Onion in Different Languages
Discover 'Onion' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Onion
Afrikaans ui | ||
Albanian qepë | ||
Amharic ሽንኩርት | ||
Arabic بصلة | ||
Armenian սոխ | ||
Assamese পিঁয়াজ | ||
Aymara siwulla | ||
Azerbaijani soğan | ||
Bambara jaba | ||
Basque tipula | ||
Belarusian цыбуля | ||
Bengali পেঁয়াজ | ||
Bhojpuri पियाज | ||
Bosnian luk | ||
Bulgarian лук | ||
Catalan ceba | ||
Cebuano sibuyas | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 洋葱 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 洋蔥 | ||
Corsican cipolla | ||
Croatian luk | ||
Czech cibule | ||
Danish løg | ||
Dhivehi ފިޔާ | ||
Dogri गंढा | ||
Dutch ui | ||
English onion | ||
Esperanto cepo | ||
Estonian sibul | ||
Ewe sabala | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) sibuyas | ||
Finnish sipuli | ||
French oignon | ||
Frisian sipel | ||
Galician cebola | ||
Georgian ხახვი | ||
German zwiebel | ||
Greek κρεμμύδι | ||
Guarani sevói | ||
Gujarati ડુંગળી | ||
Haitian Creole zonyon | ||
Hausa albasa | ||
Hawaiian ʻakaʻakai | ||
Hebrew בצל | ||
Hindi प्याज | ||
Hmong dos | ||
Hungarian hagyma | ||
Icelandic laukur | ||
Igbo yabasị | ||
Ilocano sibulyas | ||
Indonesian bawang | ||
Irish oinniún | ||
Italian cipolla | ||
Japanese 玉ねぎ | ||
Javanese bawang bombay | ||
Kannada ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ | ||
Kazakh пияз | ||
Khmer ខ្ទឹមបារាំង | ||
Kinyarwanda igitunguru | ||
Konkani कांदो | ||
Korean 양파 | ||
Krio yabas | ||
Kurdish pîvaz | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پیاز | ||
Kyrgyz пияз | ||
Lao ຜັກບົ່ວ | ||
Latin cepa | ||
Latvian sīpols | ||
Lingala litungulu | ||
Lithuanian svogūnas | ||
Luganda akatungulu | ||
Luxembourgish zwiebel | ||
Macedonian кромид | ||
Maithili प्याज | ||
Malagasy tongolo | ||
Malay bawang besar | ||
Malayalam ഉള്ളി | ||
Maltese basla | ||
Maori riki | ||
Marathi कांदा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯇꯤꯜꯍꯧ | ||
Mizo purunsen | ||
Mongolian сонгино | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကြက်သွန်နီ | ||
Nepali प्याज | ||
Norwegian løk | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) anyezi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପିଆଜ | | ||
Oromo qullubbii diimaa | ||
Pashto پیاز | ||
Persian پیاز | ||
Polish cebula | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) cebola | ||
Punjabi ਪਿਆਜ | ||
Quechua cebolla | ||
Romanian ceapă | ||
Russian лук | ||
Samoan aniani | ||
Sanskrit पलाण्डु | ||
Scots Gaelic uinnean | ||
Sepedi eiye | ||
Serbian лук | ||
Sesotho anyanese | ||
Shona hanyanisi | ||
Sindhi بصر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ලූනු | ||
Slovak cibuľa | ||
Slovenian čebula | ||
Somali basal | ||
Spanish cebolla | ||
Sundanese bawang | ||
Swahili kitunguu | ||
Swedish lök | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) sibuyas | ||
Tajik пиёз | ||
Tamil வெங்காயம் | ||
Tatar суган | ||
Telugu ఉల్లిపాయ | ||
Thai หัวหอม | ||
Tigrinya ቐይሕ ሽጉርቲ | ||
Tsonga nyala | ||
Turkish soğan | ||
Turkmen sogan | ||
Twi (Akan) gyeene | ||
Ukrainian цибуля | ||
Urdu پیاز | ||
Uyghur پىياز | ||
Uzbek piyoz | ||
Vietnamese củ hành | ||
Welsh nionyn | ||
Xhosa itswele | ||
Yiddish ציבעלע | ||
Yoruba alubosa | ||
Zulu u-anyanini |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "ui" comes from the Proto-Bantu word "-i(y)a" which also means "onion". The "i" prefix is a classifier for vegetables. |
| Albanian | The Albanian word 'qepë' is related to the Proto-Indo-European root '*kewp-' meaning 'head'. |
| Amharic | The word "ሽንኩርት" is thought to derive from the Ge'ez word "ሽን", meaning "bad" or "evil" and possibly "ክርት", meaning "head" or "brain." |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "بصلة" (onion) also refers to the dome shape of an onion or a similar shape, like the domes of mosques and churches. |
| Armenian | The word "սոխ" is also used in Armenian to refer to the bulb of a plant, particularly garlic. |
| Azerbaijani | The word 'soğan' also refers to the bulbous root of a plant, such as garlic or shallot. |
| Basque | In Basque, "tipula" also refers to a type of reed or stalk used for making baskets and other crafts. |
| Belarusian | The root of "цыбуля" can be traced back to the Proto-Slavic word "sębolja", meaning "bulbous plant". |
| Bengali | The word 'পেঁয়াজ' comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *peyo-, meaning 'to swell' or 'to grow fat'. |
| Bosnian | The word "luk" can also refer to a bend or curve, likely deriving from the Slavic root *lǫkъ, meaning "bend" or "bow". |
| Bulgarian | The word "лук" also means "bow" in Bulgarian. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "ceba" is derived from the Latin "cepa", meaning "head" or "root", and is also used to refer to the "head" of a cabbage or lettuce. |
| Cebuano | Sibuyas is a cognate of the Indonesian word "bawang", both derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*baqaŋ". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 洋葱一词源自西域语言，原指洋姜，后引申为‘圆形且有皮的植物’的总称，后专指圆葱。 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "洋" can also mean 'foreign' or Western in Chinese. |
| Croatian | Though the word “luk” means “onion” in Croatian, in Serbian it also means a harbour, while in Polish it denotes an archery bow |
| Czech | The word "cibule" (onion) has been used in Czech since the 11th century, derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*čьbula". |
| Danish | In Danish, "løg" not only means "onion" but also "lie". This is because in the past, people would often hide items in onion jars to protect them from theft. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "ui" is derived from the Old French "oignon" and is related to the Latin "unio", meaning "pearl". |
| Esperanto | "cepo" has other meanings like "fetter", "trap", and "stock" in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. |
| Estonian | The word "sibul" comes from the Proto-Finnic word *sipula, meaning "head" or "bulb". |
| Finnish | The Finnish word for onion, 'sipuli,' derives from Latin 'cepa,' and cognates with the English 'chive,' which derives from an Indo-European root meaning 'hollow'. |
| French | The French word "oignon" derives from the Latin "unio", meaning "pearl", due to the onion's round shape and layered structure. |
| Frisian | The word "sipel" in Frisian derives from the Proto-Germanic term for "onion," which is related to the Latin word "cepa." |
| Galician | The Galician word "cebola" is derived from the Latin "cepa", meaning "head" or "bulb", and is related to the Spanish "cebolla" and Portuguese "cebola". |
| Georgian | The word "ხახვი" is a diminutive form of the Old Georgian "ხეხი", which means "head" or a "round shape." |
| German | The word "Zwiebel" is derived from the Middle High German "zwibel", meaning "double", and is related to the English word "twin". Onions often grow in pairs, hence the name. |
| Greek | The word "κρεμμύδι" in Greek is derived from the Latin "caepa", and in ancient times was referred to as "κηπάριον", meaning "garden vegetable". |
| Gujarati | The word "ડુંગળી" can also refer to a type of cylindrical earthenware pot. |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "zonyon" can also refer to the female reproductive system or to a woman who is overweight. |
| Hausa | The word "albasa" can also refer to a type of vegetable soup made with onions and other ingredients. |
| Hawaiian | ʻAkaʻakai derives from the word ʻaka, meaning "pungent" or "sharp", and refers to the pungent smell of freshly cut onions. |
| Hebrew | בצל comes from the Akkadian word "bassilu" meaning "large bulb" and in the Bible is also used in the sense of "garlic". |
| Hindi | The word "प्याज" is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्यास" (pyāsa), meaning "thirst"} |
| Hmong | In Hmong, the word "dos" can also be pronounced "doux", which refers to an edible bulb with several layers of thin fleshy leaves growing on the ground. |
| Hungarian | "Hagyma" is also a surname that derives from a Hungarian verb which means "to leave", "to let". The word can also be a part of other Hungarian surnames and geographical names. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "laukur" is derived from the Old Norse word " laukr," which is cognate with the Old English word "leac" (leek). |
| Igbo | "Yabasị" is derived from Proto-Igbo "*yàbasị́", meaning "a bulbous plant". |
| Indonesian | Bawang was adopted from Sanskrit |
| Irish | The word "oinniún" in Irish is also used to refer to "a group of young women". |
| Italian | In Renaissance Italy, |
| Japanese | The word "たまねぎ" (onion) in Japanese refers to a specific variety of onion called Allium cepa var. cepa commonly found in the country and does not encompass other variations or species within the Allium genus, such as garlic, leeks, or chives. |
| Javanese | The Javanese word for "onion", "bawang bombay", literally translates to "Bombay Onion" in Indonesian, reflecting the introduction of onions to Java through trade with India. |
| Kannada | The word ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ "iruḷḷi" possibly derives from the Kannada word ಈರ್ (ir), meaning "two", and ಉಳ್ಳು (uḷļu), meaning "skin", referring to the two layers of skin on an onion. |
| Kazakh | "Пияз" с персидского переводится как "лук, репчатый" |
| Korean | The word '양파' can also mean the iris (of the eye) in Korean, sharing the same etymology in both meanings. |
| Kurdish | "Pîvaz" is also used to refer to the round domes on top of mosques, churches, and other religious buildings in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "пияз" in Kyrgyz originally meant "onion" but now also refers to "garlic". |
| Latin | The word "cepa" in Latin also refers to a "vine" or "stock". |
| Latvian | "Sīpols" also means the first layer of bricks in a kiln. |
| Lithuanian | The word "svogūnas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sweḱ- ( |
| Luxembourgish | The Luxembourgish word "Zwiebel" comes from the Old High German word "zwibela," which in turn comes from the Latin word "cepa," meaning "onion." |
| Macedonian | Although the word "кромид" is now commonly used to refer to yellow onions, its broader meaning also includes all other species in genus Allium, such as garlic, leeks, and chives. |
| Malagasy | Malagasy “tongolo” may be derived from the Malay word “bawang” (also meaning “onion”) but could also originate from the French “oignon”. |
| Malay | The word "bawang besar" is thought to derive from the Tamil word "vadagam". |
| Malayalam | In Malayalam, "ഉള്ളി" ("ulli") also refers to the bulbous root of the garlic plant. |
| Maltese | The word "basla" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "bạṣal", meaning "onion." |
| Maori | The word "riki" can also refer to a type of knot or a small, round object. |
| Marathi | The word "कांदा" (kandā) in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word "कन्द" (kanda), meaning "bulb" or "tuber". |
| Mongolian | In some Mongolian dialects, the word "сонгино" can also refer to garlic. |
| Nepali | The word "प्याज" comes from the Sanskrit word "प्योजक" meaning "thing that smells". |
| Norwegian | "Løk" in Norwegian can also refer to a lock of hair or a loop in a rope. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'anyezi' is also used to refer to a type of bird that is known for its beautiful singing voice. |
| Pashto | The word "پیاز" in Pashto is derived from the Persian word "پیاز" and is also used to refer to the "bulbous root" of a plant. |
| Persian | In Persian, "پیاز" (onion) also refers to other bulbous or root vegetables like garlic or potato. |
| Polish | The Polish word "cebula" is derived from Proto-Slavic *kebula, which also meant "head of an onion" and possibly "garlic". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Cebola" comes from the Latin word "caepa", which also gave rise to the Spanish "cebolla" and the Italian "cipolla" |
| Punjabi | The word 'ਪਿਆਜ' may have originated from the Sanskrit word 'प्याज़' (pyaaza), which itself is derived from the proto-Indo-European word 'peya' meaning 'fat' or 'swollen.' |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "ceapă" (onion) is derived from the Slavic word "cibula" (onion). |
| Russian | The word "лук" (onion) has cognates in other Slavic languages, such as Ukrainian цибуля (tsybulya) and Polish cebula, all of which are derived from a Proto-Slavic form *kebula. |
| Samoan | Aniani, also called aniano, is the word for 'onion' in the Samoan language. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "uinnean" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a circle or ring. |
| Serbian | The root of the Serbian word for "onion" is related to Latin and Greek words with the meanings "to bend" and "bow". |
| Sesotho | The word "Anyanese" also means "anything" in Sesotho. |
| Shona | The word 'hanyanisi' has an alternative meaning that refers to the round shape of an onion, such as 'a hanyanisi of a head'. |
| Sindhi | بصر also denotes the head of a household (of cattle) in Sindhi, and may be ultimately derived from an obsolete Proto-Indo-Iranian word meaning "head" that survives in Vedic Sanskrit as "shirah". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "ලූනු" also means "salty" in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | In Slovak, "Cibuľa" originally meant "bulb" and could refer to any bulbous plant, including garlic, not just onions. |
| Slovenian | The word "čebula" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*čьbolja", which is related to the Latin word "cepa" and the Greek word "κρόμμυον" (krómmyon), all meaning "onion". |
| Somali | The word "basal" in Somali also means "the base of a tree". |
| Spanish | The word "cebolla" comes from the Latin word "cepulla", which is derived from the Greek word "κρόμμυον" (krommyon) meaning "onion". |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word `bawang` means `onion`, but it can also refer to `garlic` or `scallion`. |
| Swedish | The Swedish word "lök" is cognate with the English "leek" and the German "lauch". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Filipino word "sibuyas" (onion) is derived from the Spanish word "cebolla", which in turn comes from the Latin "caepa". |
| Tajik | The word "пиёз" is also used in Tajik to refer to "leeks". |
| Tamil | The Tamil word வெங்காயம் ('veṅkāyam') likely derives from the Proto-Dravidian root *veṅku, meaning 'hot'. It also means 'redness of sunrise, sunset'. |
| Telugu | "ఉల్లిపాయ" also refers to a type of hair bun worn by females in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, India. |
| Thai | หัวหอม, lit. "head flower", has been a traditional name for onions since at least the 15th century, likely because the onion plant grows as a clump or flower head. |
| Turkish | The word 'soğan' is also used to refer to a small, round, shiny object, or to a person with a round face. |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word "цибуля" (onion) is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*čьbŭl'a", meaning "bulb", and is related to the Latin word "cepa" (onion). |
| Urdu | پیاز can also mean the first portion (16 of the Quran's 30 parts) and (in music) an interval of 2 tones. |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "piyoz" is cognate with Persian پیـاز ("piyâz"), which in turn comes from Latin "cepa". |
| Vietnamese | "Củ hành" also means "bulb", as in "củ hành hoa" (bulb of a flower). |
| Welsh | The word 'nionyn' is related to the Latin 'unio', meaning 'pearl', referring to the onion's shape. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word "itswele" also refers to a gathering of people or animals, as well as a group of huts or kraals. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "ציבעלע" (tsibele) is derived from the Middle High German word "zwiebele" and is related to the English word "scallion". |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "Alubosa" also refers to a type of musical instrument. |
| Zulu | The word "u-anyanini" is derived from the verb "anya" which means "to cry", referring to the onion's ability to evoke tears. |
| English | The word "onion" comes from the Greek word "unio," which means "pearl" or "precious stone." |