Orange in Different Languages
Discover 'Orange' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Orange is a vibrant and dynamic color, often associated with warmth, joy, and the sun. It's a color that has captured the imagination of people across the globe, and has been incorporated into various aspects of culture and language. From the juicy citrus fruit that shares its name, to the iconic orange traffic cones that keep us safe on the roads, the word 'orange' holds a special significance in our daily lives.
But did you know that the word 'orange' has a fascinating history? In fact, in many languages, the word for 'orange' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nāranga', which was used to describe the citrus fruit. In other languages, such as Mandarin, the word for 'orange' is 'chéng', which is derived from the word for 'orange tree'. And in still other languages, such as Hebrew, the word for 'orange' is 'tapuz', which is derived from the Persian word for the fruit.
Understanding the translations of the word 'orange' in different languages can provide valuable insights into the cultural significance of this vibrant color. Here are just a few examples:
Orange
Orange in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oranje | ||
| The word "oranje" in Afrikaans, meaning "orange" in English, also refers to the royal Dutch family and the country of the Netherlands. | |||
| Amharic | ብርቱካናማ | ||
| "ብርቱካናማ" comes from the Semitic root "brk" and also means "copper" or "gold" in a poetic sense | |||
| Hausa | lemu mai zaki | ||
| "Lemu mai zaki," which is also called "lemu na zaki," literally means "the king's orange." | |||
| Igbo | oroma | ||
| The same word (ọrọma) also refers to the color yellow, and is related to the word ụrọ (sun), suggesting a shared semantic field between orange/yellow and the sun. | |||
| Malagasy | voasary | ||
| The Malagasy word "voasary" originates from the Indonesian word "jeruk," likely introduced by Southeast Asian traders. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | lalanje | ||
| The word "lalanje" is of probable Shona origin, and may ultimately derive from a Bantu root word meaning "red". | |||
| Shona | orenji | ||
| In Shona, "orenji" can also refer to "the reddish color of a sunset" or "the copper used in making bracelets or earrings". | |||
| Somali | liin dhanaan | ||
| Sesotho | namunu | ||
| The word 'namunu' can also refer to the tree which produces oranges or the colour orange itself. | |||
| Swahili | machungwa | ||
| The Swahili word "machungwa" shares the same root with the words for "lemon" and "tangerine", all originating from the Arabic term for "sour orange". | |||
| Xhosa | orenji | ||
| In Xhosa, "orenji" also means "to be very red or orange in color," as in "uorenji gqitha" (it is very orange). | |||
| Yoruba | ọsan | ||
| The Yorùbá word `ọsan`, meaning "orange," is also used figuratively to mean "riches" or "wealth." | |||
| Zulu | iwolintshi | ||
| Iwolintshi may also refer to the "wild orange", an endemic species of fruit in South Africa. | |||
| Bambara | lenburuba | ||
| Ewe | aŋuti | ||
| Kinyarwanda | orange | ||
| Lingala | lilala | ||
| Luganda | omucumgwa | ||
| Sepedi | namune | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ankaa | ||
Orange in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | البرتقالي | ||
| البرتقالي "al-burtuqālī" is also the word for "Portugal" which is likely the origin of its name as the fruit was first brought to Europe from there. | |||
| Hebrew | תפוז | ||
| תפוז derives from "תפוח עץ הזָהָב" meaning "apple of the golden tree," and is cognate to the word תפוח (apple) | |||
| Pashto | نارنج | ||
| In Pashto, "نارنج" also refers to "pomegranate". | |||
| Arabic | البرتقالي | ||
| البرتقالي "al-burtuqālī" is also the word for "Portugal" which is likely the origin of its name as the fruit was first brought to Europe from there. | |||
Orange in Western European Languages
| Albanian | portokalli | ||
| The word "portokalli" is derived from the Italian word "porticale", meaning "gate" or "entrance", as oranges were often brought into Albania through the port of Durrës | |||
| Basque | laranja | ||
| The Basque word “laranja” comes from the Spanish word naranja, which in turn comes from Arabic nāranj | |||
| Catalan | taronja | ||
| The Catalan word "taronja" originally meant "citron" but its meaning has since shifted to exclusively refer to oranges. | |||
| Croatian | naranča | ||
| The Croatian word "naranča" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "norьnьti", meaning "to plunge" or "to immerse", and was originally used to refer to an orange tree rather than its fruit. | |||
| Danish | orange | ||
| In Danish, the word "orange" was originally used only for "apple" and later for "lemon". Hence "orange" and "lemon" are called "orange" and "citron" in Danish, respectively. | |||
| Dutch | oranje | ||
| In Dutch, the noun 'oranje' refers to the House of Orange-Nassau, which derives its name from the French principality of Orange. | |||
| English | orange | ||
| The word "orange" derives from the Old French "orenge" and ultimately from the Sanskrit "naranja", meaning "citrus tree". | |||
| French | orange | ||
| Orange derives from the Sanskrit "naranja" and was introduced into English via Spanish, where it originally referred to the color only. | |||
| Frisian | oranje | ||
| In Frisian, the word 'Oranje' also refers to the Dutch royal family and is used as an adjective meaning 'Dutch'. | |||
| Galician | laranxa | ||
| The word 'laranxa' may come from the Tamil word 'narthangai' (which means 'heavenly fruit'), or from the Sanskrit word 'naranga' (which means 'fragrant'). | |||
| German | orange | ||
| In German, "Orange" can also be used to refer to a fruit resembling a small, round grapefruit, similar to a mandarin. | |||
| Icelandic | appelsínugult | ||
| "Appelsínugult" (orange) comes from the Dutch word "appelsien," which is the origin of English "apple." | |||
| Irish | oráiste | ||
| The Irish word 'Oráiste' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'nാരങ്ങ' (nāramga) via the Persian word 'نارنج' (nārang) and the Arabic word 'نارنج' (nāranj), all of which refer to the citrus fruit. | |||
| Italian | arancia | ||
| "Arancia" was borrowed from the Persian "nārang", from the Sanskrit "nāraṅga", and the Sanskrit word was borrowed from an even earlier Austroasiatic tongue. | |||
| Luxembourgish | orange | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "orange" can also refer to a mandarin or tangerine, while its diminutive form "oräntschen" specifically means a clementine. | |||
| Maltese | oranġjo | ||
| The word "oranġjo" in Maltese is derived from the Sicilian "aranciu", which in turn comes from the Persian word "nāranj" | |||
| Norwegian | oransje | ||
| The word "oransje" in Norwegian originally meant "apple" and is derived from the Old French word "pomme d'orange", meaning "apple of China". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | laranja | ||
| The word "laranja" in Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) originates from the Sanskrit word "naranga", meaning "citrus fruit". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | orains | ||
| The Gaelic word oirains comes from the 15th-century French orenge, meaning "the fruit of the (bitter) orange tree." | |||
| Spanish | naranja | ||
| The word "naranja" comes from the Persian "nāranj" meaning "bitter orange". | |||
| Swedish | orange | ||
| The Swedish word for "orange" is "apelsin". | |||
| Welsh | oren | ||
| Welsh "oren" (orange) also means "a place" (e.g. "Yr Oren" (The Place)) | |||
Orange in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | аранжавы | ||
| Despite its name, the word "аранжавы" in Belarusian also refers to the color yellow. | |||
| Bosnian | narandžasta | ||
| The word "narandžasta" in Bosnian is derived from the Persian word "naranj" meaning "citrus fruit" and was originally used to refer to both oranges and lemons. | |||
| Bulgarian | оранжево | ||
| In Bulgarian "оранжево" can also mean "ginger ale", due to the beverage's characteristic orange hue. | |||
| Czech | oranžový | ||
| In Czech, the word 'oranžový' also refers to a shade of brownish-yellow, similar to ochre. | |||
| Estonian | oranž | ||
| In Estonian, the word "oranž" can also be used to describe certain light copper and brown hues. | |||
| Finnish | oranssi | ||
| The word "oranssi" originally referred to a shade of red, not orange, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "aruna" meaning "red dawn". | |||
| Hungarian | narancssárga | ||
| The word “narancssárga” (orange) is derived from the Persian word “naranj,” which means “citrus fruit.” | |||
| Latvian | apelsīns | ||
| The word "apelsīns" is derived from the Dutch word "appelsien", which itself comes from the French word "pomme de Chine" (literally "apple from China"). | |||
| Lithuanian | oranžinė | ||
| The word "oranžinė" also means "orchard" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | портокалова | ||
| In Old Slavic, “портокал” meant “fragrant apple”. Later, the word came to be used for citrus fruit. | |||
| Polish | pomarańczowy | ||
| The word 'pomarańczowy' derives from the Italian 'arancia', meaning 'orange', and also denotes the bitter orange or its colour. | |||
| Romanian | portocale | ||
| "Portocale" is the Romanian word for orange, derived from the Italian word "portogallo" meaning "from Portugal." | |||
| Russian | апельсин | ||
| The Russian word | |||
| Serbian | наранџаста | ||
| The word 'наранџаста' is derived from the Persian word 'نارنگ' meaning 'orange tree'. | |||
| Slovak | oranžová | ||
| Slovak word "oranžová" also means "orangery" – a greenhouse for cultivating citrus trees. | |||
| Slovenian | oranžna | ||
| The Slovenian word "oranžna" derives from the Sanskrit "naranga" which also means "orange" but also means "fragrant". | |||
| Ukrainian | помаранчевий | ||
| The word "помаранчевий" in Ukrainian also means "amber" | |||
Orange in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কমলা | ||
| The word "কমলা" (orange) is derived from the Sanskrit word "kamala" meaning "of a pleasing yellow or orange color". | |||
| Gujarati | નારંગી | ||
| The Gujarati word "નારંગી" can also refer to a type of lime that is common in the state of Gujarat. | |||
| Hindi | संतरा | ||
| "संतरा" is derived from Sanskrit "संतरः," meaning "yellow" or "citrus fruit." | |||
| Kannada | ಕಿತ್ತಳೆ | ||
| ಕಿತ್ತಳೆ is ultimately derived from a Dravidian root *kit- meaning 'to fall', likely referring to the fruit's tendency to fall off the tree when ripe. | |||
| Malayalam | ഓറഞ്ച് | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഓറഞ്ച്" can also refer to the colour "blue". | |||
| Marathi | केशरी | ||
| The word "केशरी" in Marathi can also refer to a lion or the color of a lion's mane. | |||
| Nepali | सुन्तला | ||
| "सुन्तला" is a Nepali word for "orange". It is derived from the Sanskrit word "सुन्दर" (meaning "beautiful") and "ल" (meaning "to take"). So, "सुन्तला" literally means "to take beauty". | |||
| Punjabi | ਸੰਤਰਾ | ||
| ਸੰਤਰਾ, which in Punjabi literally means 'fragrant,' also refers to the state of being happy. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තැඹිලි | ||
| The Sinhala word "තැඹිලි" (orange) is derived from the Dravidian word "தாம்பாளம்" (a dish made of bell metal), referring to the reddish-copper color of the fruit. | |||
| Tamil | ஆரஞ்சு | ||
| Telugu | నారింజ | ||
| The word "నారింజ" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "nāranga", which originally meant "bitter-sweet". | |||
| Urdu | کینو | ||
| The word “كےنو” also means someone who has green or hazel eyes in Urdu. | |||
Orange in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 橙子 | ||
| 在中文中，“橙子”一词最初指一种颜色，后来才专指“橘子”这种水果。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 橙子 | ||
| 橙子（chéng zi）原指一种黄色的果实，后来借指柑橘类的水果。 | |||
| Japanese | オレンジ | ||
| The Japanese word "オレンジ" (orange) originally referred to a type of orange fruit brought from China, and it later came to mean the color orange. | |||
| Korean | 주황색 | ||
| "주황색" originates from the word "주황" which refers to the fruit "citrus sinensis" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | жүрж | ||
| In Mongolian, | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လိမ္မော်သီး | ||
Orange in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | jeruk | ||
| The word "jeruk" is derived from the Sanskrit word "nāgaraṅga" meaning "from the city", likely referring to its origin from India. | |||
| Javanese | oranye | ||
| Javanese "oranye" also means "red-orange", contrasting with "abang" (pure red). | |||
| Khmer | ពណ៌ទឹកក្រូច | ||
| The Khmer word for orange, "ពណ៌ទឹកក្រូច" (pronounced "pong tonh kruoch"), derives from the yellow or saffron-colored flowers of the "krout" tree | |||
| Lao | ສີສົ້ມ | ||
| The Lao word "ສີສົ້ມ" (orange) comes from the Sanskrit word "svarṇa" meaning "gold". This is likely due to the similar color of gold and oranges. | |||
| Malay | jingga | ||
| "Jingga" also means "red" in Sanskrit and Balinese. | |||
| Thai | ส้ม | ||
| In Old Thai and Lao, "ส้ม" (**som**) referred to all citrus fruits, which at that time did not include oranges imported from Europe. | |||
| Vietnamese | trái cam | ||
| The word "trái cam" is derived from the Sanskrit word "naranga", which originally meant "citrus fruit". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kulay kahel | ||
Orange in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | narıncı | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "narıncı" also refers to the citrus "mandarin". | |||
| Kazakh | апельсин | ||
| The word | |||
| Kyrgyz | ачык күрөң | ||
| Ачык күрөң (orange) is a shade of yellow-orange, named after the fruit of the orange tree. | |||
| Tajik | норанҷӣ | ||
| The Tajik word "норанҷӣ" comes from the Sanskrit word "naranja," which also means "elephant." | |||
| Turkmen | mämişi | ||
| Uzbek | apelsin | ||
| In Uzbek, the word "apelsin" is derived from the Persian word "naranj", meaning "bitter orange". | |||
| Uyghur | ئاپېلسىن | ||
Orange in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | alani | ||
| The Hawaiian word “alani” is derived from “ala” (radiance, glow), and is also used to describe “light red,” “pink,” “red-brown,” “auburn,” and “sorrel,” as in a horse’s coat. | |||
| Maori | karaka | ||
| In Maori, the word "karaka" can also refer to the tree that bears an edible berry similar to the orange and to orange-coloured berries, flowers, or other objects. | |||
| Samoan | lanu moli | ||
| Lanu moli means 'yellow' and is also a figure of speech for 'a beautiful colour'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kahel | ||
| The word "kahel" is also used to refer to the color "brown" in Tagalog. | |||
Orange in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | larankha | ||
| Guarani | narã | ||
Orange in International Languages
| Esperanto | oranĝa | ||
| Latin | aurantiaco | ||
| "Aurantiaco" also means "golden" in Latin. | |||
Orange in Others Languages
| Greek | πορτοκάλι | ||
| The Greek word "πορτοκάλι" originally referred to "a bitter Chinese apple", now known as the Seville orange. | |||
| Hmong | txiv kab ntxwv | ||
| The word txi kab ntxwv (pronounced "chee kahb n-txohv") is made up of three words: txi (pronounced "chee"), which means "fruit"; kab (pronounced "kahb"), which means "round"; and ntxwv (pronounced "n-txohv"), which means "sweet". So, the full meaning of txi kab ntxwv is "round, sweet fruit" | |||
| Kurdish | porteqalî | ||
| The Kurdish word 'porteqalî' comes from the Spanish word 'portu' and the Greek word 'kalon', meaning 'beautiful port'. | |||
| Turkish | portakal | ||
| The Turkish word "Portakal" likely derives from the Portuguese word "Portucal" rather than the French word "Orange." | |||
| Xhosa | orenji | ||
| In Xhosa, "orenji" also means "to be very red or orange in color," as in "uorenji gqitha" (it is very orange). | |||
| Yiddish | מאַראַנץ | ||
| The Yiddish word מאַראַנץ comes from the German word "Apfelsine" (literally "apple from China") and may also refer to a grapefruit. | |||
| Zulu | iwolintshi | ||
| Iwolintshi may also refer to the "wild orange", an endemic species of fruit in South Africa. | |||
| Assamese | কমলা | ||
| Aymara | larankha | ||
| Bhojpuri | संतरा | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮރެންޖު | ||
| Dogri | संत्तरा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kulay kahel | ||
| Guarani | narã | ||
| Ilocano | kahel | ||
| Krio | ɔrinch | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نارنجی | ||
| Maithili | नारंगी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯝꯂꯥ | ||
| Mizo | serthlum | ||
| Oromo | burtukaana | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କମଳା | | ||
| Quechua | naranja | ||
| Sanskrit | नारङ्ग | ||
| Tatar | кызгылт сары | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣራንሺ | ||
| Tsonga | xilamula | ||