Tablespoon in Different Languages
Discover 'Tablespoon' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A tablespoon is a common measuring tool in cooking and baking, but have you ever wondered about its significance and cultural importance in different parts of the world? This simple kitchen tool has a rich history and is known by various names in different languages. For instance, in Spanish, it's known as 'cuchara sopera,' while in French, it's called 'cuillère à soupe.' In German, it's referred to as 'Esslöffel,' and in Italian, it's known as 'cucchiaio da tavola.'
The tablespoon has been used for centuries, and its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It was used to measure out ingredients for recipes, and its size varied depending on the region and culture. Today, the tablespoon is a standardized measuring tool, and its importance in cooking and baking cannot be overstated.
Understanding the translation of tablespoon in different languages can be useful for those who enjoy cooking international cuisine or for those who are learning a new language. It's a small word that carries a lot of significance and cultural importance.
Tablespoon
Tablespoon in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | eetlepel | ||
| Eetlepel may also mean "supper", "a person who eats much", and "a person with a big mouth". | |||
| Amharic | የሾርባ ማንኪያ | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "tablespoon," "የሾርባ ማንኪያ" also refers to a unit of measurement for large quantities of liquid, approximately equal to a bowlful. | |||
| Hausa | tablespoon | ||
| In Hausa, 'tablespoon' can also refer to a traditional soup bowl, commonly known as 'kwano'. | |||
| Igbo | ngaji | ||
| The word "ngaji" in Igbo can also mean "half" or "a small amount of something." | |||
| Malagasy | tablespoon | ||
| The Malagasy word “sokafy” can either mean “tablespoon” or “soup/stew”. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | supuni | ||
| The word "supuni" in Nyanja (Chichewa) is derived from the verb "ku-supuna," which means "to scoop up" or "to ladle out." | |||
| Shona | tablespoon | ||
| Tablespoon can also mean 'a large spoon' in Shona. | |||
| Somali | qaado | ||
| The word "qaado" also refers to a type of wooden bowl or dish used in traditional Somali cuisine. | |||
| Sesotho | khaba | ||
| The Sesotho word "khaba" can also refer to a wooden spoon or a tool for stirring food. | |||
| Swahili | kijiko | ||
| The word "kijiko" in Swahili is derived from the Portuguese word "colher", meaning "spoon". | |||
| Xhosa | icephe | ||
| The word "icephe" also has the alternate meaning of "large amount" or "abundance" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | sibi | ||
| The word "sibi" is also the word for "tray" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isipuni | ||
| The word 'isipuni' translates to 'spoon' and is also used to refer to a measuring unit equivalent to a tablespoon. | |||
| Bambara | kutu ɲɛ | ||
| Ewe | aɖabaƒoƒo ɖeka | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikiyiko | ||
| Lingala | cuillère à soupe | ||
| Luganda | ekijiiko ky’ekijiiko | ||
| Sepedi | khaba ya khaba | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tablespoon a wɔde yɛ aduan | ||
Tablespoon in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ملعقة طعام | ||
| The term “ملعقة طعام” (tablespoon) is derived from the French word “cuiller à soupe” which literally means “soup spoon” | |||
| Hebrew | כַּף | ||
| "כַּף" (kaf) originally referred to the hollow of one's hand, which is also its meaning in Arabic and Aramaic. | |||
| Pashto | چمچ | ||
| The Pashto word “چمچ” could be derived from “چیمچه” which refers to a wooden ladle. | |||
| Arabic | ملعقة طعام | ||
| The term “ملعقة طعام” (tablespoon) is derived from the French word “cuiller à soupe” which literally means “soup spoon” | |||
Tablespoon in Western European Languages
| Albanian | lugë gjelle | ||
| In Albanian, the word "lugë gjelle" literally translates to "spoon of stew". | |||
| Basque | koilarakada | ||
| The word 'koilarakada' is derived from the Basque word 'koilara' (spoon) and the suffix '-kada', which means 'full'. | |||
| Catalan | cullerada | ||
| The word "cullerada" originally meant "spoonful" and is derived from the Latin word "cocleare", meaning "spoon". | |||
| Croatian | žlica | ||
| "Žlica" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *žьlica, meaning "spoon" or "ladle", and is related to the words "žlica" (Serbian), "ложка" (Russian), and "łyżka" (Polish). | |||
| Danish | spiseskefuld | ||
| The word 'spiseskefuld' comes from the Danish words 'spiseske' ('tablespoon') and 'fuld' ('full'). | |||
| Dutch | eetlepel | ||
| The Dutch word "eetlepel" literally means "eating spoon". | |||
| English | tablespoon | ||
| The word "tablespoon" derives from its original use as a spoon that could hold a tablespoon of liquid. | |||
| French | cuillerée à soupe | ||
| "Cuillerée à soupe" also refers to a silver or gold piece used for eating soup in the 18th century | |||
| Frisian | itenstleppel | ||
| Itensteppel derives from "ite" (to eat) and "steppel" (stick), referring to a stick used for stirring food. | |||
| Galician | culler de sopa | ||
| Galician's "culler de sopa" derives from the Proto-Celtic "*kulhro-s" and shares a common root with English's "culinary." | |||
| German | esslöffel | ||
| The word "Esslöffel" derives from the Old High German word "ezil", meaning "to eat", and the Middle High German word "löffel", meaning "spoon". It can also refer to a type of measuring device used for cooking or baking. | |||
| Icelandic | matskeið | ||
| Matr is a cooking utensil used in preparing food, while skeið is a measure for cooking ingredients | |||
| Irish | spúnóg bhoird | ||
| An Irish word meaning both a "tablespoon" and a "spoonful" of a liquid. | |||
| Italian | cucchiaio | ||
| "Cucchiaio" means "spoon" and is derived from the Greek word "kuklion" meaning "round vessel" | |||
| Luxembourgish | esslöffel | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Esslöffel" can also refer to a unit of measurement equivalent to 15 grams. | |||
| Maltese | tablespoon | ||
| The Maltese word "tablespoon" (tablespoon) also refers to a spoon that is larger than a teaspoon but smaller than a soup spoon. | |||
| Norwegian | spiseskje | ||
| "Spiseskje" comes from "spise" (to eat) and "skje" (spoon), and in Danish and Swedish, "spisesked" and "matsked" (food spoon) are synonyms. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | colher de sopa | ||
| The word "colher de sopa" comes from the Latin "cochlear" (spoon) and "suppa" (soup) and was originally used to refer to a spoon used to serve soup. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | spàin-bùird | ||
| The word "spàin-bùird" may also refer to a small table or board, especially one used to hold food or drink. | |||
| Spanish | cucharada | ||
| The word "cucharada" comes from the Vulgar Latin "coclearata," meaning "spoonful," and is related to the English word "cook." | |||
| Swedish | matsked | ||
| "Matsked" is composed of "mat" (food) and "sked" (spoon), but is not related to eating utensils. | |||
| Welsh | llwy fwrdd | ||
| The word "llwy fwrdd" literally means "board spoon" in Welsh, reflecting its traditional use as a measuring utensil made of wood or horn. | |||
Tablespoon in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | сталовая лыжка | ||
| Bosnian | kašika | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "tablespoon," "kašika" can also refer to a "spoon for eating" or a "ladle" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | супена лъжица | ||
| "Супена лъжица" literally means "soup spoon" in Bulgarian, and is used as a measurement of volume equal to 15 milliliters. | |||
| Czech | lžíce | ||
| The Czech word "lžíce" can also mean "spoon" or "a small amount of something". | |||
| Estonian | supilusikatäis | ||
| The word "supilusikatäis" literally means "a spoonful of soup". | |||
| Finnish | rkl | ||
| The origin of the word "rkl" is not completely known, but it could come from a Proto-Germanic word "*hrōkil-." | |||
| Hungarian | evőkanál | ||
| The word "evőkanál" (tablespoon) is derived from the Hungarian words "evő" (eating) and "kanál" (spoon), and literally means "eating spoon." | |||
| Latvian | ēdamkarote | ||
| "Ēdamkarote" (tablespoon) originated from the German "Esslöffel" (eating spoon). | |||
| Lithuanian | šaukštas | ||
| "Šaukštas" is also the Lithuanian word for "spoon" and shares a root with "šaukti," meaning "to shout." | |||
| Macedonian | лажица | ||
| The word "лажица" is also used colloquially to mean "lie" or "falsehood". | |||
| Polish | łyżka | ||
| The word "łyżka" in Polish also means "spoon" and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "lyžica", meaning "small boat". | |||
| Romanian | lingura de masa | ||
| In Romanian, the term "Lingura de masa" derives from "masă" meaning "table" and "lingură" referring to a type of spoon, together indicating its intended use for serving or eating at a dining table | |||
| Russian | столовая ложка | ||
| The word 'столовая ложка' can also refer to a shallow bowl-shaped vessel with a long handle used for serving soups and other liquids. | |||
| Serbian | кашика | ||
| The word кашика (tablespoon) is also used to refer to a spoon that is used to eat porridge or soup. | |||
| Slovak | polievková lyžica | ||
| In Slovak, "polievková lyžica" literally translates to "soup spoon", highlighting its primary use for measuring and serving liquids. | |||
| Slovenian | žlica | ||
| The word "žlica" in Slovenian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*lъžьka", meaning "spoon". | |||
| Ukrainian | столова ложка | ||
| The word "столова ложка" (tablespoon) in Ukrainian is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "ложка" (spoon), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*lykati" (to lick). | |||
Tablespoon in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | টেবিল চামচ | ||
| The origin of the word 'টেবিল চামচ', which means a spoon used on a table, comes from the French words 'table' (table) and 'cuiller' (spoon). | |||
| Gujarati | ચમચી | ||
| The word "ચમચી" is derived from the Sanskrit word "chamach," meaning "spoon". | |||
| Hindi | बड़ा चमचा | ||
| The word "बड़ा चमचा" literally means "big spoon" in Hindi, and can also refer to a serving spoon used for serving food. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಮಚ | ||
| "ಚಮಚ" comes from the Sanskrit word "kambu" meaning "small pot or cup". | |||
| Malayalam | ടേബിൾസ്പൂൺ | ||
| Marathi | चमचे | ||
| The word "चमचे" ("chamach") also means a "flatterer" or "sycophant" in Marathi, as it is often used to describe people who eagerly and obsequiously serve others. | |||
| Nepali | चम्चा | ||
| चाम्चा (Chamcha) is derived from the Sanskrit word "chamach" meaning "a spoon" or "a ladle". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਮਚਾ | ||
| The word "ਚਮਚਾ" in Punjabi is also used to refer to a type of spoon used for eating soup or porridge. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | tablespoon | ||
| In Sinhalese, there are no exact equivalents for "tablespoon", but it can be referred to as "ek gasak" (literally "one spoon"). | |||
| Tamil | தேக்கரண்டி | ||
| The word "தேக்கரண்டி" is derived from the verb "தேக்க," which means "to hold" or "to contain," and the noun "ரண்டி," which refers to a small spoon. | |||
| Telugu | టేబుల్ స్పూన్ | ||
| The word "tablespoon" is derived from the Middle English word "table" meaning "a flat surface on which food is prepared or eaten" and the Old English word "spone" meaning "a spoon". | |||
| Urdu | چمچ | ||
| The word 'چمچ' in Urdu also refers to the act of scooping up food or liquid. | |||
Tablespoon in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 大汤匙 | ||
| "大汤匙"也作"汤匙"，表示用作舀汤及羹之勺。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 大湯匙 | ||
| 大湯匙源自英文tablespoon，意指湯匙的大小，並非單純的『大』湯匙 | |||
| Japanese | 大さじ | ||
| The Japanese word 大さじ (おおさじ) literally means "big spoon" and can also refer to a unit of measurement equal to approximately 15 milliliters. | |||
| Korean | 큰 스푼 | ||
| "큰 스푼" consists of "큰" (big) and "숟가락" (spoon); it originally referred to a spoon used for serving rice or porridge but gradually came to represent a measuring spoon. | |||
| Mongolian | халбага | ||
| The word "халбага" can also refer to a type of spoon used for stirring tea or coffee. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဇွန်း | ||
| The word "ဇွန်း" can also refer to a unit of measurement for volume, equal to 16 teaspoons or 1/4 cup. | |||
Tablespoon in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | sendok makan | ||
| In Indonesian, "sendok makan" can also refer to the "soup spoon", whereas in English, the "tablespoon" is a measuring unit. | |||
| Javanese | sendok | ||
| The Javanese word "sendok" also refers to a type of traditional Javanese spoon made of coconut shells. | |||
| Khmer | tablespoon | ||
| The Khmer word "បារីជូរ" (barey-chour) literally means "water container". In addition to its primary meaning as a tablespoon, it can also refer to a large spoon used for serving rice or other dishes. | |||
| Lao | ບ່ວງ | ||
| The Lao word "ບ່ວງ" can also refer to a wooden bowl or a unit of measurement for rice. | |||
| Malay | sudu besar | ||
| The word 'sudu besar' literally means 'big spoon' in Malay, but it is also sometimes used to refer to a serving spoon, ladle, or scoop. | |||
| Thai | ช้อนโต๊ะ | ||
| The Thai word "ช้อนโต๊ะ" can also be used to refer to a specific amount of ingredients in a recipe, similar to the English usage of "tablespoon". | |||
| Vietnamese | muỗng canh | ||
| The word "muỗng canh" literally means "soup spoon" in Vietnamese, as it was originally used to measure and serve soup. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kutsara | ||
Tablespoon in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | xörək qaşığı | ||
| Kazakh | ас қасық | ||
| Ас қасық, a compound word consisting of "ас" (meal) and "қасық" (spoon), means "tablespoon" that is used to serve food or "a spoonful" of food. | |||
| Kyrgyz | аш кашык | ||
| The word "ash kashyk" in Kyrgyz is also used to refer to a large wooden spoon used in cooking. | |||
| Tajik | қошуқи | ||
| The word "қошуқи" in Tajik also means "spoon (piece of cutlery)" and is derived from the Persian word "قاشق" (qāshoq). | |||
| Turkmen | bir nahar çemçesi | ||
| Uzbek | osh qoshiq | ||
| The word "osh qoshiq" literally translates to "rice spoon" in Uzbek, reflecting its primary use in serving rice-based dishes. | |||
| Uyghur | قوشۇق | ||
Tablespoon in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | punetune | ||
| In Old Hawaiian, "punetune" also meant "a small bundle" or "a bag". | |||
| Maori | punetēpu | ||
| The word "punetēpu" can also refer to a type of Maori food measuring instrument. | |||
| Samoan | sipuni | ||
| The word "sipuni" in Samoan also refers to the shallow bowl-like container used to serve food. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kutsara | ||
| The word "kutsara" also means "spoonful" in Tagalog. | |||
Tablespoon in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | mä cuchara | ||
| Guarani | peteĩ kuñataĩ | ||
Tablespoon in International Languages
| Esperanto | kulero | ||
| "Kulero" (Spanish) means a tablespoon, but also has a vulgar meaning and is not used in formal settings. | |||
| Latin | tablespoon | ||
| The word 'tablespoon' is derived from the Latin 'cochlear maior', meaning 'large spoon'. | |||
Tablespoon in Others Languages
| Greek | κουτάλι της σούπας | ||
| The word "κουτάλι της σούπας" literally means "spoon of the soup" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | tablespoon | ||
| The word "tablespoon" is derived from the Middle English word "table" and the Old English word "spone", meaning "spoon", and it originally referred to a spoon used at the table. | |||
| Kurdish | sifrê | ||
| The Kurdish word "sifrê" also means "zero" in Arabic and "table" in French. | |||
| Turkish | yemek kasigi | ||
| The word "yemek kaşığı" (tablespoon) literally means "eating spoon" in Turkish, highlighting its primary use for measuring ingredients and serving food. | |||
| Xhosa | icephe | ||
| The word "icephe" also has the alternate meaning of "large amount" or "abundance" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | עסלעפל | ||
| "עסלעפל" in Yiddish also means "a small amount" | |||
| Zulu | isipuni | ||
| The word 'isipuni' translates to 'spoon' and is also used to refer to a measuring unit equivalent to a tablespoon. | |||
| Assamese | চামুচ চামুচ | ||
| Aymara | mä cuchara | ||
| Bhojpuri | चम्मच से भरल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | މޭޒުމަތީ ސަމުސާއެކެވެ | ||
| Dogri | चम्मच चम्मच | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kutsara | ||
| Guarani | peteĩ kuñataĩ | ||
| Ilocano | kutsara | ||
| Krio | tebul spɔnj | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | کەوچکێکی چێشت | ||
| Maithili | चम्मच | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯦꯕꯜ ꯆꯃꯆ ꯑꯃꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | tablespoon khat a ni | ||
| Oromo | kanastaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଟେବୁଲ ଚାମଚ | | ||
| Quechua | cuchara | ||
| Sanskrit | चम्मचम् | ||
| Tatar | аш кашыгы | ||
| Tigrinya | ማንካ ማንካ | ||
| Tsonga | xipunu xa tafula | ||