Sauce in Different Languages
Discover 'Sauce' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Sauce is more than just a condiment - it's a cultural phenomenon. From ketchup to soy sauce, marinara to mole, sauce has the power to transform a dish and bring people together. Its significance goes beyond the dinner table, as it often holds historical and cultural importance. For instance, did you know that soy sauce, a staple in many Asian cuisines, has been around for over 2,000 years? Or that the ancient Romans were known to use a fish-based sauce called garum?
Understanding the translation of sauce in different languages can open up a world of culinary possibilities. For example, the French call it 'sauce,' while in Spanish, it's 'salsa.' In Mandarin, it's '酱 (jiàng),' and in Japanese, it's 'ソース (sōsu).' Imagine the unique dishes you could discover by knowing these translations!
So, whether you're a foodie, a language enthusiast, or simply curious, exploring the many translations of sauce in different languages is a delicious adventure waiting to happen.
Sauce
Sauce in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sous | ||
| The word "sous" is thought to have entered Afrikaans from French through the Malay word "saus". In Afrikaans, the word "sous" may also refer to a pickle. | |||
| Amharic | ወጥ | ||
| The word "ወጥ" also means "wound" or "injury" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | miya | ||
| The word "miya" is also used to refer to the sauce or soup specifically served with swallow foods such as tuwo or fufu. | |||
| Igbo | ihendori | ||
| The word "ihendori" in Igbo also means "a small quantity of water used for drinking or other purposes" | |||
| Malagasy | saosy | ||
| The Malagasy word "saosy" also means "something that is salty or spicy." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | msuzi | ||
| The word "msuzi" in Nyanja is also used to refer to a specific type of sauce made with tomatoes, onions, and meat. | |||
| Shona | muto | ||
| The word "muto" also refers to the broth in which relish, meat or vegetables are cooked. | |||
| Somali | maraqa | ||
| The etymology of "maraqa" can also mean "soup" and can refer to the liquid part only or the entire mixture. | |||
| Sesotho | moriana | ||
| "Moriana" is derived from the root "moro", meaning "to mix", and originally referred to a simple mixture of water and flour. | |||
| Swahili | mchuzi | ||
| "Mchuzi" derives from the Arabic word "matbūkh" meaning "cooked" but also came to mean "seasoned dressing". | |||
| Xhosa | isosi | ||
| Isosi is a term used by the Xhosa people of South Africa to refer to a sauce that is made from the juice of plants or meat. | |||
| Yoruba | obe | ||
| "Obe" in Yoruba can also refer to a type of traditional ceremony or gathering, particularly one involving feasting and merrymaking. | |||
| Zulu | usoso | ||
| "usoso" means "sauce" in Zulu, but can also refer to "a thick liquid" or "a spreadable mixture." | |||
| Bambara | sosɛti | ||
| Ewe | lãmi si wotsɔa lãmi wɔe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isosi | ||
| Lingala | sauce ya kosala | ||
| Luganda | ssoosi | ||
| Sepedi | moro wa moro | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sauce a wɔde yɛ aduan | ||
Sauce in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | صلصة | ||
| The word "صلصة" can also refer to a type of spicy condiment or paste used in Middle Eastern cuisine. | |||
| Hebrew | רוטב | ||
| רוטב is a loanword from German, originally referring to "juice" or "fluid". | |||
| Pashto | ساس | ||
| "ساس": A spice that is used in traditional Afghan food. | |||
| Arabic | صلصة | ||
| The word "صلصة" can also refer to a type of spicy condiment or paste used in Middle Eastern cuisine. | |||
Sauce in Western European Languages
| Albanian | salcë | ||
| The Albanian word "salcë" is derived from the Latin word "salsa," meaning "salty" or "salted," and has the alternate meaning of "salty liquid" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | saltsa | ||
| In Basque, the word “saltsa” can also refer to a type of soup or broth. | |||
| Catalan | salsa | ||
| In Catalan, "salsa" also refers to a lively dance style, similar to ballroom or Latin dancing. | |||
| Croatian | umak | ||
| Umak is a derivative of the Croatian verb "umakati" which means "to dip". | |||
| Danish | sovs | ||
| The word "sovs" is derived from the Old Norse word "sause" which means "juice" or "liquid" | |||
| Dutch | saus | ||
| In Dutch, "saus" also refers to a dish of meat, fish, or vegetables served with gravy. | |||
| English | sauce | ||
| The word 'sauce' derives from the Old French word 'sause' which simply means spice or seasoning. | |||
| French | sauce | ||
| "Sauce" originates from Latin "salsa", meaning sauce, salt, or pickle, and is also related to "salire", meaning to salt. | |||
| Frisian | saus | ||
| Frisian "saus" also means "pudding" in Dutch, and derives from the Indo-European root for "wet". | |||
| Galician | salsa | ||
| In Galician, "salsa" can also refer to the brine used to preserve meat. | |||
| German | soße | ||
| "Soße" is the German word for "sauce," and it is closely related to the English word "sauce," which comes from the Old French word "sauce". The word "sauce" is ultimately derived from the Latin word "salsus," which means "salty". | |||
| Icelandic | sósu | ||
| The Icelandic word "sósa" is derived from the Old Norse word "sausa" and ultimately from the Latin word "salsa." | |||
| Irish | anlann | ||
| "Anlann" also means "mixture" or "ingredients" in Irish | |||
| Italian | salsa | ||
| In Italian, salsa also refers to a spicy sauce, originating in the 16th century from the Spanish salsa, meaning 'salty'. | |||
| Luxembourgish | zooss | ||
| The word "Zooss" in Luxembourgish has a French origin, meaning "sauce" or "gravy", and is related to the German word "Sauce" and the English word "sauce". | |||
| Maltese | zalza | ||
| In Arabic, "zalza" also means "earthquake" or "agitation." | |||
| Norwegian | saus | ||
| In Norwegian, "saus" also refers to the juice or liquid that accompanies or is produced by food, like the liquid in a meat stew or the juice from a fruit. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | molho | ||
| Portuguese 'molho' may derive from Latin 'mullus', a fish, suggesting a sauce with fish broth as an ingredient. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | sauce | ||
| The Scots word "sauce" derives from Old North French "sauce" meaning "salt" or "brine", from Latin "salsus" meaning "salted". | |||
| Spanish | salsa | ||
| In Spanish, "salsa" can also refer to a spicy and flavorful sauce made from tomatoes, onions, and peppers. | |||
| Swedish | sås | ||
| The Swedish word "sås" ultimately derives from the Old French "sause", meaning "brine" or "pickled food". | |||
| Welsh | saws | ||
| The Welsh word "saws" (pronounced "sow-s") refers to herbs and spices, despite its resemblance to the English word "sauce". Notably, "saws" does not have the culinary meaning of "sauce" in Welsh. | |||
Sauce in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | соус | ||
| The word "соус" in Belarusian is derived from the French word "sauce" and can also refer to a specific sauce made from sour cream and grated horseradish. | |||
| Bosnian | sos | ||
| In Bosnian, "sos" is a slang term for "a mess" or "a disaster". | |||
| Bulgarian | сос | ||
| The Slavic word "сос" (sauce) is cognate with the English word "juice". | |||
| Czech | omáčka | ||
| In Czech, the term "omáčka" has roots in the Proto-Slavic language, where it denoted "wet" or "soaked food." | |||
| Estonian | kaste | ||
| In some contexts, the word “kaste” can refer to a sauce used for dipping, such as the one served with meat fondue. | |||
| Finnish | kastike | ||
| The Finnish word 'kastike' derives from the Swedish 'kastrull' meaning 'casserole' and 'pot' | |||
| Hungarian | szósz | ||
| The Hungarian word "szósz" (sauce) originally referred to "any food seasoning" and "condiments" and is related to the Turkish "sos" (liquid). | |||
| Latvian | mērce | ||
| Latvian word "mērce" was derived from German word "marz" (later "Marzipan") via Old Prussian word "mercz" (honey). | |||
| Lithuanian | padažas | ||
| The word "padažas" in Lithuanian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *pet-, meaning "to spread" or "to sprinkle". | |||
| Macedonian | сос | ||
| The word 'сос' in Macedonian is derived from the French word 'sauce', meaning a liquid or semi-liquid condiment added to food. | |||
| Polish | sos | ||
| The Polish word "sos" can also mean "SOS" (distress signal) or "alliance, union". | |||
| Romanian | sos | ||
| "Sos" in Romanian can also mean "fate", "destiny" or "lot". | |||
| Russian | соус | ||
| "Соус" comes from the French word "sauce", which in turn comes from the Latin word "salsa", meaning "salted." | |||
| Serbian | сос | ||
| The Serbian word "сос" (sos) is derived from the French word "sauce" and the Turkish word "sos". | |||
| Slovak | omáčka | ||
| The word "omáčka" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *omъka, meaning "to soak" or "to dip." | |||
| Slovenian | omako | ||
| The Slovenian word for sauce, "omako", is borrowed from the Italian word "umaco" and the Serbian word "umak". | |||
| Ukrainian | соус | ||
| In the 1740's 'соу' in Ukrainian was recorded with the meaning of ‘soup stock’ | |||
Sauce in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সস | ||
| In Bengali, "সস" (sauce) can also refer to a thick liquid condiment eaten with food, a side dish, or a type of dish served with rice. | |||
| Gujarati | ચટણી | ||
| The Gujarati word "ચટણી" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चटनी" (chatni), which originally referred to a spicy condiment or relish. | |||
| Hindi | चटनी | ||
| The word "चटनी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "चट" meaning "to lick" and is often served as an accompaniment to dishes to enhance flavour and aid digestion. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಾಸ್ | ||
| The word "ಸಾಸ್" (sauce) in Kannada derives from the Proto-Dravidian word "*cācu" meaning "to eat". | |||
| Malayalam | സോസ് | ||
| "സോസ്" also means "source" in Malayalam, perhaps an indirect borrowing from English. | |||
| Marathi | सॉस | ||
| In Marathi, "सॉस" can also refer to "curry" or "gravy". | |||
| Nepali | चटनी | ||
| The word "चटनी" in Nepali is derived from the Hindi word "चटनी" meaning "relish" and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word "चट्" meaning "to lick". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਟਣੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සෝස් | ||
| The Sinhala word "සෝස්" derives from the Dutch word "saus", meaning "salt" or "brine", reflecting the traditional use of sauces to preserve food. | |||
| Tamil | சாஸ் | ||
| The word 'சாஸ்' ('sauce') may also refer to a sweet dish or spicy condiment in Tamil cuisine. | |||
| Telugu | సాస్ | ||
| The Telugu word "సాస్" (sauce) is ultimately derived from the Latin "salsa", meaning "salted". | |||
| Urdu | چٹنی | ||
| The Urdu word "چٹنی" is also used to refer to a type of chutney made with raw mangoes. | |||
Sauce in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 酱 | ||
| 酱 in Chinese is also a surname, a type of traditional Chinese opera, and a suffix for some Chinese dishes. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 醬 | ||
| The Chinese word "醬" (sauce) also refers to a type of fermented paste, such as bean paste or soy sauce, and can be used as a standalone dish or condiment. | |||
| Japanese | ソース | ||
| The word ソース (sōsu) originally referred to soy sauce, but now is used for any type of sauce. | |||
| Korean | 소스 | ||
| The Korean word for "sauce", "소스", comes from the French word "sauce", which in turn derives from Latin "salsa" meaning "salt". | |||
| Mongolian | сумс | ||
| The Mongolian word "сумс" comes from the Turkic word "саус", which means "liquid" or "soup." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငံပြာရည် | ||
| The term "sauce" may also be used figuratively to refer to an additional or complimentary aspect of an experience or event. | |||
Sauce in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | saus | ||
| In Indonesian, "saus" can also refer to a type of traditional condiment made from chili peppers. | |||
| Javanese | saos | ||
| In the Banyumas dialect, "saos" refers to a type of fermented soybean paste. | |||
| Khmer | ទឹកជ្រលក់ | ||
| Lao | ຊອດ | ||
| "ຊອດ" can also mean "juice" or "gravy" in Lao. | |||
| Malay | sos | ||
| "Sos" is a Malay word for "sauce", originating from Javanese "saos" which can also mean "stew". | |||
| Thai | ซอส | ||
| ซอส in Thai is derived from the Portuguese word 'molho' meaning 'liquid' or 'sauce'. | |||
| Vietnamese | nước xốt | ||
| "Nước xốt" means 'sauce' in Vietnamese, and it is also used figuratively to describe something that adds flavor or spice to a situation. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sarsa | ||
Sauce in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sous | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "sous" is derived from the French word "sauce", and can also refer to a type of vegetable stew. | |||
| Kazakh | тұздық | ||
| In Kazakh, "тұздық" can also refer to a brine solution specifically used in food processes like pickling and meat curing. | |||
| Kyrgyz | соус | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "соус" can also refer to a dip or condiment. | |||
| Tajik | соус | ||
| In Tajik, "соус" can also refer to any liquid that accompanies a dish, such as gravy or soup. | |||
| Turkmen | sous | ||
| Uzbek | sous | ||
| "Sous" in Uzbek also refers to a type of thick soup made with flour or rice. | |||
| Uyghur | قىيامى | ||
Sauce in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻākala | ||
| ʻĀkala is sometimes used to refer to meat stews with watery broths, and to the meat drippings and fats collected from a cooked roast. | |||
| Maori | ranu | ||
| The word "ranu" in Maori can also refer to a broth, liquid, or fluid | |||
| Samoan | sosi | ||
| In Samoan, 'sosi' comes from the English word 'sauce' and also refers to a dish of fish or meat in coconut milk. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | sarsa | ||
| "Sarsa" comes from the Spanish word "salsa", which means "sauce". | |||
Sauce in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | salsa ukaxa wali sumawa | ||
| Guarani | salsa rehegua | ||
Sauce in International Languages
| Esperanto | saŭco | ||
| The Esperanto word "saŭco" is derived from the French word "sauce" and also means "dip" or "condiment". | |||
| Latin | condimentum | ||
| In late Latin, condimentum was used to refer to a type of pastry. | |||
Sauce in Others Languages
| Greek | σάλτσα | ||
| The word "σάλτσα" also means "salsa" in Greek, a type of sauce made with tomatoes, onions, and chillies. | |||
| Hmong | ntses | ||
| The word "ntses" ("sauce") in Hmong comes from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan root *n-tʃʰəm, meaning "to dip or soak" | |||
| Kurdish | avdohnk | ||
| "Avdohnk" is a Kurdish loanword from Persian "âb-dân" meaning "water container". | |||
| Turkish | sos | ||
| In Turkish, "Sos" also means "problem" or "situation" when used as a noun, and "to water" or "to irrigate" when used as a verb. | |||
| Xhosa | isosi | ||
| Isosi is a term used by the Xhosa people of South Africa to refer to a sauce that is made from the juice of plants or meat. | |||
| Yiddish | סאָוס | ||
| The Yiddish word "סאָוס" is derived from the Old French word "sauce", which in turn comes from the Latin word "salsa" meaning "salted". | |||
| Zulu | usoso | ||
| "usoso" means "sauce" in Zulu, but can also refer to "a thick liquid" or "a spreadable mixture." | |||
| Assamese | চচ | ||
| Aymara | salsa ukaxa wali sumawa | ||
| Bhojpuri | चटनी के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ސޯސް އެވެ | ||
| Dogri | चटनी दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sarsa | ||
| Guarani | salsa rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | sarsa | ||
| Krio | sos we dɛn kin mek | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ساس | ||
| Maithili | चटनी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯁ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | sauce a ni | ||
| Oromo | soogidda | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ସସ୍ | | ||
| Quechua | salsa | ||
| Sanskrit | चटनी | ||
| Tatar | соус | ||
| Tigrinya | ሶስ ዝበሃል ምግቢ | ||
| Tsonga | sauce | ||