Pot in Different Languages
Discover 'Pot' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'pot' is simple, yet holds a world of significance and cultural importance. It is a versatile object, used for cooking, storage, and even as a unit of measurement in some cultures. The humble pot has been a staple in human societies for centuries, its design evolving with the needs of its users.
Did you know that the English word 'pot' comes from the Old French 'pote', meaning 'a small pot'? Or that in Japan, pots are traditionally made of clay and are an essential part of the tea ceremony? In Germany, a 'Topf' can refer to a cooking pot or a helmet!
Understanding the translation of 'pot' in different languages can open up a new world of cultural knowledge. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: 'olla'
- French: 'pot'
- German: 'Topf'
- Japanese: 'nabe' (pronounced 'na-beh')
- Mandarin Chinese: '锅' (pronounced 'guō')
Pot
Pot in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kan | ||
| The word "kan" in Afrikaans can also refer to a container or a person who is clumsy or slow. | |||
| Amharic | ይችላል | ||
| The word ይችላል also means "a person who is unable to keep secrets" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | iya | ||
| The word "iya" in Hausa can also refer to a calabash or gourd used for storing liquids or food. | |||
| Igbo | nwere ike | ||
| The Igbo word "nwere ike" can also refer to an individual with physical strength. | |||
| Malagasy | afaka | ||
| The term may also refer to "dish" or a type of basket. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | angathe | ||
| The word 'angathe' is also used in some contexts to refer to a place where beer is stored or brewed. | |||
| Shona | unokwanisa | ||
| ‘Nokwanisa’ in Karanga and Manyika dialects is an old woman who sits by the fireside stirring and serving traditional beer. | |||
| Somali | awoodo | ||
| The word "awoodo" in Somali is derived from the Proto-Cushitic root *ʔawd- "to contain". The word can also refer to a bowl or a bucket. | |||
| Sesotho | ka khona | ||
| The word "ka khona" can mean a flowerbed, a hole in the ground, as well as a pot used for cooking or drinking. | |||
| Swahili | unaweza | ||
| In addition to its literal meaning, 'unaweza' can also be used figuratively to refer to a situation or place where things are mixed together. | |||
| Xhosa | unako | ||
| Unako' also denotes the traditional initiation process by the elders, typically for girls and boys. | |||
| Yoruba | le | ||
| "Le" (pot) is also a shortened form of "Omole" (child of wealth) | |||
| Zulu | can | ||
| The Zulu word for "can" (as in a metal container) is "isitsha,'' but "can" can also refer to a type of traditional Zulu beer. | |||
| Bambara | daga | ||
| Ewe | ze | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inkono | ||
| Lingala | nzungu | ||
| Luganda | ekiyungu | ||
| Sepedi | pitša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kuku | ||
Pot in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يستطيع | ||
| The word ''يستطيع'' also means ''can, be able'' in Arabic | |||
| Hebrew | פחית | ||
| The word "פחית" can also refer to a tin can or a trash can. | |||
| Pashto | کولی شی | ||
| The Pashto word "کولی شی" is also used in some regions to mean "pitcher" or "bowl". | |||
| Arabic | يستطيع | ||
| The word ''يستطيع'' also means ''can, be able'' in Arabic | |||
Pot in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mundet | ||
| In Albanian, "mundet" also refers to a traditional earthenware vessel used for serving or storing food. | |||
| Basque | daiteke | ||
| The word "daiteke" also refers to a deep pot used for cooking stews and soups. | |||
| Catalan | llauna | ||
| The word "llauna" also means "can" in Spanish, and "plate" in French. | |||
| Croatian | limenka | ||
| The word "limenka" also refers to a type of beer can made of tin-plated steel introduced in Croatia in the 1950s | |||
| Danish | kan | ||
| The Danish word "kan" can also mean "ability" or "permission," and derives from the Proto-Germanic word "kunnan," meaning "to know" or "to be able." | |||
| Dutch | kan | ||
| In Dutch, "kan" does not only mean "pot," but can also refer to a unit of measurement, "a can," equal to two pints. | |||
| English | pot | ||
| The word "pot" can also refer to a large container, such as a cooking pot or a flower pot. | |||
| French | pouvez | ||
| The French word "pouvez" derives from the Latin "poter" and originally meant "to be able" before it acquired its modern meaning "can". | |||
| Frisian | kinne | ||
| Kinne can also mean 'pit', 'well' or 'channel'. | |||
| Galician | pode | ||
| The Galician word "pode" comes from the Latin word "podeum", meaning "a platform or elevated surface." | |||
| German | können | ||
| In Swiss German, "Chönne" is a more informal variation of "können", expressing permissibility or feasibility without implying ability like the standard German version. | |||
| Icelandic | dós | ||
| In the old language, dós also means the 'brain', or specifically the 'cerebral cortex'. In modern Icelandic, 'dós' refers exclusively to the kitchen appliance. | |||
| Irish | féidir | ||
| The word "féidir" also means "possibly" in Irish, and comes from the Old Irish word "fét" meaning "ability". | |||
| Italian | può | ||
| "Può" in Italian can also mean "can" or "may," and is derived from the Latin "potest." | |||
| Luxembourgish | kann | ||
| The word "kann" can also refer to a type of traditional clay jug used for storing beverages in Luxembourg. | |||
| Maltese | jista ' | ||
| In Moroccan Arabic the cognate term 'jista' (جست) means 'fireplace' or 'hearth'. | |||
| Norwegian | kan | ||
| In Old Norse, kan could mean a jug, drinking vessel, bowl, or pot. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | posso | ||
| "Posso" has alternate spellings "poço" (well) or, less frequently, "possa" (may), and may also be a first name. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | urrainn | ||
| The Gaelic word "urrainn" can also refer to a vessel, tub, or barrel. | |||
| Spanish | puede | ||
| The word "puede" in Spanish means "can" and comes from the Latin word "potest," which also means "is able" or "has power." | |||
| Swedish | burk | ||
| The word 'burk' is also an archaic word for 'cage' and 'small hut'. | |||
| Welsh | can | ||
| "Can" is also the Modern Welsh term for "song". | |||
Pot in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | можа | ||
| In Belarusian, "мова" can also refer to spoken language, a meaning shared by its cognate "мова" in Ukrainian. | |||
| Bosnian | mogu | ||
| The word "mogu" can also refer to a type of mushroom, a small boat, or a round shape. | |||
| Bulgarian | мога | ||
| In Bulgarian, "мога" means "pot" or "I can." | |||
| Czech | umět | ||
| The word "umět" originally meant "to know how to do something", but it has since acquired the additional meaning of "to be able to do something" | |||
| Estonian | saab | ||
| In addition to the meaning "pot," the word "saab" also refers to "bucket" and "barrel" in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | voi | ||
| The word "voi" also means "butter" or "grease" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | tud | ||
| The Hungarian word "tud" also refers to "knowledge" in English. | |||
| Latvian | var | ||
| The word 'var' can also refer to a type of grain used in porridge. | |||
| Lithuanian | gali | ||
| In Lithuanian, the word "gali" also has alternate meanings of "can/may/is able to" and "power/strength." | |||
| Macedonian | може | ||
| The word "може" ("pot") in Macedonian is also used as a noun meaning "vessel" or "container". | |||
| Polish | mogą | ||
| The word "mogą" can also refer to a small hole in the ground, a hollow or a cavity. | |||
| Romanian | pot | ||
| The Romanian word "pot" derives from the Latin word "pottus", meaning "drinking cup" or "goblet". | |||
| Russian | мочь | ||
| The word "мочь" can also refer to strength or power in the abstract sense. | |||
| Serbian | моћи | ||
| Моћи also means "to be able". | |||
| Slovak | môcť | ||
| The word "môcť" can also mean "to be able to" or "to have the means to do something". | |||
| Slovenian | lahko | ||
| The word "lahko" can also mean "easy" or "light" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | може | ||
| The word "може" in Ukrainian can also mean "maybe" or "it is possible" | |||
Pot in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | করতে পারা | ||
| The word "করতে পারা" also means "to be able to do something" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | કરી શકો છો | ||
| Hindi | कर सकते हैं | ||
| The word "कर सकते हैं" can also refer to a large metal container used for cooking or storing food, or to the capacity or ability to do something. | |||
| Kannada | ಮಾಡಬಹುದು | ||
| The Kannada word 'ಮಾಡಬಹುದು' can also refer to a 'hole in a pot or a vessel'. | |||
| Malayalam | കഴിയും | ||
| കഴിയും also refers to a 'cup' or a 'vessel' used for holding substances. | |||
| Marathi | करू शकता | ||
| The word "करू शकता" (karu shakta) is derived from the verb "करू" (karu), meaning "to do" or "to make", and "शकता" (shakta), meaning "able". It thus means "to be able to do" or "to be capable". | |||
| Nepali | सक्छ | ||
| The word "सक्छ" shares its origins with "सकाइ" (potter) and also means "can do" or "be able to". | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පුළුවන් | ||
| The word "පුළුවන්" (pot) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "putala", meaning "vessel" or "container" | |||
| Tamil | முடியும் | ||
| "முடியும்" originally referred to a "vessel made of wood, leather, or metal" and also a "flower vase." | |||
| Telugu | చెయ్యవచ్చు | ||
| It is also used metaphorically to refer to a person's head or skull. | |||
| Urdu | کر سکتے ہیں | ||
Pot in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 能够 | ||
| "能" (néng) means to be able to, can, or capable of doing something, while "够" (gòu) means enough, sufficient, or adequate. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 能夠 | ||
| The character 能 in "能夠" can also mean "ability" or "capability". | |||
| Japanese | できる | ||
| The word "できる" can also mean "can do" or "to be able to." | |||
| Korean | 할 수있다 | ||
| The word “할 수있다” can also mean “to be able to do something” in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | чадах | ||
| "Чадах" can also refer to the smell of something burning or cooking, or to a suffocating or oppressive atmosphere. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လုပ်နိုင် | ||
Pot in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bisa | ||
| The word "bisa" also bears the connotation of the ability to do something in the Indonesian language. | |||
| Javanese | bisa | ||
| Bisa can also refer to a pot made of bamboo, used to boil water over a fire. | |||
| Khmer | អាច | ||
| Khmer "អាច" derives from Sanskrit "ākaśa" (sky or space), which also appears in Pali as "ākāsa". | |||
| Lao | ສາມາດ | ||
| "ສາມາດ" (samad) also means "can" or "capable" in Lao, suggesting its use as a container for things that can be done or achieved. | |||
| Malay | boleh | ||
| In a different sense, "boleh" can mean "to be able to". | |||
| Thai | สามารถ | ||
| In Thai, "สามารถ" also means "able" or "can". | |||
| Vietnamese | có thể | ||
| "Có thể" not only means "pot" but also an auxiliary verb indicating the possibility or capability of an action. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | palayok | ||
Pot in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bacarmaq | ||
| The word "bacarmaq" is of Persian origin and literally means "place of keeping". It has an alternate meaning as the act of "preserving food". | |||
| Kazakh | мүмкін | ||
| The Kazakh word "мүмкін" is derived from Middle Mongolian and means both "possible" and "perhaps". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мүмкүн | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "мүмкүн" ('pot') may also refer to a vessel or container in general and has cognates in other Turkic languages. | |||
| Tajik | метавонад | ||
| The Tajik word "метавонад" also refers to a type of thick soup prepared in the south of the country. | |||
| Turkmen | gazana | ||
| Uzbek | mumkin | ||
| The word "mumkin" in Uzbek also means "possible" or "feasible". | |||
| Uyghur | قازان | ||
Pot in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hiki | ||
| The word "hiki" in Hawaiian also means "to pull" or "to drag". | |||
| Maori | kēne | ||
| In Māori, the word 'kēne', meaning 'pot' or 'container', also refers to a small, temporary oven or cooking hole in the ground. | |||
| Samoan | mafai | ||
| The word "mafai" in Samoan also refers to a specific type of pottery jar used for cooking. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | maaari | ||
Pot in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manq’aña | ||
| Guarani | olla | ||
Pot in International Languages
| Esperanto | povas | ||
| The Esperanto word “povas” also means “it is able” and is related to the verb “povi” (to can). | |||
| Latin | potes | ||
| The Latin word "potes" is also used as a second person singular present active indicative of the verb posse, meaning "you are able". | |||
Pot in Others Languages
| Greek | μπορώ | ||
| Μπορώ in Greek is derived from the verb πίνω meaning "to drink" and originally meant "to have the ability to drink". It now has the more general meaning of "to be able to" or "can". | |||
| Hmong | tuaj yeem | ||
| The Hmong word "tuaj yeem" also refers to the entire process of cooking rice, from washing the grains to serving the cooked rice. | |||
| Kurdish | qûtîk | ||
| The Kurdish word "qûtîk" is also occasionally used to refer to an area of land that has been allocated to a particular household or individual. | |||
| Turkish | yapabilmek | ||
| The Turkish word "yapabilmek" also means "to be able to do something" or "to have the ability to do something". | |||
| Xhosa | unako | ||
| Unako' also denotes the traditional initiation process by the elders, typically for girls and boys. | |||
| Yiddish | קענען | ||
| The Yiddish word "קענען" (pot) also means "to be able" in German. | |||
| Zulu | can | ||
| The Zulu word for "can" (as in a metal container) is "isitsha,'' but "can" can also refer to a type of traditional Zulu beer. | |||
| Assamese | পাত্ৰ | ||
| Aymara | manq’aña | ||
| Bhojpuri | घड़ा के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަށިގަނޑެވެ | ||
| Dogri | घड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | palayok | ||
| Guarani | olla | ||
| Ilocano | kaldero | ||
| Krio | pot | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مەنجەڵ | ||
| Maithili | घैल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯠ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | pot | ||
| Oromo | qodaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହାଣ୍ଡି | ||
| Quechua | manka | ||
| Sanskrit | घटः | ||
| Tatar | чүлмәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ድስቲ | ||
| Tsonga | poto | ||