Sugar in Different Languages
Discover 'Sugar' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Sugar, a sweet crystalline substance obtained primarily from sugarcane and sugar beet, has been a significant part of human diets for centuries. Its significance extends beyond the kitchen, as it has played a crucial role in various cultural practices worldwide. For instance, in many Western cultures, sugar is often used in baking traditional sweets and pastries, while in some Eastern cultures, it is used in tea ceremonies and traditional medicines.
Given its wide usage and cultural importance, it's not surprising that the word 'sugar' has been translated into various languages, each with its unique cultural and historical contexts. For instance, in Spanish, sugar is 'azúcar,' derived from the Arabic 'al-sukkar.' Meanwhile, in Mandarin Chinese, sugar is '糖 (táng),' which also means 'candy' or 'sweet.'
In this article, we explore the translations of the word 'sugar' in different languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural and historical contexts associated with this sweet substance.
Sugar
Sugar in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | suiker | ||
| "Suiker" in Afrikaans originates from the Dutch "suiker" and, as a variant spelling, can also refer to a term of affection for or a pet name given to someone who is perceived as sweet. | |||
| Amharic | ስኳር | ||
| The Amharic word ስኳር ('sugar') likely comes from the Arabic word سكر ('sukkar') for the same substance. | |||
| Hausa | sukari | ||
| The Hausa word "sukari" is derived from the Arabic word "sukkar", which also means "sugar". | |||
| Igbo | shuga | ||
| The Igbo word "shuga" derives from the Portuguese "açúcar," a testament to the Portuguese influence on Igbo vocabulary. | |||
| Malagasy | siramamy | ||
| Malagasy word "siramamy" is cognate with many other Austronesian words for "sweet". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | shuga | ||
| The Nyanja word "shuga" is derived from "asukari", the Swahili equivalent. | |||
| Shona | shuga | ||
| Shona has distinct words for brown sugar, white sugar, and honey, though they all share the root word -shuga. | |||
| Somali | sonkorta | ||
| Sonkorta, meaning 'sugar,' comes from the Arabic word sukkar, which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word sharkara, meaning 'grit' or 'gravel'. | |||
| Sesotho | tsoekere | ||
| Sesotho word "tsoekere" is derived from the Zulu word "isikhili", a sweet grass used to make a sweet drink called "amahewu". | |||
| Swahili | sukari | ||
| The Swahili word 'sukari' derives from the Arabic 'sukkar', which may ultimately trace back to Sanskrit 'sharkara' or a Dravidian language. | |||
| Xhosa | iswekile | ||
| The Xhosa word "iswekile" is also a playful term for "youngster" or "child". | |||
| Yoruba | suga | ||
| The Yoruba word “Suga” (sugar) derives from the Hausa word “Sukari” (sugar). | |||
| Zulu | ushukela | ||
| The word "ushukela" is derived from the isiZulu word "ukuhlunga," meaning "to sift" or "to filter." | |||
| Bambara | sukaro | ||
| Ewe | sukli | ||
| Kinyarwanda | isukari | ||
| Lingala | sukali | ||
| Luganda | sukaali | ||
| Sepedi | swikiri | ||
| Twi (Akan) | asikyire | ||
Sugar in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | السكر | ||
| The Arabic word "السكر" (as-sukkar) originally meant "small stones" or "gravel" but later came to mean "sugar" due to the granular texture of crystallized sugar. | |||
| Hebrew | סוכר | ||
| "סוכר" (sugar) is cognate with "سكر" (sukkar) in Arabic, both derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (śarkarā), which originally meant "grit, gravel". | |||
| Pashto | بوره | ||
| The Pashto word "بوره" is not exclusively used for sugar but can also refer to honey or candy. | |||
| Arabic | السكر | ||
| The Arabic word "السكر" (as-sukkar) originally meant "small stones" or "gravel" but later came to mean "sugar" due to the granular texture of crystallized sugar. | |||
Sugar in Western European Languages
| Albanian | sheqer | ||
| Sugar in Albanian derives from the Persian word "shakar" which means "gravel" or "pebbles" and has the same root as the word "shard" in English. | |||
| Basque | azukrea | ||
| The word "azukrea" in Basque derives from the Arabic "sukkar", which itself originates from the Sanskrit "sarkara" (gravel, grit). | |||
| Catalan | sucre | ||
| The word "sucre" can also mean "juice" or "sap" in Catalan, as in "sucre de canya" (sugarcane juice). | |||
| Croatian | šećer | ||
| "Šećer" comes from Persian "shakar" via Turkish "şeker", and in Croatian it can also mean "gravel", "sand", or "rubble". | |||
| Danish | sukker | ||
| "Sukker" (sugar) is derived from Old Norse "sukr" (candy, honey), which may, in turn, derive from a Proto-Indo-European root "swed" (sweet)" | |||
| Dutch | suiker | ||
| The word "suiker" is derived from the Arabic "sukkar" meaning "sweet" and is also related to the English word "sucrose". | |||
| English | sugar | ||
| The word "sugar" derives from the Sanskrit word "sharkara," which refers to granulated sugar or crystallized sugar candy. | |||
| French | sucre | ||
| The French word "sucre" comes from the Arabic word "sukkar," meaning "sweet", | |||
| Frisian | sûker | ||
| In Frisian, "sûker" is cognate with Dutch "suiker" and German "Zucker", all of which are derived from Arabic "sukkar". | |||
| Galician | azucre | ||
| Galician word "azucre" (sugar) comes from Medieval Latin "azzucar" and Arabic "as-sukkar" which means sugar candy or raw sugar. | |||
| German | zucker | ||
| In German, “Zucker” also denotes substances that taste sweet or are used as sweeteners, such as xylitol or stevia. | |||
| Icelandic | sykur | ||
| Sykur in Icelandic also means a gift, and derives from an Old Norse term for 'suck', as 'candy' would have been a suitable gift long ago. | |||
| Irish | siúcra | ||
| The word "siúcra" in Irish is derived from the Sanskrit word "sarkarā", meaning "gravel" or "sand". | |||
| Italian | zucchero | ||
| The word "zucchero" derives from the Arabic word "sukkar", which originated from the Sanskrit word "sharkara" meaning "grit" or "gravel". | |||
| Luxembourgish | zocker | ||
| Zocker also refers to a gambling person, possibly a reference to the sugar rush gambling can give. | |||
| Maltese | zokkor | ||
| The word "zokkor" is derived from the Arabic word "sukkar". It also refers to a type of candy made from sugar and other ingredients, often served during feasts. | |||
| Norwegian | sukker | ||
| The Norwegian word "sukker" is thought to derive from an Arabic root for "morsel" or "small piece". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | açúcar | ||
| The word "açúcar" derives from the Arabic word "sukkar", meaning "sweet" or "sweet substance". It can also refer to a type of cane or reed used to produce sugar. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | siùcar | ||
| The word "siùcar" derives from the Arabic word "sukkar", meaning "sugarcane". | |||
| Spanish | azúcar | ||
| In Nahuatl, "azúcar" originally meant "sweet water" used to make a drink, later applied to sucrose. | |||
| Swedish | socker | ||
| The word "socker" in Swedish likely comes from the Sanskrit word "sharkara" meaning "grit" | |||
| Welsh | siwgr | ||
| Welsh "siwgr" (sugar) derives from Old Norse "sykur", ultimately originating in Sanskrit "sarkarā" (gravel, sugar). | |||
Sugar in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | цукар | ||
| The word "цукар" is a Belarusian cognate of the Old Slavonic word "схаръ" which meant "honey". | |||
| Bosnian | šećer | ||
| The word "šećer" comes from the Persian word "shekar" and can also refer to other sweet substances, such as honey or molasses. | |||
| Bulgarian | захар | ||
| "Захар" is a loanword from Persian which originally meant "unrefined sugar" or "molasses." | |||
| Czech | cukr | ||
| The word cukr in Czech comes from the German word "zucker" which in turn comes from the Arabic word "sukkar." | |||
| Estonian | suhkur | ||
| The Estonian word 'suhkur' derives from the Persian word 'shakar'. | |||
| Finnish | sokeria | ||
| A 'sokero' is a person who is a lot like a 'suklaaholisti', or 'chocolate addict', in English. | |||
| Hungarian | cukor | ||
| Hungarian word "cukor" is a Turkic loanword ultimately deriving from Persian word "shakar" | |||
| Latvian | cukurs | ||
| The Latvian word “cukurs” derives from the Low German word “zucker”, which itself originates from the Arabic word “sukkar”. | |||
| Lithuanian | cukraus | ||
| "Cukraus" in Lithuanian is related to the word "cukrus" in Latvian, both meaning "sugar", and possibly descends from a word meaning "sweet" in a Proto-Indo-European language. | |||
| Macedonian | шеќер | ||
| In Albanian, "sheqer" translates to "beautiful," as opposed to "sugar" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | cukier | ||
| In Polish, "cukier" has alternate meanings as an old-fashioned term for "confectionery" or the surname "Cykier" | |||
| Romanian | zahăr | ||
| "Zahăr" also derives from an Arabic-Persian word for the sweet juices and syrups of certain plants. | |||
| Russian | сахар | ||
| "Сахар" comes from the Persian "shakar", meaning "broken stone", referring to the granulated consistency of sugar. | |||
| Serbian | шећер | ||
| Шећер comes from the Persian word "shakar", which also means "sweetness". | |||
| Slovak | cukor | ||
| The Slovak word "cukor" derives from the old Hungarian word "czukor", which in turn comes from the Turkish word "šekker", meaning "sugar". | |||
| Slovenian | sladkor | ||
| The word 'sladkor' also means 'sweetener' or 'candy' in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | цукор | ||
| Ukrainian 'цукор' comes from Arabic 'sukkar', which ultimately originates in Sanskrit 'sharkara' (meaning 'gravel'). | |||
Sugar in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চিনি | ||
| "চিনি" (sugar) is derived from Sanksrit "শর্করা" (sugar), and can also be used to refer to "sweetness". | |||
| Gujarati | ખાંડ | ||
| The Gujarati word 'ખાંડ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'खण्ड' meaning 'a piece' or 'a fragment', referring to the crystalline nature of sugar. | |||
| Hindi | चीनी | ||
| The word 'चीनी' in Hindi originally referred to 'cane juice' but later adopted the meaning of 'sugar'. | |||
| Kannada | ಸಕ್ಕರೆ | ||
| The word "ಸಕ್ಕರೆ" is also used to refer to "the granular white substance obtained from sugar cane" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | പഞ്ചസാര | ||
| The word 'പഞ്ചസാര' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'pancha' (five) and 'sara' (essence), referring to its five essential elements. | |||
| Marathi | साखर | ||
| The Marathi word "साखर" (sugar) is derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (sugar) and is also used to refer to crystals in general. | |||
| Nepali | चिनी | ||
| The word "चिनी" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" meaning "gravel" and was originally used to refer to the raw, unrefined sugar obtained from sugarcane. | |||
| Punjabi | ਖੰਡ | ||
| The word 'ਖੰਡ' (sugar) in Punjabi also refers to a type of musical instrument, specifically a small, double-headed drum, highlighting its dual nature in language and culture. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සීනි | ||
| The word "සීනි" comes from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" which means "gravel, grit"} | |||
| Tamil | சர்க்கரை | ||
| In Tamil, the word "சர்க்கரை" (sugar) is related to the word "சரக்கு" (goods), reflecting the historical value and significance of sugar as a valuable commodity. | |||
| Telugu | చక్కెర | ||
| "చక్కెర" refers to both sugar and something sweet, delicious, or attractive, such as music or speech. | |||
| Urdu | شکر | ||
| The word "شکر" can also mean "gratitude" or "thanks" in Urdu. | |||
Sugar in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 糖 | ||
| The word “糖” can also refer to something sweet or something made of sugar. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 糖 | ||
| The character "糖" can also mean "candy" or "sweet". | |||
| Japanese | シュガー | ||
| "シュガー" (sugar) is also the root of the slang "sugar daddy," an older man who gives a younger woman financial support in exchange for companionship. | |||
| Korean | 설탕 | ||
| The word "설탕" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (śarkarā), which means "grit" or "gravel". | |||
| Mongolian | элсэн чихэр | ||
| Элсэн чихэр means "sugar" and it also means "sand" in Mongolian and both meanings are derived from the same root word "элс" which means "sand". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သကြား | ||
| The Burmese word "သကြား" is derived from the Pali word "sakkhara" and may have alternate meanings depending on its context. | |||
Sugar in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | gula | ||
| The word "Gula" in Indonesian shares etymology with the word "gula" which means "ball" in Classical Malay. | |||
| Javanese | gula | ||
| The Javanese word for sugar, gula, can also mean 'salty' or 'bitter'. | |||
| Khmer | ស្ករ | ||
| The Khmer word ស្ករ (sugar) originates from the Sanskrit word शर्करा (śarkarā), which also means 'gravel' or 'sand'. | |||
| Lao | ້ໍາຕານ | ||
| The word "້ໍາຕານ" ("sugar") in Lao is derived from the Sanskrit word "śarkarā", which means "sweet". It can also refer to the juice of sugarcane or palm trees, or the syrup made from them. | |||
| Malay | gula | ||
| The Malay word "gula" is derived from the Sanskrit word "guḷa," meaning "molasses" or "unrefined sugar." | |||
| Thai | น้ำตาล | ||
| The Thai word “น้ำตาล” (sugar) is derived from the Sanskrit word “sharkara”, meaning “gravel”, referring to the granular texture of sugar. | |||
| Vietnamese | đường | ||
| The word "Đường" in Vietnamese also means "way" or "road". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asukal | ||
Sugar in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | şəkər | ||
| The word "şəkər" in Azerbaijani comes from the Persian word "shakar", which itself comes from the Sanskrit word "śarkarā". | |||
| Kazakh | қант | ||
| The Kazakh word "қант" is derived from the Russian word for sugar "сахар", which itself originates from Persian "shakar" and ultimately from Sanskrit.} | |||
| Kyrgyz | шекер | ||
| The word "шекер" derives from the Persian word "shakar" and also refers to candies in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | шакар | ||
| Tajik "шакар" comes from Persian "shakar", also meaning "candy" or "sweet". | |||
| Turkmen | şeker | ||
| Uzbek | shakar | ||
| In Uzbek, shakar can also refer to a type of candy made from honey and sesame seeds. | |||
| Uyghur | شېكەر | ||
Sugar in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kō | ||
| The word "kō" in Hawaiian is also used to refer to the sugarcane plant itself. | |||
| Maori | huka | ||
| The term 'huka' also refers to the white cliffs surrounding the Wanganui River, as they resemble the colour of refined sugar. | |||
| Samoan | suka | ||
| The Samoan word "suka" also means "sweet" and is used to describe something that tastes pleasant. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | asukal | ||
| The Tagalog word "asukal" may have originated from Sanskrit, where "sarkarā" refers to sugar or crystalline sugar. | |||
Sugar in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | asukara | ||
| Guarani | asuka | ||
Sugar in International Languages
| Esperanto | sukero | ||
| The word "sukero" in Esperanto is derived from the French word "sucre", which in turn comes from the Arabic word "sukkar". It can also be used to mean "sweetie" or "darling". | |||
| Latin | saccharo | ||
| The word saccharo derives from the Sanskrit word शर्करा (śarkarā), meaning "gritty substance" or "gravel". | |||
Sugar in Others Languages
| Greek | ζάχαρη | ||
| The word "ζάχαρη" (sugar) in Greek originates from the Persian word "shakar", which itself is derived from the Sanskrit word "sarkara", meaning "gravel" or "grit". | |||
| Hmong | qab zib | ||
| The Hmong word "qab zib" can also refer to "sweet" or "candy", and its literal meaning is "bee's honey". | |||
| Kurdish | îekir | ||
| The word 'îekir' in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word 'shakar', which originally meant 'broken stones' or 'gravel'. This etymology suggests that sugar was introduced to the Kurdish region through trade with Persia. | |||
| Turkish | şeker | ||
| Turkish "şeker" (sugar) is derived from the Persian "shakar" and originally referred to raw cane juice. | |||
| Xhosa | iswekile | ||
| The Xhosa word "iswekile" is also a playful term for "youngster" or "child". | |||
| Yiddish | צוקער | ||
| In Yiddish, "צוקער" (tsuker) is related to the German "Zucker" and means both "sugar" and "candy." | |||
| Zulu | ushukela | ||
| The word "ushukela" is derived from the isiZulu word "ukuhlunga," meaning "to sift" or "to filter." | |||
| Assamese | চেনি | ||
| Aymara | asukara | ||
| Bhojpuri | चीनी | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަކުރު | ||
| Dogri | खंड | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asukal | ||
| Guarani | asuka | ||
| Ilocano | asukar | ||
| Krio | suga | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شەکر | ||
| Maithili | चीनी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯤꯅꯤ | ||
| Mizo | chini | ||
| Oromo | shukkaara | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚିନି | ||
| Quechua | miski | ||
| Sanskrit | मधुरं | ||
| Tatar | шикәр | ||
| Tigrinya | ሽኮር | ||
| Tsonga | chukela | ||