Mouth in different languages

Mouth in Different Languages

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

Updated on March 6, 2024

The mouth is a significant part of our body, serving as the entrance to our digestive and respiratory systems. It plays a crucial role in communication, expressing our emotions, and tasting food. Throughout history, the mouth has held cultural importance, symbolizing speech, creativity, and even fertility in some cultures. In Hindu mythology, the goddess Kali is often depicted with a protruding tongue, symbolizing her all-consuming nature. In many African cultures, the mouth is associated with wisdom and power.

Understanding the translation of the word 'mouth' in different languages can provide insight into how different cultures view this important body part. For example, in Spanish, the word for mouth is 'boca', while in French, it's 'bouche'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for mouth is '口' (kǒu), and in Japanese, it's '口' (kuchi).

Exploring the translations of the word 'mouth' in different languages is not only a fun exercise in language learning, but it also offers a glimpse into the cultural significance of this body part around the world.

Mouth

Mouth in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansmond
The Afrikaans word "mond" derives from the Dutch "mond" and is cognate with the Old English "muð" and the German "Mund"
Amharicአፍ
አፍ "af" in Amharic refers to an animal's muzzle or a type of fish.
Hausabakin
The Hausa word `bakin` also means `entrance` or `doorway`
Igboọnụ
"Ọnụ" also means "door" in Igbo, derived from the notion of the mouth as an opening.
Malagasyvava
"Vava" also means "edge" or "boundary" in Malagasy, as in the phrase "vavan'ny ala," meaning "edge of the forest".
Nyanja (Chichewa)pakamwa
"Pakamwa" in Nyanja can also refer to someone who speaks frequently or openly, like a talkative person.
Shonamuromo
The Shona word "muromo" (mouth) is also a euphemism for "home" or "village."
Somaliafka
In Somali, 'afka' can also mean 'speech' or 'language' and is the root of words like 'af-soomaali' ('Somali language').
Sesothomolomo
The word 'molomo' can also refer to a language, a person's speech, or a particular way of speaking.
Swahilikinywa
The Swahili word "kinywa" originally meant "a thing one drinks from", akin to the Zulu "inkomishi".
Xhosaumlomo
The word "umlomo" in Xhosa originates from the verb "ukuloma" meaning "to pierce".
Yorubaẹnu
The Yoruba word "ẹnu" (mouth) also refers to "speech", "voice", or "language".
Zuluumlomo
'Umlomo' also refers to the edge or lip of a container or the rim of a hole or crater in Zulu.
Bambarada
Ewenu
Kinyarwandaumunwa
Lingalamonoko
Lugandaomumwa
Sepedimolomo
Twi (Akan)anom

Mouth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicفم
فم (fim) comes from the Proto-Semitic root f-m, meaning "to breathe" or "to speak".
Hebrewפֶּה
The Hebrew word "פֶּה" (peh) can also mean "rim" (as of a well), "edge" (as of a sword), or "opening" (as of a cave).
Pashtoخوله
"خوله" in Pashto also means "speech" or "language," and its plural, "خولي," can mean "conversation" or "dialect."
Arabicفم
فم (fim) comes from the Proto-Semitic root f-m, meaning "to breathe" or "to speak".

Mouth in Western European Languages

Albaniangojë
In Albanian, the word "gojë" derives from Proto-Albanian "*ghen-d'-ā", cognate to Proto-Romance "*ganda", from Latin "ganda", meaning "cheek".
Basqueahoa
Ahoa can also mean 'opening' or 'entrance' in various contexts.
Catalanboca
The Catalan word "boca" is derived from the Latin "bucca" and can also refer to an entrance, opening, or gap.
Croatianusta
Usta also means lips or the opening of a river.
Danishmund
The word "mund" in Danish has the alternate meaning of "female guardian" and is cognate with the English word "mother".
Dutchmond
The Dutch word "mond" comes from the Proto-West Germanic word "mund", meaning "edge" or "brim".
Englishmouth
In Old English, the word 'mouth' also meant 'opening,' 'entrance,' or 'hole'.
Frenchbouche
In Old French "bouche" referred to a hole of any kind; a portcullis; the beak or maw of a bird, beast or other creature; or an entrance or opening of almost any sort.
Frisianmûle
The Frisian word "mûle" is cognate with the English word "muzzle".
Galicianboca
In Galician, "boca" may also refer to the hole on the face of a mask or helmet or to the mouthpiece of a musical instrument.
Germanmund
The word "Mund" also means "protection", "guardian", or "authority" in German
Icelandicmunnur
In Icelandic, the word "munnur" has an alternate meaning of "speaker" or "orator". This meaning is most prevalent in formal contexts, while the word "tala" is more commonly used for "mouth" in everyday speech.
Irishbéal
The word "béal" also has alternate meanings including "border" or "edge".
Italianbocca
In Italian, the word "bocca" not only means "mouth" but also refers to an opening or entrance to a place.
Luxembourgishmond
"Mond" is also the Luxembourgish word for "month" and is derived from the Latin word "mēnsis."
Malteseħalq
In Maltese, "ħalq" can also refer to the opening of a bottle or a wound.
Norwegianmunn
The word "munn" in Norwegian also has the alternate meaning of "appearance" or "facial expression."
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)boca
"Boca" also means the opening of a bottle or jar, or the mouthpiece of a musical instrument.
Scots Gaelicbeul
Beul (mouth) may come from Indo-European base *bhel, meaning 'to swell' or 'to blow', and is related to Old Irish bolg (bag).
Spanishboca
In Spanish, the word "boca" also refers to the entrance of a cave, river, or other natural feature.
Swedishmun
Mun is a common word for mouth in Swedish, and can also mean "speak" or "talk".
Welshceg
Ceg also signifies the 'front' of anything, such as the bow of a boat or the point of a weapon.

Mouth in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianрот
The Belarusian word "рот" can also refer to an opening or gap of any kind, as in "the mouth of a river".
Bosnianusta
Usta also refers to a skilled worker in a craft or trade.
Bulgarianустата
The Bulgarian word "устата" has a second, colloquial meaning, "talk".
Czechpusa
"Pusa" also refers to the muzzle or snout of an animal in Polish.
Estoniansuu
The word "suu" may also refer to a river mouth or estuary, or a gate or entranceway.
Finnishsuu
"Suu" also means "opening" or "orifice" in Finnish, such as "oven suu" (doorway) or "pullon suu" (bottle opening).
Hungarianszáj
Száj (mouth) may refer to the facial opening, the entrance to a cave, or the opening of a container.
Latvianmute
In Latvian "mute" not only means "a person unable to speak", like in English, but also "the mouth of a river or of another body of water".
Lithuanianburna
The word "burna" in Lithuanian may also refer to a well, a spring, or a river opening.
Macedonianуста
The word "уста" also has a figurative meaning, referring to the "voice" or "speech" of someone.
Polishusta
In Polish, "usta" also refers to the "female lips" and the "mouth of a river".
Romaniangură
In Romanian, "gură" can also refer to a river opening, the entrance to a cave, or an utterance.
Russianрот
Рот, meaning "mouth" in Russian, also has alternate meanings including "entrance" and "opening".
Serbianуста
In Serbian, "уста" (mouth) also means "lips" and can refer to the mouth of a river or a cannon.
Slovakústa
The Slovak noun "ústa" also means "lips".
Slovenianusta
The word 'usta' can also refer to the opening of a river or a cave, or the hole in a needle.
Ukrainianрот
In Ukrainian, "рот" also means "brood" in a family of bees or fish.

Mouth in South Asian Languages

Bengaliমুখ
The word "মুখ" can also mean "face", "opening", "speech", or "authority" depending on the context.
Gujaratiમોં
The word "મોં" can also refer to the face or expression on a person's face in Gujarati.
Hindiमुंह
The Hindi word "मुख" can also mean "face" or "front".
Kannadaಬಾಯಿ
The word "ಬಾಯಿ" also refers to the entrance of a cave or a river.
Malayalamവായ
In archaic usage, "വായ" (vāya) could also mean "language" or "voice".
Marathiतोंड
The word "तोंड" (mouth) in Marathi also refers to a face or expression.
Nepaliमुख
"मुख" in Nepali can also mean "a person's face," "appearance," "countenance," or "face of a clock."
Punjabiਮੂੰਹ
ਮੂੰਹ, which is pronounced as "moonh" in Hindi, is also used in Urdu to refer to the "face", or in other contexts, the "edge" or "opening of something."
Sinhala (Sinhalese)මුඛය
"මුඛය" also means "entrance" or "opening" in Sinhala.
Tamilவாய்
The Tamil word "வாய்" (vai) can also refer to the opening of a cave or a river, or a means of expression.
Teluguనోరు
In Telugu, "నోరు" can also refer to an opening or hole, such as the mouth of a river.
Urduمنہ
The word "منہ" in Urdu can also mean "edge" or "brim", as in the edge of a river or the brim of a hat.

Mouth in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)口
口 (kǒu) in Chinese characters can also refer to "doors"}
Chinese (Traditional)口
"口" also means "entrance; opening; place; part of a word"}
Japanese口
The character "口" can also mean "opening" or "entrance" in Japanese and is used in various kanji to convey such meanings.
Korean입
In Korean, "입" can also refer to an entrance, hole, or the edge of a container or piece of clothing.
Mongolianам
The Mongolian word “ам” (mouth) originated from the Proto-Altaic word *ʾam or *ʾamba.
Myanmar (Burmese)ပါးစပ်
ပါးစပ် in Burmese can also refer to an animal's beak, a stream's estuary, a bottle's spout, or the edge or brim of something.

Mouth in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmulut
"Mulut" also refers to the opening of a bottle, jar or other similar containers in Indonesian.
Javanesecangkem
In Javanese, the word "cangkem" also refers to a type of traditional mask used in dance theater performances.
Khmerមាត់
The word មាត់ in modern Khmer is a borrowing of Thai ปาก, and in Old Khmer it originally referred to an aperture.
Laoປາກ
Its alternate meaning is "the edge of something".
Malaymulut
In Kelantanese, "mulut" also means "a hole in the wall specifically used to place or withdraw money within a house"
Thaiปาก
ปาก 'paak' literally means 'edge', the border between two things, not only a mouth.
Vietnamesemồm
In Vietnamese, “mồm” can also mean "person who talks too much or who says many bad things".
Filipino (Tagalog)bibig

Mouth in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniağız
The word “ağız” in Azerbaijani can also mean “entrance” or “opening”.
Kazakhауыз
The word "ауыз" also refers to a "gateway" or "opening", highlighting its role as the entry point to the body or a space.
Kyrgyzооз
The word "ооз" also refers to the opening or entrance to something, such as a cave or a bag.
Tajikдаҳон
"Даҳон" also refers to the opening or entrance to something, a spout or nozzle, or a hole in a garment.
Turkmenagzy
Uzbekog'iz
The word "og'iz" also means "language" or "speech" in Uzbek.
Uyghurئېغىز

Mouth in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianwaha
In Hawaiian, 'waha' can also refer to an opening or hole, or the lip of a container.
Maoriwaha
Waha can also refer to a cave, a river mouth, the opening to a valley or forest, or a speech in a parliamentary context.
Samoangutu
The Samoan word "gutu" for mouth can also refer to the lip or edge of something.
Tagalog (Filipino)bibig
The word "bibig" is a Tagalog onomatopoeia for the sound lips make when they close or open.

Mouth in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaralaka
Guaranijuru

Mouth in International Languages

Esperantobuŝo
The word "buŝo" in Esperanto is borrowed from the French word "bouche", meaning "mouth", and is related to the English word "bushy".
Latinos
Os could also refer to an entrance, shore, or threshold.

Mouth in Others Languages

Greekστόμα
The Greek word "στόμα" can also refer to the opening of a container, the entrance to a place, or a river estuary.
Hmonglub qhov ncauj
Hmong word lub qhov ncauj, meaning "mouth," comes from the root "ncauj," which refers to an opening or hole.
Kurdishdev
The Kurdish word "dev" can also refer to a "door" or "opening".
Turkishağız
In Old Turkic, "ağız" meant "opening" and also "entrance to a cave or other space".
Xhosaumlomo
The word "umlomo" in Xhosa originates from the verb "ukuloma" meaning "to pierce".
Yiddishמויל
The Yiddish word "מויל" (moyl) literally means "mill" and, in addition to mouth, can also be used to refer to a grinder or a millstone.
Zuluumlomo
'Umlomo' also refers to the edge or lip of a container or the rim of a hole or crater in Zulu.
Assameseমুখ
Aymaralaka
Bhojpuriमुँह
Dhivehiއަނގަ
Dogriमूंह्
Filipino (Tagalog)bibig
Guaranijuru
Ilocanongiwat
Kriomɔt
Kurdish (Sorani)دەم
Maithiliमुंह
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯆꯤꯟꯕꯥꯟ
Mizoka
Oromoafaan
Odia (Oriya)ପାଟି
Quechuasimi
Sanskritमुख
Tatarавыз
Tigrinyaኣፍ
Tsonganomu

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