 'meni' is cognate to the English 'mind' meaning 'purpose, intention'. In older texts, it also meant 'thought' or 'desire' and was a loan from Old High German minni 'desire'. | |||
| Ukrainian | меню | ||
| The word "меню" in Ukrainian is derived from the French word "menu" and also has the alternate meaning of "meal" | |||
Menu in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তালিকা | ||
| "তালিকা" is a polysemous word derived from Sanskrit "tālikā", meaning both "menu" and "list". | |||
| Gujarati | મેનૂ | ||
| The word "મેનૂ" comes from the French word "menu", which originally meant "small" or "detailed" and was used to refer to a list of dishes offered at a restaurant. | |||
| Hindi | मेन्यू | ||
| The Hindi word "मेन्यू" is derived from the French word "menu", meaning "list" or "small catalog." | |||
| Kannada | ಮೆನು | ||
| The word "ಮೆನು" in Kannada also means a "type of flower" used in decoration. | |||
| Malayalam | മെനു | ||
| In Malayalam, 'മെനു' ('menu') is also an alternate term for 'list' or 'catalogue'. | |||
| Marathi | मेनू | ||
| In Marathi, "मेनू" (Menu) also refers to a list of dishes arranged in a specific order. | |||
| Nepali | मेनू | ||
| "मेनू" is derived from the French word "menu" meaning "list" or "detail". | |||
| Punjabi | ਮੀਨੂ | ||
| The word "ਮੀਨੂ" (menu) in Punjabi is derived from the French word "menu" meaning "list" or "detail". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මෙනු | ||
| The word "මෙනු" (menu) is derived from the French word "menu", which means "small, dainty". | |||
| Tamil | பட்டியல் | ||
| The word "பட்டியல்" in Tamil also means "a list" or "an inventory". | |||
| Telugu | మెను | ||
| The Telugu word "మెను" is derived from the English word "menu", which in turn comes from the French word "menu" meaning "small list or catalog". | |||
| Urdu | مینو | ||
| The word "مینو" (menu) in Urdu originates from the French word "menu" meaning "a detailed list of dishes available at a restaurant", which in turn comes from the Latin word "minutus" meaning "small" or "detailed". | |||
Menu in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 菜单 | ||
| 菜单 (càidān) is a Mandarin term that literally means 'list of dishes' and can also refer to a restaurant's full range of offerings. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 菜單 | ||
| 菜單 (cài dān) literally means a “sheet of dishes” or “a list of dishes” in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | メニュー | ||
| The word "メニュー" originally meant "name" or "list" in Japanese, and is derived from the Portuguese word "menu" meaning "list of dishes". | |||
| Korean | 메뉴 | ||
| The word "메뉴" comes from the French word "menu", which in turn ultimately derives from the Latin "minutus" or "small". | |||
| Mongolian | цэс | ||
| Цэс has also been used to mean "fate" or "destiny" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မီနူး | ||
| The word "menu" in Myanmar (Burmese) can also refer to a "list" or "schedule", and is derived from the French word "menu", which has the same meaning. | |||
Menu in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tidak bisa | ||
| The word "Tidak bisa" literally means "not able to" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | menu | ||
| In Javanese, “menu” means both “menu” and “list”. | |||
| Khmer | ម៉ឺនុយ | ||
| The word "ម៉ឺនុយ" is derived from the French word "menu" meaning "list". | |||
| Lao | ເມນູ | ||
| The word ເມນູ "menu" in Lao originally referred to a "tray" or "presentation tray", the sense "menu" derives from French. | |||
| Malay | menu | ||
| The Malay word "menu" is also used to refer to a list of items or options. | |||
| Thai | เมนู | ||
| In Thai, the word “เมนู” can also mean “instructions” or “a list of options”. | |||
| Vietnamese | thực đơn | ||
| "Thực đơn" in Vietnamese means "menu" but also refers to a list of dishes and their recipes. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | menu | ||
Menu in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | menyu | ||
| "Menyu" in Azerbaijani is derived from the French word "menu", meaning a list of dishes offered to customers in a restaurant or café. | |||
| Kazakh | мәзір | ||
| The Kazakh word "мәзір" is also used to refer to a list of foods available at a funeral or a memorial service in Kazakhstan. | |||
| Kyrgyz | меню | ||
| The word "меню" in Kyrgyz also means "will" or "intention". | |||
| Tajik | меню | ||
| The word "меню" in Tajik also means "list" or "catalogue". | |||
| Turkmen | menýu | ||
| Uzbek | menyu | ||
| The Uzbek word "menyu" also refers to the daily food or meal served in a house, restaurant, or cafe. | |||
| Uyghur | تىزىملىك | ||
Menu in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | papa kuhikuhi | ||
| Papa kuhikuhi was traditionally a board with symbols, pictures, notches, or holes representing choices from the menu. | |||
| Maori | tahua | ||
| The original meaning of "tahua" in Maori is "man of high rank". | |||
| Samoan | lisi o mea | ||
| The origin of the Samoan phrase 'lisi o mea' is thought to derive from 'lisi o manu' meaning 'lists of birds'. The phrase 'lisi o taumafa' came later as the more literal translation for a 'list of food'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | menu | ||
| The Tagalog word "menu" (menu) comes from the French word "menu", which in turn comes from the Latin word "minutus", meaning "small" or "detail." | |||
Menu in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | menú ukanxa | ||
| Guarani | menú rehegua | ||
Menu in International Languages
| Esperanto | menuo | ||
| The Esperanto word "menuo" is derived from the French word "menu" meaning "small", and originally referred to a small printed document containing the list of dishes available at a restaurant. | |||
| Latin | menu | ||
| The word "menu" originates from the Latin word "minutus," meaning "small" or "detailed," as menus were originally small lists of dishes available at a meal. | |||
Menu in Others Languages
| Greek | μενού | ||
| In Greek, the word “μενού” (“menu”) can also refer to the list of dishes available at a restaurant or a detailed description of a particular dish. | |||
| Hmong | ntawv qhia zaub mov | ||
| In Hmong, the word "ntawv qhia zaub mov" is a descriptive phrase that translates literally to "paper that shows what to eat." | |||
| Kurdish | qerta xûrekê | ||
| The word "qerta xûrekê" also refers to a type of traditional Kurdish bread. | |||
| Turkish | menü | ||
| The word "Menü" in Turkish is derived from French and means "detailed list of dishes and their prices". | |||
| Xhosa | imenyu | ||
| The Xhosa word 'imenyu' originally referred to a list of dishes served at a traditional ceremony or feast. | |||
| Yiddish | מעניו | ||
| In Yiddish, "מעניו" can also refer to a list of options or items from which to choose. | |||
| Zulu | imenyu | ||
| In Zulu, "imenyu" not only refers to a menu, but also to a list, inventory, or catalogue. | |||
| Assamese | মেনু | ||
| Aymara | menú ukanxa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मेनू के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | މެނޫ އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | मेनू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | menu | ||
| Guarani | menú rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | menu | ||
| Krio | menyu | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مێنۆ | ||
| Maithili | मेनू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯦꯅꯨꯗꯥ ꯌꯥꯑꯣꯔꯤ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | menu a ni | ||
| Oromo | menu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମେନୁ | ||
| Quechua | menú nisqapi | ||
| Sanskrit | मेनू | ||
| Tatar | меню | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝርዝር መግቢ | ||
| Tsonga | menu | ||