Restaurant in Different Languages
Discover 'Restaurant' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A restaurant is a place where people go to enjoy a meal or a drink, often in the company of others. Restaurants are an integral part of many cultures, serving not only as a source of sustenance but also as a social gathering place. From the bustling street food stalls of Asia to the cozy trattorias of Italy, restaurants are a window into the heart and soul of a culture.
The word 'restaurant' has an interesting history. It comes from the French word 'restaurer', which means to restore or refresh. This is fitting, as restaurants are often places where people go to refresh and recharge. But did you know that the first restaurants were actually inns and taverns, where travelers could stop for a meal and a drink on their journey?
Understanding the translation of the word 'restaurant' in different languages can give you a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of this important institution. Here are a few examples:
- French: restaurant
- Spanish: restaurante
- German: Restaurant
- Italian: ristorante
- Chinese: 餐厅 (cān tīng)
- Japanese: レストラン (resutoran)
Restaurant
Restaurant in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | restaurant | ||
| In Afrikaans, “restaurant” can also refer to a dining room, eatery, or café | |||
| Amharic | ምግብ ቤት | ||
| The origin of the word "ምግብ ቤት" is "ምግብ" meaning "food" and "ቤት" meaning "home", thus literally "food house". | |||
| Hausa | gidan abinci | ||
| The Hausa word "gidan abinci" literally translates to "house of food". | |||
| Igbo | ụlọ oriri na ọ restaurantụ .ụ | ||
| The Igbo word “ụlụ ủrịri ụ ủrịestụrụ ” derives from the English word restaurant and has the alternate meaning of “shop.” | |||
| Malagasy | restaurant | ||
| In Malagasy, "restaurant" also means "place to eat" and is derived from the French word "restaurer". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | malo odyera | ||
| The word "malo odyera" literally means "place to eat" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | yokudyira | ||
| "Yokudyira" also means "to eat one's fill," or "to satisfy one's hunger." | |||
| Somali | makhaayad | ||
| The word 'makhaayad' also means 'place where people sit' or 'place where people gather'. | |||
| Sesotho | ntlo ea lijo | ||
| The etymology of "ntlo ea lijo" is uncertain. One theory is that it comes from "ntlo" (house) and "lijo" (food), referring to a place where food is served. | |||
| Swahili | mgahawa | ||
| The word "mgahawa" comes from the Arabic word "maqha", meaning "place of rest" or "gathering place". | |||
| Xhosa | yokutyela | ||
| The word 'yokutyela' is derived from the verb 'ukutya' which means 'to eat', and the noun 'isitya' which means 'a dish' or 'a plate'. | |||
| Yoruba | ile ounjẹ | ||
| The Yoruba word "ile ounjẹ" (restaurant) literally translates to "eating place". | |||
| Zulu | yokudlela | ||
| It is derived from Portuguese where it means 'to eat a great deal'. | |||
| Bambara | dumunikɛyɔrɔ | ||
| Ewe | nuɖuƒe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | resitora | ||
| Lingala | malewa | ||
| Luganda | lesitoolanti | ||
| Sepedi | restorente | ||
| Twi (Akan) | adidibea | ||
Restaurant in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مطعم | ||
| The word مطعم also means "feeding" or "giving food" in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | מִסעָדָה | ||
| The Hebrew word מִסעָדָה (pronounced mi-sa-a-DAH) literally means 'place to lean,' a reference to how people traditionally reclined on pillows at tables. | |||
| Pashto | رستورانت | ||
| "رستورانت" (restorant) is derived from the French word "restaurant" and is also used to refer to a dining room or a place where food is served. | |||
| Arabic | مطعم | ||
| The word مطعم also means "feeding" or "giving food" in Arabic. | |||
Restaurant in Western European Languages
| Albanian | restorant | ||
| "Restorant" comes from the Italian or French word of similar spelling (restaurant), derived ultimately from the Latin verb restaurare ("restoring, renewing or repairing, refitting, reviving or refreshing"). | |||
| Basque | jatetxea | ||
| The word "jatetxea" comes from the French word "château". In this way, the Basque people used to name these buildings with the same word used to describe noble houses. | |||
| Catalan | restaurant | ||
| In Catalan, "restaurant" also means "inn" or "tavern" | |||
| Croatian | restoran | ||
| The word "restoran" derives from the Old French word "restorer," meaning "to restore" or "to revive." | |||
| Danish | restaurant | ||
| In Danish, "restaurant" can also refer to a cafeteria, a canteen, or a fast-food establishment. | |||
| Dutch | restaurant | ||
| The Dutch word “restaurant” originally meant a meat dish in the 16th century; "restoratje" referred to bouillon. | |||
| English | restaurant | ||
| The word "restaurant" derives from the French "restaurer," meaning "to restore" or "to revive." | |||
| French | restaurant | ||
| The word "restaurant" in French comes from the Latin "restaurare", meaning "to restore" or "to refresh". | |||
| Frisian | restaurant | ||
| It can also mean 'rest house' or 'resting place', which is similar to its origin in Old French, 'restaurer' (to restore) and its Latin root, 'restaurare' (to restore to a former state). | |||
| Galician | restaurante | ||
| In Galician the word "restaurante" primarily refers to an eatery, similar to its usage in Spanish, but it can also mean "restoration" or "restoration work". | |||
| German | restaurant | ||
| The German word 'Restaurant' is derived from the French word 'restaurer', which means 'to restore' or 'to refresh'. | |||
| Icelandic | veitingastaður | ||
| In the past, veitingastaður referred not to restaurants, but to a place where one could receive hospitality and entertainment. | |||
| Irish | bialann | ||
| The word "bialann" also means "a place of gathering" in Irish, highlighting the social aspect of dining. | |||
| Italian | ristorante | ||
| The word "ristorante" derives from the Latin "restaurare", meaning to restore or revive, and originally referred to a place where travelers could rest and replenish their strength. | |||
| Luxembourgish | restaurant | ||
| The word "Restaurant" in Luxembourgish can also mean "brothel" or "pub". | |||
| Maltese | restorant | ||
| In Maltese, 'restorant' can also mean 'a place of rest or refreshment,' derived from the Italian word 'ristorare,' meaning 'to restore or revive.' | |||
| Norwegian | restaurant | ||
| In Norwegian, the word "restaurant" originally meant "a place where one can eat for payment" and was later used to refer to "any establishment serving food and drinks to the public." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | restaurante | ||
| In Portuguese, "restaurante" can also refer to a "caterer" or a "mess hall". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | taigh-bìdh | ||
| Spanish | restaurante | ||
| "Restaurante" comes from the French "restaurer" (to restore), originally referring to a broth sold by street vendors to revive exhausted customers. | |||
| Swedish | restaurang | ||
| The Swedish word "restaurang" originates from the French word "restaurer", meaning "to restore" or "to refresh". | |||
| Welsh | bwyty | ||
| The word "bwyty" also means "eating house" or "boarding house" in Welsh. | |||
Restaurant in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | рэстаран | ||
| The word “рэстаран” (“restaurant”) is derived from the French word “restaurer”, meaning “to restore”. | |||
| Bosnian | restoran | ||
| In Bosnian, 'restoran' can also refer to a private dining room in a home. | |||
| Bulgarian | ресторант | ||
| В переводе с французского "restaurant" означает "восстанавливающий силы". | |||
| Czech | restaurace | ||
| The word "restaurace" in Czech originally meant "a place to restore health", deriving from the Latin word "restaurare" meaning "to restore". | |||
| Estonian | restoran | ||
| "Restoran" is derived from the French word "restaurer", meaning "to restore" or "to refresh". | |||
| Finnish | ravintola | ||
| The word "ravintola" is derived from the French word "restaurant", which originally meant "restorative food". | |||
| Hungarian | étterem | ||
| In Hungarian, the word "étterem" originally referred to a type of shop that sold food and drink, but over time it came to be used exclusively for restaurants. | |||
| Latvian | restorāns | ||
| In the 18th century, "restorāns" meant "broth". In the 19th century, it adopted its current meaning. | |||
| Lithuanian | restoranas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "restoranas" is derived from the French word "restaurant", which originally meant a restorative broth. | |||
| Macedonian | ресторан | ||
| The Macedonian word "ресторан" derives from the French "restaurant" and originally referred to a nourishing soup. | |||
| Polish | restauracja | ||
| The word "restauracja" originally meant "refreshment room" or "inn" in Polish, and is derived from the French word "restaurer", meaning "to restore". | |||
| Romanian | restaurant | ||
| The Romanian word restaurant, ultimately derived from the French verb restaurer, can also mean "recovery" or "repair". | |||
| Russian | ресторан | ||
| The word “ресторан” (restaurant) in Russian comes from the French word "restaurer", meaning "to restore" or "to refresh." | |||
| Serbian | ресторан | ||
| The word "ресторан" (restaurant) in Serbian originally meant "place of rest". | |||
| Slovak | reštaurácia | ||
| The Slovak word "reštaurácia" literally translates as "a place where something is restored." | |||
| Slovenian | restavracija | ||
| The word 'restavracija' in Slovenian originally meant 'reviving' or 'restoring', and retains this meaning as a medical term for resuscitation. | |||
| Ukrainian | ресторан | ||
| The Ukrainian word "ресторан" (restaurant) derives from the French "restaurant", which in turn comes from the Latin "restaurare" (to restore). | |||
Restaurant in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | রেঁস্তোরা | ||
| The word "রেস্তোরা" is derived from the French word "restaurant" which originally meant "restorative" and was used to refer to a place where one could go to eat. | |||
| Gujarati | રેસ્ટોરન્ટ | ||
| The word 'રેસ્ટોરન્ટ' is derived from the French word 'restaurer', which means to restore or refresh. | |||
| Hindi | खाने की दुकान | ||
| The word 'खाने की दुकान' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dhana' meaning 'food' and 'graha' meaning 'house' or 'shop'. | |||
| Kannada | ಉಪಹಾರ ಗೃಹ | ||
| Its etymology can be traced back to the Tamil word 'ubachara' which means hospitality or friendly reception. | |||
| Malayalam | റെസ്റ്റോറന്റ് | ||
| "Restaurant" comes from the Latin "restaurare" meaning "to restore" and "to refresh". | |||
| Marathi | उपहारगृह | ||
| The Marathi word "उपहारगृह" (restaurant) is derived from the Sanskrit words "उपहार" (gift) and "गृह" (house), referring to a place where gifts of food are shared. | |||
| Nepali | भोजनालय | ||
| The word भोजनालय (restaurant) comes from the Sanskrit words "bhojana" (food) and "alay" (place). | |||
| Punjabi | ਭੋਜਨਾਲਾ | ||
| The term 'ਭੋਜਨਾਲਾ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhojanalaya', which means 'house of eating' or 'dining hall'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවන්හල | ||
| The word "අවන්හල" (awang hala) in Sinhala originates from "අව" (ava) meaning "down" and "හල" (hala) meaning "hall", likely referring to the downstairs dining areas found in traditional houses. | |||
| Tamil | உணவகம் | ||
| The word "உணவகம்" can also mean "eating place" or "mess hall" in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | రెస్టారెంట్ | ||
| The word "రెస్టారెంట్" (restaurant) in Telugu also means "a place where food is served" or "a place where people eat". | |||
| Urdu | ریستوراں | ||
| The word “رېستوراñ (restaurant)” in Urdu entered the language from the French word “restaurant”, though initially its meaning in Urdu was closer to “restoration”. | |||
Restaurant in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 餐厅 | ||
| The word "餐厅" ("restaurant") can also include a connotation of dining out with others, suggesting a social aspect. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 餐廳 | ||
| 餐廳 (restaurant) comes from the French word restaurer (to restore), referring to the act of dining and replenishing one's energy. | |||
| Japanese | レストラン | ||
| The word "レストラン" (restaurant) comes from the French word "restaurer" which means "to restore" or "to refresh", suggesting its original use as a place to replenish one's energy. | |||
| Korean | 레스토랑 | ||
| "레스토랑" is derived from the French word "restaurer," meaning "to restore" or "to refresh." | |||
| Mongolian | ресторан | ||
| In Mongolian, ресторан (restaurant) also means a place for eating or drinking, such as a tavern or an inn. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စားသောက်ဆိုင် | ||
Restaurant in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | restoran | ||
| The Indonesian word ''restoran'' comes from French ''restaurer'', meaning ''to restore'', referring to restoring the strength of weary travellers. | |||
| Javanese | restoran | ||
| In Javanese, 'restoran' can also mean 'place to rest'. | |||
| Khmer | ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន | ||
| The word "ភោជនីយដ្ឋាន" ("restaurant") in Khmer is derived from Sanskrit and Pali and can also mean "a place where food is served" or "a dining hall". | |||
| Lao | ຮ້ານອາຫານ | ||
| Malay | restoran | ||
| In Malay, "restoran" also means "a place where cooked food is served, especially to poor people" | |||
| Thai | ร้านอาหาร | ||
| The word "ร้านอาหาร" ("restaurant") in Thai comes from the Sanskrit word "ashna-a-agra", meaning "place of eating". It can also refer to a place where food is prepared and served, or to a room or establishment where people eat or drink. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhà hàng | ||
| The word "nhà hàng" originated from the Chinese characters "茶行", originally referring to tea houses where travelers could rest and have snacks. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | restawran | ||
Restaurant in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | restoran | ||
| The word "restoran" in Azerbaijani originally meant "a place where one can rest", and only later acquired its current meaning. | |||
| Kazakh | мейрамхана | ||
| The word "мейрамхана" in Kazakh is derived from the Persian words "mey" (wine) and "khane" (house), historically referring to a tavern or drinking establishment. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ресторан | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "ресторан" can also refer to a specific type of restaurant that serves traditional Kyrgyz food. | |||
| Tajik | тарабхона | ||
| The word “тарабхона” is also used to refer to a "room for relaxation and fun". | |||
| Turkmen | restoran | ||
| Uzbek | restoran | ||
| The Uzbek word "restoran" can also refer to a place for public meals within a collective farm. | |||
| Uyghur | رېستوران | ||
Restaurant in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hale ʻaina | ||
| The term "hale ʻaina" originally meant "eating house" but has since evolved to mean "restaurant". | |||
| Maori | wharekai | ||
| The word "wharekai" in Maori literally means "eating house". | |||
| Samoan | faleʻaiga | ||
| "Faleʻaiga" is a compound word of "fale" (house) and "aiga" (family) that historically referred to a house where food was shared with extended family and visitors. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | restawran | ||
| 'Restawran' originated from the Spanish word 'restaurante' which means 'place to restore' and referred to the strong soups or broths believed to restore health. | |||
Restaurant in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | manq'añ uta | ||
| Guarani | karurenda | ||
Restaurant in International Languages
| Esperanto | restoracio | ||
| The word "restoracio" is derived from "restori," meaning "to restore," and is also used to mean "a place to recover health." | |||
| Latin | popina | ||
| Popina can also refer to a tavern or bar, or a place of low repute. | |||
Restaurant in Others Languages
| Greek | εστιατόριο | ||
| Stemming from "εστία", the Greek word for hearth, "εστιατόριο" originally referred to any place where meals were prepared and consumed. | |||
| Hmong | tsev noj mov | ||
| The word "tsev noj mov" literally means "a place to eat and drink" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | aşxane | ||
| It's believed that the term “aşxane” comes from the Persian word “āshkhāneh,” meaning “kitchen”. | |||
| Turkish | restoran | ||
| The Turkish word "restoran" originally derived from the French "restaurant" and was used to describe an eatery serving soups and broths for restoration purposes. | |||
| Xhosa | yokutyela | ||
| The word 'yokutyela' is derived from the verb 'ukutya' which means 'to eat', and the noun 'isitya' which means 'a dish' or 'a plate'. | |||
| Yiddish | רעסטאָראַן | ||
| "רעסטאָראַן" (restaurant) comes from the French word "restaurer", meaning "to restore" or "to refresh". | |||
| Zulu | yokudlela | ||
| It is derived from Portuguese where it means 'to eat a great deal'. | |||
| Assamese | ৰেষ্টুৰেণ্ট | ||
| Aymara | manq'añ uta | ||
| Bhojpuri | रेस्तरां | ||
| Dhivehi | ރެސްޓޯރަންޓް | ||
| Dogri | रेस्टोरेंट | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | restawran | ||
| Guarani | karurenda | ||
| Ilocano | panganan | ||
| Krio | rɛstɔrant | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چێشتخانە | ||
| Maithili | होटल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥꯐꯝ | ||
| Mizo | thingpui dawr | ||
| Oromo | mana nyaataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ରେଷ୍ଟୁରାଣ୍ଟ | | ||
| Quechua | mikuna wasi | ||
| Sanskrit | उपाहारगृह | ||
| Tatar | ресторан | ||
| Tigrinya | ቤት ብልዒ | ||
| Tsonga | vhengele ro xavisa swakudya swo swekiwa | ||