Sugar in Different Languages
Discover 'Sugar' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Sugar
Afrikaans suiker | ||
Albanian sheqer | ||
Amharic ስኳር | ||
Arabic السكر | ||
Armenian շաքարավազ | ||
Assamese চেনি | ||
Aymara asukara | ||
Azerbaijani şəkər | ||
Bambara sukaro | ||
Basque azukrea | ||
Belarusian цукар | ||
Bengali চিনি | ||
Bhojpuri चीनी | ||
Bosnian šećer | ||
Bulgarian захар | ||
Catalan sucre | ||
Cebuano asukal | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 糖 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 糖 | ||
Corsican zuccaru | ||
Croatian šećer | ||
Czech cukr | ||
Danish sukker | ||
Dhivehi ހަކުރު | ||
Dogri खंड | ||
Dutch suiker | ||
English sugar | ||
Esperanto sukero | ||
Estonian suhkur | ||
Ewe sukli | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) asukal | ||
Finnish sokeria | ||
French sucre | ||
Frisian sûker | ||
Galician azucre | ||
Georgian შაქარი | ||
German zucker | ||
Greek ζάχαρη | ||
Guarani asuka | ||
Gujarati ખાંડ | ||
Haitian Creole sik | ||
Hausa sukari | ||
Hawaiian kō | ||
Hebrew סוכר | ||
Hindi चीनी | ||
Hmong qab zib | ||
Hungarian cukor | ||
Icelandic sykur | ||
Igbo shuga | ||
Ilocano asukar | ||
Indonesian gula | ||
Irish siúcra | ||
Italian zucchero | ||
Japanese シュガー | ||
Javanese gula | ||
Kannada ಸಕ್ಕರೆ | ||
Kazakh қант | ||
Khmer ស្ករ | ||
Kinyarwanda isukari | ||
Konkani साकर | ||
Korean 설탕 | ||
Krio suga | ||
Kurdish îekir | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) شەکر | ||
Kyrgyz шекер | ||
Lao ້ໍາຕານ | ||
Latin saccharo | ||
Latvian cukurs | ||
Lingala sukali | ||
Lithuanian cukraus | ||
Luganda sukaali | ||
Luxembourgish zocker | ||
Macedonian шеќер | ||
Maithili चीनी | ||
Malagasy siramamy | ||
Malay gula | ||
Malayalam പഞ്ചസാര | ||
Maltese zokkor | ||
Maori huka | ||
Marathi साखर | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯆꯤꯅꯤ | ||
Mizo chini | ||
Mongolian элсэн чихэр | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) သကြား | ||
Nepali चिनी | ||
Norwegian sukker | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) shuga | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଚିନି | ||
Oromo shukkaara | ||
Pashto بوره | ||
Persian قند | ||
Polish cukier | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) açúcar | ||
Punjabi ਖੰਡ | ||
Quechua miski | ||
Romanian zahăr | ||
Russian сахар | ||
Samoan suka | ||
Sanskrit मधुरं | ||
Scots Gaelic siùcar | ||
Sepedi swikiri | ||
Serbian шећер | ||
Sesotho tsoekere | ||
Shona shuga | ||
Sindhi شوگر | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) සීනි | ||
Slovak cukor | ||
Slovenian sladkor | ||
Somali sonkorta | ||
Spanish azúcar | ||
Sundanese gula | ||
Swahili sukari | ||
Swedish socker | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) asukal | ||
Tajik шакар | ||
Tamil சர்க்கரை | ||
Tatar шикәр | ||
Telugu చక్కెర | ||
Thai น้ำตาล | ||
Tigrinya ሽኮር | ||
Tsonga chukela | ||
Turkish şeker | ||
Turkmen şeker | ||
Twi (Akan) asikyire | ||
Ukrainian цукор | ||
Urdu شکر | ||
Uyghur شېكەر | ||
Uzbek shakar | ||
Vietnamese đường | ||
Welsh siwgr | ||
Xhosa iswekile | ||
Yiddish צוקער | ||
Yoruba suga | ||
Zulu ushukela |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "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. |
| Albanian | 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. |
| Amharic | The Amharic word ስኳር ('sugar') likely comes from the Arabic word سكر ('sukkar') for the same substance. |
| Arabic | 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. |
| Armenian | "Շաքարավազ" (sugar) in Armenian is a compound word derived from the Persian words "shakar" (sugar) and "vaz" (glass) due to the white, crystalline nature of the substance |
| Azerbaijani | The word "şəkər" in Azerbaijani comes from the Persian word "shakar", which itself comes from the Sanskrit word "śarkarā". |
| Basque | The word "azukrea" in Basque derives from the Arabic "sukkar", which itself originates from the Sanskrit "sarkara" (gravel, grit). |
| Belarusian | The word "цукар" is a Belarusian cognate of the Old Slavonic word "схаръ" which meant "honey". |
| Bengali | "চিনি" (sugar) is derived from Sanksrit "শর্করা" (sugar), and can also be used to refer to "sweetness". |
| Bosnian | The word "šećer" comes from the Persian word "shekar" and can also refer to other sweet substances, such as honey or molasses. |
| Bulgarian | "Захар" is a loanword from Persian which originally meant "unrefined sugar" or "molasses." |
| Catalan | The word "sucre" can also mean "juice" or "sap" in Catalan, as in "sucre de canya" (sugarcane juice). |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word 'asukal' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'sharkara', meaning 'sand-like' or 'crystal', reflecting its granular form. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word “糖” can also refer to something sweet or something made of sugar. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character "糖" can also mean "candy" or "sweet". |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "zuccaru" is derived from the Arabic word "sukkar," which also means "sugar". |
| Croatian | "Šećer" comes from Persian "shakar" via Turkish "şeker", and in Croatian it can also mean "gravel", "sand", or "rubble". |
| Czech | The word cukr in Czech comes from the German word "zucker" which in turn comes from the Arabic word "sukkar." |
| Danish | "Sukker" (sugar) is derived from Old Norse "sukr" (candy, honey), which may, in turn, derive from a Proto-Indo-European root "swed" (sweet)" |
| Dutch | The word "suiker" is derived from the Arabic "sukkar" meaning "sweet" and is also related to the English word "sucrose". |
| Esperanto | 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". |
| Estonian | The Estonian word 'suhkur' derives from the Persian word 'shakar'. |
| Finnish | A 'sokero' is a person who is a lot like a 'suklaaholisti', or 'chocolate addict', in English. |
| French | The French word "sucre" comes from the Arabic word "sukkar," meaning "sweet", |
| Frisian | In Frisian, "sûker" is cognate with Dutch "suiker" and German "Zucker", all of which are derived from Arabic "sukkar". |
| Galician | Galician word "azucre" (sugar) comes from Medieval Latin "azzucar" and Arabic "as-sukkar" which means sugar candy or raw sugar. |
| Georgian | The word შაქარი likely comes from Sanskrit and has alternate meanings including 'sweetness,' referring to its sweet taste. |
| German | In German, “Zucker” also denotes substances that taste sweet or are used as sweeteners, such as xylitol or stevia. |
| Greek | 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". |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word 'ખાંડ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'खण्ड' meaning 'a piece' or 'a fragment', referring to the crystalline nature of sugar. |
| Haitian Creole | The word “sik” has the same etymology as the English “sick,” which is the French “sucre,” which is the Arabic “sukkar.” |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "sukari" is derived from the Arabic word "sukkar", which also means "sugar". |
| Hawaiian | The word "kō" in Hawaiian is also used to refer to the sugarcane plant itself. |
| Hebrew | "סוכר" (sugar) is cognate with "سكر" (sukkar) in Arabic, both derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (śarkarā), which originally meant "grit, gravel". |
| Hindi | The word 'चीनी' in Hindi originally referred to 'cane juice' but later adopted the meaning of 'sugar'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "qab zib" can also refer to "sweet" or "candy", and its literal meaning is "bee's honey". |
| Hungarian | Hungarian word "cukor" is a Turkic loanword ultimately deriving from Persian word "shakar" |
| Icelandic | 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. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "shuga" derives from the Portuguese "açúcar," a testament to the Portuguese influence on Igbo vocabulary. |
| Indonesian | The word "Gula" in Indonesian shares etymology with the word "gula" which means "ball" in Classical Malay. |
| Irish | The word "siúcra" in Irish is derived from the Sanskrit word "sarkarā", meaning "gravel" or "sand". |
| Italian | The word "zucchero" derives from the Arabic word "sukkar", which originated from the Sanskrit word "sharkara" meaning "grit" or "gravel". |
| Japanese | "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. |
| Javanese | The Javanese word for sugar, gula, can also mean 'salty' or 'bitter'. |
| Kannada | The word "ಸಕ್ಕರೆ" is also used to refer to "the granular white substance obtained from sugar cane" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "қант" is derived from the Russian word for sugar "сахар", which itself originates from Persian "shakar" and ultimately from Sanskrit.} |
| Khmer | The Khmer word ស្ករ (sugar) originates from the Sanskrit word शर्करा (śarkarā), which also means 'gravel' or 'sand'. |
| Korean | The word "설탕" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (śarkarā), which means "grit" or "gravel". |
| Kurdish | 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. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "шекер" derives from the Persian word "shakar" and also refers to candies in Kyrgyz. |
| Lao | 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. |
| Latin | The word saccharo derives from the Sanskrit word शर्करा (śarkarā), meaning "gritty substance" or "gravel". |
| Latvian | The Latvian word “cukurs” derives from the Low German word “zucker”, which itself originates from the Arabic word “sukkar”. |
| Lithuanian | "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. |
| Luxembourgish | Zocker also refers to a gambling person, possibly a reference to the sugar rush gambling can give. |
| Macedonian | In Albanian, "sheqer" translates to "beautiful," as opposed to "sugar" in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | Malagasy word "siramamy" is cognate with many other Austronesian words for "sweet". |
| Malay | The Malay word "gula" is derived from the Sanskrit word "guḷa," meaning "molasses" or "unrefined sugar." |
| Malayalam | The word 'പഞ്ചസാര' is derived from the Sanskrit words 'pancha' (five) and 'sara' (essence), referring to its five essential elements. |
| Maltese | 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. |
| Maori | The term 'huka' also refers to the white cliffs surrounding the Wanganui River, as they resemble the colour of refined sugar. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "साखर" (sugar) is derived from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" (sugar) and is also used to refer to crystals in general. |
| Mongolian | 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) | The Burmese word "သကြား" is derived from the Pali word "sakkhara" and may have alternate meanings depending on its context. |
| Nepali | 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. |
| Norwegian | The Norwegian word "sukker" is thought to derive from an Arabic root for "morsel" or "small piece". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word "shuga" is derived from "asukari", the Swahili equivalent. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "بوره" is not exclusively used for sugar but can also refer to honey or candy. |
| Persian | The Persian word "قند" (sugar) also means "sweetness" and "candy". |
| Polish | In Polish, "cukier" has alternate meanings as an old-fashioned term for "confectionery" or the surname "Cykier" |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | 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. |
| Punjabi | 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. |
| Romanian | "Zahăr" also derives from an Arabic-Persian word for the sweet juices and syrups of certain plants. |
| Russian | "Сахар" comes from the Persian "shakar", meaning "broken stone", referring to the granulated consistency of sugar. |
| Samoan | The Samoan word "suka" also means "sweet" and is used to describe something that tastes pleasant. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "siùcar" derives from the Arabic word "sukkar", meaning "sugarcane". |
| Serbian | Шећер comes from the Persian word "shakar", which also means "sweetness". |
| Sesotho | Sesotho word "tsoekere" is derived from the Zulu word "isikhili", a sweet grass used to make a sweet drink called "amahewu". |
| Shona | Shona has distinct words for brown sugar, white sugar, and honey, though they all share the root word -shuga. |
| Sindhi | The word "شوگر" can also refer to a sweet dish made with rice, sugar, and milk. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "සීනි" comes from the Sanskrit word "शर्करा" which means "gravel, grit"} |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "cukor" derives from the old Hungarian word "czukor", which in turn comes from the Turkish word "šekker", meaning "sugar". |
| Slovenian | The word 'sladkor' also means 'sweetener' or 'candy' in Slovenian. |
| Somali | Sonkorta, meaning 'sugar,' comes from the Arabic word sukkar, which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word sharkara, meaning 'grit' or 'gravel'. |
| Spanish | In Nahuatl, "azúcar" originally meant "sweet water" used to make a drink, later applied to sucrose. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, "gula" can also refer to salty dishes prepared with tamarind, such as "gula asam" (tamarind soup). |
| Swahili | The Swahili word 'sukari' derives from the Arabic 'sukkar', which may ultimately trace back to Sanskrit 'sharkara' or a Dravidian language. |
| Swedish | The word "socker" in Swedish likely comes from the Sanskrit word "sharkara" meaning "grit" |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "asukal" may have originated from Sanskrit, where "sarkarā" refers to sugar or crystalline sugar. |
| Tajik | Tajik "шакар" comes from Persian "shakar", also meaning "candy" or "sweet". |
| Tamil | 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" refers to both sugar and something sweet, delicious, or attractive, such as music or speech. |
| Thai | The Thai word “น้ำตาล” (sugar) is derived from the Sanskrit word “sharkara”, meaning “gravel”, referring to the granular texture of sugar. |
| Turkish | Turkish "şeker" (sugar) is derived from the Persian "shakar" and originally referred to raw cane juice. |
| Ukrainian | Ukrainian 'цукор' comes from Arabic 'sukkar', which ultimately originates in Sanskrit 'sharkara' (meaning 'gravel'). |
| Urdu | The word "شکر" can also mean "gratitude" or "thanks" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, shakar can also refer to a type of candy made from honey and sesame seeds. |
| Vietnamese | The word "Đường" in Vietnamese also means "way" or "road". |
| Welsh | Welsh "siwgr" (sugar) derives from Old Norse "sykur", ultimately originating in Sanskrit "sarkarā" (gravel, sugar). |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word "iswekile" is also a playful term for "youngster" or "child". |
| Yiddish | In Yiddish, "צוקער" (tsuker) is related to the German "Zucker" and means both "sugar" and "candy." |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word “Suga” (sugar) derives from the Hausa word “Sukari” (sugar). |
| Zulu | The word "ushukela" is derived from the isiZulu word "ukuhlunga," meaning "to sift" or "to filter." |
| English | The word "sugar" derives from the Sanskrit word "sharkara," which refers to granulated sugar or crystallized sugar candy. |