Protein in Different Languages
Discover 'Protein' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Protein, a fundamental component of a balanced diet, is crucial for the growth and maintenance of our bodies. It plays a vital role in the structure, function, and regulation of our tissues and organs. Derived from the Greek word 'proteios,' meaning 'primary' or 'of first importance,' protein has been recognized for its significance since ancient times.
Throughout history, protein-rich foods have held cultural importance across the globe. In South America, the Inca civilization revered quinoa for its high protein content. In Asia, soybeans have been a staple protein source for centuries. Today, protein continues to be a topic of interest for those pursuing fitness, health, and wellness.
Understanding the translation of protein in different languages can provide insight into how various cultures perceive and value this essential nutrient. Here are a few sample translations to pique your curiosity:
- Spanish: proteína
- French: protéine
- German: Protein
- Mandarin: 蛋白质 (dàn bái zhì)
- Japanese: プロテイン (purotein)
- Russian: протеин (protein)
- Arabic: بروتين (brwṭyn)
Protein
Protein in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | proteïen | ||
| The word "proteïen" in Afrikaans ultimately derives from the Greek "proteios," meaning "primary" or "first." | |||
| Amharic | ፕሮቲን | ||
| "ፕሮቲን" comes from the Greek word "proteios" meaning "primary" or "of first importance". | |||
| Hausa | furotin | ||
| The word "furotin" in Hausa can also mean blood or a liquid resembling blood | |||
| Igbo | protein | ||
| Igbo word for protein, "akpu", also refers to a type of cooked cassava dough. | |||
| Malagasy | proteinina | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "proteinina" is derived from the French word "protéine", which itself comes from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "first". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mapuloteni | ||
| The word "mapuloteni" is derived from the verb "-pula" meaning "to cook". | |||
| Shona | protein | ||
| 'Protein' also means 'white' in Kalanga, a language closely related to Shona. | |||
| Somali | borotiin | ||
| The word "borotiin" was originally borrowed from the English word "protein" and was used to describe the macronutrient, but it has since gained a new meaning as a term of endearment for a loved one. | |||
| Sesotho | protheine | ||
| The word "protheine" derives from the Greek word "protos" meaning "first" or "primary". | |||
| Swahili | protini | ||
| The Kiswahili word 'protini' can also mean 'protease' (an enzyme). | |||
| Xhosa | protein | ||
| In Xhosa, "protein" is also known as "iproteni". | |||
| Yoruba | amuaradagba | ||
| In Yoruba, the word 'àmuáradàgbà' ('protein') is also a play on words, meaning 'the one that repairs damage' or 'that which makes one strong'. | |||
| Zulu | amaprotheni | ||
| The Zulu word "amaprotheni" likely derives from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "first" or "primary", highlighting its essential nature in biological systems. | |||
| Bambara | farikolojɔli dumuniw | ||
| Ewe | protein | ||
| Kinyarwanda | poroteyine | ||
| Lingala | proteine | ||
| Luganda | puloteyina | ||
| Sepedi | proteine | ||
| Twi (Akan) | protein | ||
Protein in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بروتين | ||
| “بروتين” derives from the Greek word “prōteios,” meaning “primary” or “first”. | |||
| Hebrew | חֶלְבּוֹן | ||
| The word 'חֶלְבּוֹן' in Hebrew means 'protein', but it also has the alternative meaning of 'milk fat' or 'hard fat' | |||
| Pashto | پروټین | ||
| The Pashto word پروټین derives from the Greek word πρωτεῖος (prōteĩos), meaning "primary" or "of first importance." | |||
| Arabic | بروتين | ||
| “بروتين” derives from the Greek word “prōteios,” meaning “primary” or “first”. | |||
Protein in Western European Languages
| Albanian | proteina | ||
| The Albanian word "proteina" has an alternate meaning of "primary substance". | |||
| Basque | proteina | ||
| In Basque, | |||
| Catalan | proteïna | ||
| Proteïna (protein) derives from the Greek "proteios," meaning "primary" or "first." | |||
| Croatian | protein | ||
| The Croatian word "protein" is derived from the English word "protein", which in turn originates from the Greek word "protos" meaning "first" or "chief". It reflects the protein's role as the primary building block of cells. | |||
| Danish | protein | ||
| "Protein" is derived from the Greek "proteios," meaning "primary"} | |||
| Dutch | eiwit | ||
| The Dutch word 'eiwit' comes from the Middle Dutch words 'ei' ('egg') and 'wit' ('white') because the first proteins that were identified were found in egg white. | |||
| English | protein | ||
| Protein gets its name from the Greek word πρώτείν ("proteios"), meaning "primary" or "of the first importance." | |||
| French | protéine | ||
| The word "protéine" in French derives from the Greek "proteios", meaning "primary" or "first". | |||
| Frisian | aaiwyt | ||
| The Frisian word "aaiwyt" is derived from the Proto-Germanic root *aitjô- "egg". | |||
| Galician | proteína | ||
| The Galician word "proteína" has a double meaning: it can also refer to a piece of material covering the body, a kind of mantle. | |||
| German | protein | ||
| The German word "Protein" is derived from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "of first importance". | |||
| Icelandic | prótein | ||
| The word "prótein" also means "protoplasm" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | próitéin | ||
| Italian | proteina | ||
| The word 'proteina' comes from the Greek word 'proteios,' meaning 'primary,' and refers to the essential role of proteins in biological processes. | |||
| Luxembourgish | protein | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Protein" can also mean "the substance that makes up the muscles". | |||
| Maltese | proteina | ||
| The Maltese word "proteina" is derived from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "first rank". | |||
| Norwegian | protein | ||
| The word protein in Norwegian is also used in a figurative sense to describe someone who is strong or physically fit. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | proteína | ||
| Do Grego "πρωτεῖος" (prōteios), "o primeiro" ou "o principal" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | pròtain | ||
| The Gaelic word "pròtain" originally meant "foremost" or "of principal importance". | |||
| Spanish | proteína | ||
| The word "proteína" in Spanish comes from the Greek word "proteios," meaning "first" or "primary." | |||
| Swedish | protein | ||
| Swedish "protein" originally referred to the gelatinous "stuff" used to clarify beer and wine, from the Greek word for "first". | |||
| Welsh | protein | ||
| "Protein" is related to "proteid" from the Greek word "prota" (first in time). | |||
Protein in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бялок | ||
| The word "бялок" in Belarusian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *bêlъ, meaning "white", and originally referred to the white of an egg. | |||
| Bosnian | proteina | ||
| Proteina je dobila ime po grčkoj riječi proteios, što znači „prvi“ ili „najvažniji“. | |||
| Bulgarian | протеин | ||
| В ботанике "протеин" - это простое вещество из группы белков. | |||
| Czech | protein | ||
| The Czech word "protein" is derived from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "of the first importance" and is a synonym for "bílkovina". | |||
| Estonian | valk | ||
| The word "valk" in Estonian is thought to derive from the Proto-Finnic word *walkia, which also means "white," possibly referring to the color of egg white. | |||
| Finnish | proteiinia | ||
| The Finnish word "proteiinia" comes from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary", and refers to the essential nature of protein in the diet. | |||
| Hungarian | fehérje | ||
| The word 'fehérje' literally means 'white stuff' in Hungarian, referring to the pale appearance of egg white, a common source of protein. | |||
| Latvian | olbaltumvielas | ||
| The Latvian term "olbaltumvielas" derives from the German "Eiweißstoff" (egg white substance), which is still a common alternate meaning for "olbaltumvielas" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | baltymas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "baltymas" originated from the word "baltas" ("white") due to the substance's resemblance to egg white. | |||
| Macedonian | протеини | ||
| The plural form of "протеини" ("protein") is a false plural and should be "протеин". | |||
| Polish | białko | ||
| {"text": "Białko derives from Proto-Slavic *bělъ, "white," and referred originally to egg white."} | |||
| Romanian | proteină | ||
| The Romanian word "proteină" comes from the Greek "proteios," meaning "first" or "primary." | |||
| Russian | белок | ||
| Слово "белок" в русском языке имеет также значение "белая субстанция в сырых яйцах". | |||
| Serbian | протеин | ||
| Слово “протеин” пришло из греческого, где оно означало “первый”. Это связано с тем, что протеины являются основным строительным материалом для всех живых организмов. | |||
| Slovak | bielkoviny | ||
| The word "bielkoviny" comes from the Slovak word "biely", meaning "white", and refers to the white, flaky substance that coagulates when egg whites are heated. | |||
| Slovenian | beljakovine | ||
| The Slovenian word "beljakovine" comes from the Slavic root word "bel" meaning white, referring to the white appearance of some proteins. | |||
| Ukrainian | білка | ||
| The word 'білка' is of Proto-Indo-European origin and is related to other words for 'squirrel', such as the English word 'squirrel'. | |||
Protein in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রোটিন | ||
| The word 'protein' originates from the Greek word 'protos', meaning 'first' or 'primary', and refers to the essential role of proteins in biological processes. | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રોટીન | ||
| The word "પ્રોટીન" is derived from the Greek word "πρωτεύω" (proteuo), meaning "to hold first place" or "to be of primary importance". | |||
| Hindi | प्रोटीन | ||
| Though used in Hindi to mean 'protein', the word 'प्रोटीन' actually means 'primary' in Greek. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರೋಟೀನ್ | ||
| The word 'ಪ್ರೋಟೀನ್' ('protein') comes from the Greek word 'πρῶτος' ('protos'), meaning 'first' or 'primary'. | |||
| Malayalam | പ്രോട്ടീൻ | ||
| Marathi | प्रथिने | ||
| प्रथिने, a Marathi word for 'protein', originates from the Greek word 'proteios' meaning 'primary'. | |||
| Nepali | प्रोटिन | ||
| The word "प्रोटिन" is derived from the Greek word "proteios," meaning "primary" or "first, | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰੋਟੀਨ | ||
| The word ਪ੍ਰੋਟੀਨ (protein) is derived from the Greek word "proteios," meaning "primary" or "first," referring to its essential role in biological systems. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රෝටීන් | ||
| The Sinhala word "ප්රෝටීන්" is derived from the Greek word "prōtos", meaning "first", and refers to the essential role proteins play in biological processes. | |||
| Tamil | புரத | ||
| The word "புரத" (protein) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रोथिन" (prothin), which means "chief" or "primary". In Tamil, "புரத" can also refer to the "essence" or "main substance" of something. | |||
| Telugu | ప్రోటీన్ | ||
| The word "ప్రోటీన్" is derived from the Greek word "protos," meaning "first," and refers to the primary importance of proteins in biological processes. | |||
| Urdu | پروٹین | ||
| The word "پروٹین" comes from the Greek word "proteios," meaning "primary" or "first." | |||
Protein in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蛋白 | ||
| The second character of "蛋白" (dàn) is homophonous with another character (dàn) meaning "egg", hence the alternate meaning of "egg white". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蛋白 | ||
| 蛋白 (bāidàn), meaning protein in modern standard Chinese, literally means egg-white in classical Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | タンパク質 | ||
| The word タンパク質 (tanpakushitsu) literally translates to "essential quality" and was originally used to refer to any substance necessary for life. | |||
| Korean | 단백질 | ||
| 단백질 is derived from the Greek words 'protos', meaning 'first', and 'krateros', meaning 'strength' | |||
| Mongolian | уураг | ||
| The word "уураг" is derived from the Mongolian word "уур", which means "milk". This is because proteins are found in milk and other dairy products. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပရိုတိန်း | ||
Protein in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | protein | ||
| In Indonesian, the word “protein” also refers to the white or clear liquid in the eyes, a meaning not found elsewhere in English. | |||
| Javanese | protein | ||
| "Protein" in Javanese can also refer to food, especially meat. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រូតេអ៊ីន | ||
| The term 'ប្រូតេអ៊ីន' is derived from the Greek 'πρῶτος,' meaning 'first,' as proteins were among the first biomolecules studied in depth. | |||
| Lao | ໂປຣຕີນ | ||
| Malay | protein | ||
| The word "protein" comes from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "first". | |||
| Thai | โปรตีน | ||
| The Thai word "โปรตีน" comes from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "primary" or "of first importance." | |||
| Vietnamese | chất đạm | ||
| The Vietnamese word "chất đạm" has been used in a similar sense to the English word "protein" since at least the late 19th century. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | protina | ||
Protein in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | zülal | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "zülal" is derived from the Arabic word "zulāl", which means "pure water". | |||
| Kazakh | ақуыз | ||
| In Kazakh, "ақуыз" also means "white poison" due to its deadly effects if ingested raw. | |||
| Kyrgyz | белок | ||
| The word "белок" in Kyrgyz was borrowed from Russian and is a cognate of the English word "protein" (both derived from the Greek word "proteios"). | |||
| Tajik | сафеда | ||
| The word "сафеда" can also refer to the color white in Tajik, indicating its purity and nutritional value. | |||
| Turkmen | belok | ||
| Uzbek | oqsil | ||
| The word "oqsil" is derived from the Persian word "oksur" which means "acid". | |||
| Uyghur | ئاقسىل | ||
Protein in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | protein | ||
| In Hawaiian, the word "palula" means "something very nutritious". | |||
| Maori | pūmua | ||
| The word "pūmua" in Māori can also refer to the life force or essence of a living being. | |||
| Samoan | porotini | ||
| The word 'porotini' in Samoan comes from the English word 'protein', but it can also refer to any type of food that is high in protein. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | protina | ||
| The Tagalog word “protina” is derived from the Spanish word “proteína,” which itself comes from the Greek word “protos,” meaning “first” or “primary.” | |||
Protein in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | proteína ukata | ||
| Guarani | proteína rehegua | ||
Protein in International Languages
| Esperanto | proteino | ||
| Esperanto "proteino" (protein) from French "protéine" which comes from Greek "protos" (first) and "eidos" (form) | |||
| Latin | dapibus | ||
| The Latin word "dapibus" also means "food" or "dishes" and is related to the word "dapes" which means "feast". | |||
Protein in Others Languages
| Greek | πρωτεΐνη | ||
| "Πρωτεΐνη" (protein) derives from the Greek "πρωτεύων" (primary), as proteins are the primary building blocks of living organisms. | |||
| Hmong | muaj protein ntau | ||
| The term "muaj protein ntau" means "rich protein" in Hmong and is used to describe a wide range of foods including meat, fish, eggs, and nuts. | |||
| Kurdish | proteîn | ||
| In Kurdish, "proteîn" means "first" or "primary" and is also used to refer to the substance found in foods like meat and eggs. | |||
| Turkish | protein | ||
| In Turkish, the word "protein" also means "protector" or "preserver." | |||
| Xhosa | protein | ||
| In Xhosa, "protein" is also known as "iproteni". | |||
| Yiddish | פּראָטעין | ||
| The Yiddish word "פּראָטעין" comes from the Greek "πρωτεῖον" meaning "primary," and is related to the root " πρωτε- " meaning "first," reflecting its importance in the body's structure and function. | |||
| Zulu | amaprotheni | ||
| The Zulu word "amaprotheni" likely derives from the Greek word "proteios", meaning "first" or "primary", highlighting its essential nature in biological systems. | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰটিন | ||
| Aymara | proteína ukata | ||
| Bhojpuri | प्रोटीन के नाम से जानल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ޕްރޮޓީން އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | प्रोटीन दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | protina | ||
| Guarani | proteína rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | protina | ||
| Krio | prɔtin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پرۆتین | ||
| Maithili | प्रोटीन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄ꯭ꯔꯣꯇꯤꯟ | ||
| Mizo | protein a ni | ||
| Oromo | pirootiinii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପ୍ରୋଟିନ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | proteína nisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | प्रोटीन | ||
| Tatar | протеин | ||
| Tigrinya | ፕሮቲን ዝበሃሉ ምዃኖም ይፍለጥ | ||
| Tsonga | tiphrotheyini | ||