Shit in Different Languages
Discover 'Shit' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Ah, 'shit' - a word that needs no introduction, but deserves a deeper look. This humble term, often considered vulgar, holds a certain cultural significance that transcends borders. It's not just a bodily function, but a versatile word that can express frustration, surprise, or even serve as a term of endearment in some circles!
Ever wondered how different cultures translate this potty-mouthed powerhouse? The translations are as diverse as the people who use them! For instance, in Spanish, it's 'mierda', in French 'merde', and in German 'Scheiße'. Each language gives this word a unique flavor, reflecting the culture's relationship with taboo language.
Delving into the translations of 'shit' in different languages offers a fascinating glimpse into global cultural nuances. So, buckle up and join us on this linguistic joyride!
Shit
Shit in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | kak | ||
| The Afrikaans word "kak" is thought to derive from the Khoikhoi word "khoe", meaning "dung". It can also be used figuratively to refer to something of poor quality or value. | |||
| Amharic | ጉድ | ||
| The Amharic word "ጉድ" has alternate meanings such as "worthless" or "useless". | |||
| Hausa | shit | ||
| Hausa does not have a native word for 'shit', instead using 'kashi' (literally 'sand') as a euphemism. | |||
| Igbo | na na | ||
| The word "na na" in Igbo can also be used as an expression of surprise or disbelief. | |||
| Malagasy | diky | ||
| The word "diky" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *(C)i(s)a, "excrement," which is also the etymon of the Proto-Oceanic words "*sika" and "*sini". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zoyipa | ||
| The word "zoyipa" can also mean "bad" or "unpleasant" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | tsvina | ||
| In Shona slang, "tsvina" can also mean "trouble" or "a mess" | |||
| Somali | shit | ||
| The Somali word for "shit" is derived from the Cushitic root "shud," which means "to expel" or "to discharge." | |||
| Sesotho | shit | ||
| In Sesotho, "shit" is also the imperative form of the verb "fela", meaning "to speak" or "to say". | |||
| Swahili | shit | ||
| In Swahili, the word "shit" also means "bad" or "of poor quality."} | |||
| Xhosa | ikaka | ||
| In Xhosa, "ikaka" can also be used as a euphemism for defecating or for something that is not of significance or value. | |||
| Yoruba | nik | ||
| The word "nik" in Yoruba can also mean "bad" or "evil". | |||
| Zulu | udoti | ||
| The Zulu word "udoti" can also refer to a type of bird or a place where birds gather. | |||
| Bambara | shit (sɔgɔsɔgɔninjɛ). | ||
| Ewe | shit | ||
| Kinyarwanda | shit | ||
| Lingala | merde ya mabe | ||
| Luganda | omusulo | ||
| Sepedi | masepa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | shit | ||
Shit in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | القرف | ||
| The Arabic word “القرف” has different etymology depending on what dialect of Arabic is being spoken - in certain dialects, it's a derivative of the verb “قرف” (to scratch something out). | |||
| Hebrew | לְחַרְבֵּן | ||
| The Hebrew verb "לחרבן" (lah-har-ben) shares its triliteral root with the word "חורבן" (hur-ban, "destruction") and may originally have meant "to cause destruction". | |||
| Pashto | چټل | ||
| In Pashto, "چټل" also means "to defecate", "to relieve oneself", or "to make a mess". | |||
| Arabic | القرف | ||
| The Arabic word “القرف” has different etymology depending on what dialect of Arabic is being spoken - in certain dialects, it's a derivative of the verb “قرف” (to scratch something out). | |||
Shit in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mut | ||
| The word "mut" in Albanian has Indo-European roots and is related to the Sanskrit word "mih" and the Greek word "mysos" meaning "filth" or "pollution". It also has a secondary meaning of "unlucky" or "cursed". | |||
| Basque | kaka | ||
| The Basque word 'kaka' can also refer to a type of bird, specifically a crow or raven. | |||
| Catalan | merda | ||
| In Catalan, "merda" can also refer to a nuisance or inconvenience. | |||
| Croatian | sranje | ||
| The word "sranje" in Croatian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "sьrati", meaning "to defecate". | |||
| Danish | lort | ||
| Lort can also refer to something unpleasant or unpleasantness in general. | |||
| Dutch | shit | ||
| In Dutch, 'shit' can also mean 'a lot' or 'very', as in 'dat is shit lekker' ('that is very tasty'). | |||
| English | shit | ||
| The word "shit" can also be a verb, meaning "to defecate" or "to eliminate waste." | |||
| French | merde | ||
| The word "merde" also has several other meanings, including "rubbish" and "nonsense". | |||
| Frisian | stront | ||
| The word "stront" is also used as a term of endearment for a child in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | merda | ||
| The Galician word "merda" can also mean "a lot" or "a great deal". | |||
| German | scheisse | ||
| "Scheisse" is also slang for "bad" or "worthless." | |||
| Icelandic | skítt | ||
| "Skítt" can also mean "worthless" or "insignificant" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | cac | ||
| The word "cac" in Irish also means "dung", "filth", or "dirt", and is related to the word "cairt", meaning "dunghill". | |||
| Italian | merda | ||
| The term "merda" also means "thing" as in "cosa" or "affair" as in "fatto" and derives from Latin "merx" (wares, merchandise). | |||
| Luxembourgish | schäiss | ||
| The word "Schäiss" in Luxembourgish can also refer to a type of small, round bread roll. | |||
| Maltese | ħmieġ | ||
| Despite its vulgar meaning, "ħmieġ" can also refer to fertilizer or manure in agricultural contexts. | |||
| Norwegian | dritt | ||
| The word "dritt" also means "mud" or "dirt" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | merda | ||
| The Portuguese word "merda" has been used figuratively since at least 1853, and it even features in an old children's song that mocks bad spelling. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | shit | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, the word for 'shit' is also used to mean 'soft' or 'weak'. | |||
| Spanish | mierda | ||
| The word "mierda" is derived from the Latin word "merda," which referred to a type of fish sauce and later to human waste, and has been used as a euphemism for the latter in Spanish since the 15th century. | |||
| Swedish | skit | ||
| "Skit" has additional meanings: "skill", "ability", "aptitude", "proficiency". | |||
| Welsh | cachu | ||
| The Welsh word "cachu" can also mean "soft" or "spongy" in some contexts. | |||
Shit in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзярмо | ||
| Дзярмо - the Belarusian equivalent of Russian дерьмо. Both слова are derived from the same root and were used in medieval Russian and Ukrainian летописях. | |||
| Bosnian | sranje | ||
| The word 'sranje' is also used to describe something unpleasant or annoying | |||
| Bulgarian | лайна | ||
| The word "лайна" can also refer to a type of fish, the common gudgeon, in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | hovno | ||
| Estonian | jama | ||
| The word "jama" is also used in Estonian as a synonym for "mess" or "disorder", and it can also refer to a physical or mental state of confusion or chaos. | |||
| Finnish | paska | ||
| The Finnish word "paska" also refers to rotten fish or spoiled meat. | |||
| Hungarian | szar | ||
| Hungarian word "szar" originally meant "dry", which is a meaning preserved in "száraz" and "szikkad" words. | |||
| Latvian | sūdi | ||
| In addition to its vulgar meaning, "sūdi" can also refer to "fudges" (candy) or be used in the compound word "pusdis" (puss). | |||
| Lithuanian | šūdas | ||
| "Šudas" can refer to both excretions of the digestive tracts of both humans and animals (animal droppings or waste products), or a situation characterized by a negative quality, an accident that happened in one's pants due to defecation or diarrhea. | |||
| Macedonian | гомна | ||
| The Macedonian word "гомна" is cognate with the Sanskrit word "gum", which means "excrement." | |||
| Polish | gówno | ||
| The word 'gówno' can also figuratively refer to nonsense, something worthless, or a trifle. | |||
| Romanian | rahat | ||
| The Romanian word "rahat" derives from the Turkish word meaning "ease" or "comfort," and can also refer to a type of Turkish delight. | |||
| Russian | дерьмо | ||
| The word "дерьмо" can also refer to something worthless or unpleasant. | |||
| Serbian | срање | ||
| The word "срање" can also mean "trouble" or "difficulty" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | hovno | ||
| "Hovno" is the vulgar term for feces in Slovak, while in Czech it means "mushroom". | |||
| Slovenian | sranje | ||
| The word 'sranje' can also mean 'a mess' or 'a worthless thing'. | |||
| Ukrainian | лайно | ||
| In Ukrainian, "лайно" can also refer to a riverbed, a ditch, or a swamp. | |||
Shit in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ছি ছি | ||
| "Chhi chhi" is an expression of disgust or disdain, and is often used as a mild expletive. It can also be used to express surprise or shock. | |||
| Gujarati | છી | ||
| The word "છી" in Gujarati is derived from the Sanskrit word "क्षु" (kṣu), which means hunger. It can also be used to refer to a small amount of something. | |||
| Hindi | मल | ||
| The word 'मल' in Hindi also means 'stain', 'blemish', or 'impurity'. | |||
| Kannada | ಶಿಟ್ | ||
| ಶಿಟ್ is a vulgar slang term for feces that is often used to express disgust or annoyance. | |||
| Malayalam | ഉണ്ണി | ||
| "ഉണ്ണി" is a Malayalam word that can also mean "young one" or "son." | |||
| Marathi | कचरा | ||
| The word "कचरा" derives from the Sanskrit "कच्छ" meaning "refuse, dirt" and "रा" meaning "possessing". | |||
| Nepali | छिटो | ||
| The Nepali word छिटो ('shit') is used to describe something or someone that is low-quality or bad. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੂੜਾ | ||
| The Punjabi word "kūra" (कूड़ा) is derived from Sanskrit "kṛta" (कृत) and has alternate meanings including "done" and "action." | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජරාව | ||
| The word "ජරාව" (shit) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word "jarā", meaning "old age" or "decay". It is also used as a term of endearment for children. | |||
| Tamil | மலம் | ||
| The Tamil word 'மலம்' also refers to 'faulty', or 'blemish', or 'stain' in the figurative sense. | |||
| Telugu | ఏంటి | ||
| The word "ఏంటి" has alternate meanings including "what" or "why". | |||
| Urdu | گندگی | ||
| The word "گندگی" in Urdu can also refer to "putrefaction" or "rotting". | |||
Shit in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 拉屎 | ||
| 拉屎 in Simplified Chinese can also mean to defecate, poop, excrete, or discharge. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 拉屎 | ||
| The term 「拉屎」 is a compound word consisting of the verb 「拉」(pull) and the noun 「屎」(excrement). | |||
| Japanese | たわごと | ||
| "たわごと" literally means "idle talk" or "nonsense" but is commonly used as a vulgar term for feces. | |||
| Korean | 똥 | ||
| The word "똥" (shit) in Korean is also used as a term of endearment for children. | |||
| Mongolian | новш | ||
| The word "новш" (shit) in Mongolian is related to the word "ноосон" (empty), with the same pronunciation. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | shit | ||
| The word "shit" is derived from the Old English word "scitte," which also meant diarrhea | |||
Shit in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kotoran | ||
| The word 'kotoran' is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word '*takuRa', meaning 'dirt' or 'rubbish'. | |||
| Javanese | telek | ||
| The Javanese word "telek" is also a synonym for "poop" | |||
| Khmer | លាមក | ||
| The word "លាមក" (laamak) in Khmer is also used to refer to something that is dirty, unpleasant, or of low quality. | |||
| Lao | shit | ||
| The Lao word for 'shit' can also mean 'excrement', 'dung', or 'manure'. | |||
| Malay | najis | ||
| In Malay, the word "najis" not only refers to "shit", but also to anything impure or ritually unclean, such as menstrual blood or contact with a corpse. | |||
| Thai | อึ | ||
| "อึ" is also an onomatopoeia for the sound of a baby crying. | |||
| Vietnamese | chết tiệt | ||
| The word "Chết tiệt" in Vietnamese can also mean "damn it" or "oh shit". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tae | ||
Shit in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bok | ||
| In Azerbaijani, the word "bok" not only means "shit", but also "to crush". | |||
| Kazakh | боқ | ||
| "Боқ" also means "dung" or "fertilizer" in Kazakh, derived from the Old Turkic word "boq". | |||
| Kyrgyz | бок | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "бок" also means "stink" and "spoiled". | |||
| Tajik | боб | ||
| The word "боб" in Tajik can also mean "bean" or "kidney bean". | |||
| Turkmen | bok | ||
| Uzbek | bok | ||
| The word "bok" can also mean "lump" or "clod", and is cognate with the Turkish word "bok" and the Kazakh word "böke", meaning "dung". | |||
| Uyghur | shit | ||
Shit in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | shit | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning, "shit" can also refer to something of little value or importance in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | paru | ||
| The word 'paru' can also mean 'lung' or 'throat' in Maori, and is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word 'paru' meaning 'throat' or 'windpipe'. | |||
| Samoan | lapoa | ||
| The Samoan word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | shit | ||
| The Tagalog word "tae" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *taqé, meaning "excrement". | |||
Shit in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ukatsti | ||
| Guarani | cagada | ||
Shit in International Languages
| Esperanto | fek | ||
| Latin | stercore | ||
| The Latin word "stercus" originally referred to manure, which was used to fertilize crops and fuel fires. | |||
Shit in Others Languages
| Greek | σκατά | ||
| In Ancient Greek, "σκατά" ('skata') also meant 'excrement', and 'manure', and also referred to 'filth' or 'dirt' more generally. | |||
| Hmong | quav dev | ||
| The Hmong word "quav dev" can also be used to express emotions of surprise or anger. | |||
| Kurdish | şitil | ||
| The word "şitil" has its origins in the Aramaic word "šîtā" meaning "excrement" or "dung" and is also related to the Arabic word "shatt" meaning "river" or "canal." | |||
| Turkish | bok | ||
| "Bok," the Turkish word for "shit," has its etymological origin in a word meaning "excrement"} | |||
| Xhosa | ikaka | ||
| In Xhosa, "ikaka" can also be used as a euphemism for defecating or for something that is not of significance or value. | |||
| Yiddish | דרעק | ||
| The Yiddish word "דרעק" (dreck) is related to the German word "Dreck" with the same meaning, and derives from the Old High German word "Drec" meaning "excrement". | |||
| Zulu | udoti | ||
| The Zulu word "udoti" can also refer to a type of bird or a place where birds gather. | |||
| Assamese | ছিট | ||
| Aymara | ukatsti | ||
| Bhojpuri | गंदगी के बात बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ޝިޓް | ||
| Dogri | गंदगी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tae | ||
| Guarani | cagada | ||
| Ilocano | tae | ||
| Krio | shit | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گوێدرێژ | ||
| Maithili | गंदगी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯤꯠ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | shit a ni | ||
| Oromo | shit | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିଟ୍ | ||
| Quechua | mierda | ||
| Sanskrit | शित् | ||
| Tatar | бук | ||
| Tigrinya | ሽንቲ | ||
| Tsonga | xisibi | ||