Nut in Different Languages
Discover 'Nut' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Nuts are tiny powerhouses of nutrition, packed with healthy fats, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. They have been an important source of sustenance for humans for thousands of years, with evidence of nut consumption dating back to the Stone Age. Nuts are also significant in many cultures and traditions, often used in religious ceremonies, cooking, and as gifts. For example, in China, nuts are traditionally given as gifts during the Lunar New Year to symbolize prosperity and fertility.
Given their global importance, it's no wonder that the word 'nut' has been translated into many different languages, each with its own unique cultural and historical context. Here are just a few examples:
- Spanish: nuez
- French: noix
- German: Nuss
- Italian: noce
- Japanese: ナッツ (nattsu)
- Mandarin: 坚果 (jiānguǒ)
- Russian: орех (orekh)
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a foodie, or simply curious about the world around you, learning the translation of 'nut' in different languages can be a fun and fascinating way to explore new cultures and traditions.
Nut
Nut in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | moer | ||
| The word "moer" in Afrikaans, meaning "nut", is derived from the Dutch word "moer" meaning "mother", reflecting the role of the nut as the female reproductive organ in plants. | |||
| Amharic | ለውዝ | ||
| The Amharic word "ለውዝ" (lewz) is also used to refer to the brain or mind. | |||
| Hausa | goro | ||
| Hausa "goro" also means "male child's birth." | |||
| Igbo | aku | ||
| The Igbo word 'àkú' also refers to a person who is strong, hard-shelled, and difficult to crack. | |||
| Malagasy | bazana | ||
| The word "bazana" in Malagasy can also refer to a type of wood, a type of fruit, or a type of mushroom. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mtedza | ||
| "Mtedza" also refers to a kind of porridge made from pounded groundnuts. | |||
| Shona | nzungu | ||
| In Shona, the word 'nzungu' is also used to refer to peanuts and soybeans, as well as the generic term for 'nut' | |||
| Somali | lowska | ||
| "Lowska" is also the name of an ancient Somali tribe and a type of Somali dance accompanied by drumming and singing. | |||
| Sesotho | nate | ||
| "Nate," or its homophones, can also mean "father," or "ancestor" throughout Bantu and Niger Kordofanian tongues. | |||
| Swahili | karanga | ||
| The word "karanga" in Swahili can also refer to the tree that produces the nut. | |||
| Xhosa | nut | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "nut" can be used figuratively to refer to the brain. | |||
| Yoruba | nut | ||
| Zulu | nut | ||
| The word "nut" can also mean "brain" in Zulu, referring to the walnut-shaped organ inside the skull. | |||
| Bambara | ekuru | ||
| Ewe | azi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibinyomoro | ||
| Lingala | koko | ||
| Luganda | kinyeebwa | ||
| Sepedi | koko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aba | ||
Nut in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | البندق | ||
| The word "al-bunduq" in Arabic originates from the Greek word "pontikos," meaning "from the Black Sea region," where hazelnuts were first cultivated. | |||
| Hebrew | אגוז | ||
| אגוז is also an acronym for 'אגודת גידולי זרעים', meaning 'Seed Growers Association' in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | مغز لرونکی | ||
| Arabic | البندق | ||
| The word "al-bunduq" in Arabic originates from the Greek word "pontikos," meaning "from the Black Sea region," where hazelnuts were first cultivated. | |||
Nut in Western European Languages
| Albanian | arrë | ||
| The Albanian word 'arrë' can also refer to a nut-shaped object or a type of fruit. | |||
| Basque | intxaur | ||
| In Basque, the word intxaur can also refer to a beech tree or a beech nut. | |||
| Catalan | nou | ||
| The word "nou" in Catalan can also mean "new" or "nine". | |||
| Croatian | orah | ||
| The word "orah" in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*orěхъ" which means both "nut" and "walnut". | |||
| Danish | nød | ||
| The word "nød" also means "need" or "distress" in Danish. | |||
| Dutch | noot | ||
| The word "noot" in Dutch can also refer to a musical note. | |||
| English | nut | ||
| The word 'nut' can also refer to a small metal disk or bolt used to fasten together two pieces of material. | |||
| French | écrou | ||
| The French word "écrou" not only means "nut" but also "detention". This is because in the past, prisoners were held in underground cells with walls covered in bolts, called "écrous" in French. | |||
| Frisian | nút | ||
| The original meaning of "Nút" is "fruit"" or "apple" and it has survived in "Nútbrún" ("apple brown"), an old Frisian apple variety originating in Friesland. | |||
| Galician | porca | ||
| The word "porca" can also refer to the female pig or female wild boar in Galician, as well as a metal washer used in plumbing or carpentry. | |||
| German | nuss | ||
| The German word "Nuss" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*hnuts", meaning "fruit", and is cognate with the English "nut" but also the Latin "nux" (cf. "nucleus"). | |||
| Icelandic | hneta | ||
| Icelandic 'hneta' is cognate with English 'nut,' from Proto-Germanic *xnutą, and originally referred to a round object, e.g., an egg. | |||
| Irish | cnó | ||
| The Irish word "cnó" can also refer to a kernel or a fruit stone. | |||
| Italian | noce | ||
| The Italian word "Noce" shares its Latin root with "juglans", meaning the nut is named after Jupiter, chief god of the Roman pantheon. | |||
| Luxembourgish | nëss | ||
| The word "Nëss" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*hnutos", which also means "nut". | |||
| Maltese | ġewż | ||
| The Maltese word 'ġewż' is derived from the Arabic word 'jawz', meaning 'nut', and can also refer to bolts or screws. | |||
| Norwegian | nøtt | ||
| Norwegian 'nøtt' is related to 'nut' and 'knot' in English and originally meant "something rounded and solid", as in "a head" or a "hilltop". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | noz | ||
| "Noz" was borrowed from Latin "nucis" (genitive of "nux"), while the plural "nozes" was borrowed from the accusative "nuces". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cnò | ||
| The term 'cnò' also refers to a small, round, flat cake made from oatmeal, similar to a bannock. | |||
| Spanish | nuez | ||
| In Spanish, "nuez" refers to walnuts specifically, while "fruta seca" is the general term for nuts. | |||
| Swedish | nöt | ||
| The Swedish word "nöt" has a dual meaning: nut and cattle. | |||
| Welsh | cneuen | ||
| The word "cneuen" is also used to refer to a small round object, such as a marble or a bead. | |||
Nut in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | арэхавы | ||
| The Belarusian word for 'nut', арэх, comes from the Proto-Slavic word *orěxъ, which is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃reg̑- ('to crack'). | |||
| Bosnian | orah | ||
| The word "orah" originally meant "walnut", but it can also refer to other types of nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts. | |||
| Bulgarian | ядка | ||
| The word "ядка" also refers to the edible central part of other fruits like peaches and apricots. | |||
| Czech | matice | ||
| The word "matice" also means a printing press in Czech, and it is a cognate to the English word "matrix". | |||
| Estonian | pähkel | ||
| The Estonian word “pähkel” has an alternative meaning, “to get angry”. This word has a similar sound and meaning in other Finno-Ugric languages. | |||
| Finnish | mutteri | ||
| The word "mutteri" is related to the Estonian word "mutter" which means "a screw" or "a nut". | |||
| Hungarian | dió | ||
| The word "dió" can also refer to the walnut tree itself, or to the nut's kernel. | |||
| Latvian | uzgrieznis | ||
| The word "uzgrieznis" in Latvian is derived from the word "griezt" (to turn), referring to the process of turning or threading nuts onto bolts. | |||
| Lithuanian | riešutas | ||
| "Riešutas" originally meant "acorn" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | орев | ||
| "Орев" comes from Proto-Slavic's *orěхъ, but also refers to walnuts | |||
| Polish | orzech | ||
| Orzech is a Polish word that also means walnut, and is related to the Latin word 'nux', meaning nut. | |||
| Romanian | nuca | ||
| The word "nuca" in Romanian also means "nape" or "back of the neck". | |||
| Russian | орех | ||
| The word "орех" (nut) originally referred to walnuts, but its meaning was later extended to include other types of nuts. | |||
| Serbian | орах | ||
| 'Орах' (nut) in Serbian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'orěхъ', which referred to any fruit with a hard shell. | |||
| Slovak | orech | ||
| The Slovak word "orech" can also refer to the fruit of hazel trees or walnuts, or even the tree itself. | |||
| Slovenian | oreh | ||
| "Oreh" is also the name of a type of walnut tree. | |||
| Ukrainian | горіх | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word “горіх” (“nut”) also means “brain,” highlighting the traditional belief in the nutritional benefits of nuts for cognitive function. | |||
Nut in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | বাদাম | ||
| বাদাম is derived from Persian word 'bādām', which is further derived from Greek word 'amygdalē' (almond tree). | |||
| Gujarati | અખરોટ | ||
| "અખરોટ" (akharot) is derived from the Persian word "gardu" meaning "round" and is commonly used to refer to almonds or pistachios. | |||
| Hindi | अखरोट | ||
| The word 'अखरोट' originated from the Persian word 'akrōt', meaning 'walnut'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾಯಿ | ||
| "ಕಾಯಿ" also means the immature fruit of a plant, especially a coconut or a banana. | |||
| Malayalam | നട്ട് | ||
| The word 'നട്ട്' ('nut') in Malayalam can also mean 'the top of a tree' or 'the top of a hill'. | |||
| Marathi | कोळशाचे गोळे | ||
| The word "कोळशाचे गोळे" can also refer to a type of cannonball used in the Maratha Empire | |||
| Nepali | नट | ||
| In the past, 'नट' was also used to refer to a male dancer or acrobat. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਿਰੀ | ||
| The word "ਗਿਰੀ" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰer-/*ǵʰri-", meaning "to grind" or "to crush", and is related to the English word "grind" and the German word "reiben". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නට් | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "නට්" ("nut") can also refer to a screw or a bolt. | |||
| Tamil | நட்டு | ||
| "நட்டு" in Tamil also refers to a person who has an outstanding or distinctive quality, or a special talent or ability. | |||
| Telugu | గింజ | ||
| గింజ is derived from the Dravidian root *kīni-} | |||
| Urdu | نٹ | ||
| The word "nut" in Urdu (نٹ) can also refer to an acrobat or a jester. | |||
Nut in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 坚果 | ||
| 坚果 originally referred to a hard-shelled fruit, but now often refers to the edible seed of the fruit. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 堅果 | ||
| In Cantonese, 堅果 refers to all nuts or seeds, but can also mean 'very'} | |||
| Japanese | ナット | ||
| In Japanese, the word "ナット" (nut) can also refer to a small metal piece with a threaded hole used to fasten bolts or screws. | |||
| Korean | 너트 | ||
| The Korean word "너트" can also refer to a small bolt that is used to fasten two pieces of wood or metal together. | |||
| Mongolian | самар | ||
| The term "самар" can also refer to the fruit of the elm tree, with "самар үр" designating an elm seed. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ခွံမာသီး | ||
| The English word "nut" comes from the Old English word "hnutu". The Old English word was derived from the Proto-Germanic word *hnutuz, which meant "nut". | |||
Nut in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kacang | ||
| "Kacang" also refers to beans and peanuts in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | kacang | ||
| "Kacang" can mean specifically "peanuts", "beans" or "leguminous seeds" depending on context. | |||
| Khmer | យចន | ||
| The Khmer word "យចន" (nut) derives from the Sanskrit word "यचन" (reputation or fame). | |||
| Lao | ຫມາກແຫ້ງເປືອກແຂງ | ||
| The word can also refer to the dried kernel of any other fruit with a hard shell, such as a coconut. | |||
| Malay | kacang | ||
| "Kacang" also refers to a traditional type of board or dice game. | |||
| Thai | ถั่ว | ||
| The word "ถั่ว" can also refer to beans, peas, and legumes in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | hạt | ||
| The word "hạt" in Vietnamese can also refer to grains, seeds, and the kernels of grains. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kulay ng nuwes | ||
Nut in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qoz | ||
| The word 'qoz' has multiple meanings in Azerbaijani, including a small rock, a ball, or a marble. | |||
| Kazakh | жаңғақ | ||
| "Жаңғақ" (nut) in Kazakh also means "small coin" and "little". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаңгак | ||
| The alternate meaning of "жаңгак" is "chestnut", reflecting the genetic relationship within Fagaceae. | |||
| Tajik | чормағз | ||
| Чормағз in Tajik can mean either "nut" or "almond". | |||
| Turkmen | hoz | ||
| Uzbek | yong'oq | ||
| In Uzbek, "yong'oq" (nut) derives from the Persian "yung" and also means "skill, talent, gift". | |||
| Uyghur | ياڭاق | ||
Nut in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | nut | ||
| In Hawaiian, "nut" can also refer to a person's head or mind. | |||
| Maori | nati | ||
| The word "nati" in Maori not only refers to various types of nuts, but also to the fruits of the karaka tree and the native titoki tree. | |||
| Samoan | nut | ||
| Used as a general term for nuts, almonds etc. but especially the coconut (niu) | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kulay ng nuwes | ||
Nut in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | q'iwintaña | ||
| Guarani | nue | ||
Nut in International Languages
| Esperanto | nukso | ||
| The word 'nukso' comes from the Esperanto 'nuksi', the international scientific word for the nut | |||
| Latin | nut | ||
| The Latin word "nux" (nut), also means "a small stone." | |||
Nut in Others Languages
| Greek | καρύδι | ||
| 'Καρύδι' in Greek ultimately derives from the Persian word 'karg', meaning 'bitter' | |||
| Hmong | txiv ntoo | ||
| The word "txiv ntoo" in Hmong can also refer to the stone at the center of a fruit, the pit of a fruit, or the kernel of a nut. | |||
| Kurdish | gûz | ||
| The word 'gûz' also means 'secret' in Kurdish, hinting at the hidden, protected nature of a nut. | |||
| Turkish | fındık | ||
| In Turkish, "fındık" not only refers to nuts in general but also specifically to hazelnuts, as Turkey is a major producer of this type of nut. | |||
| Xhosa | nut | ||
| In Xhosa, the word "nut" can be used figuratively to refer to the brain. | |||
| Yiddish | נוס | ||
| Yiddish "נוס" derives from Hebrew "אֲגוֹז" and Greek "καρύα" (walnut). | |||
| Zulu | nut | ||
| The word "nut" can also mean "brain" in Zulu, referring to the walnut-shaped organ inside the skull. | |||
| Assamese | বাদাম | ||
| Aymara | q'iwintaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | सनकी | ||
| Dhivehi | އިސްކުރު | ||
| Dogri | खरोट बगैरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kulay ng nuwes | ||
| Guarani | nue | ||
| Ilocano | mani | ||
| Krio | nat | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گوێز | ||
| Maithili | बादाम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯕꯗꯥꯝ | ||
| Mizo | mim | ||
| Oromo | muduraa uwwisi isaa jabaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାଦାମ | | ||
| Quechua | nuez | ||
| Sanskrit | शलाटु | ||
| Tatar | гайка | ||
| Tigrinya | ለውዝ | ||
| Tsonga | manga | ||