Water in Different Languages
Discover 'Water' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Water is a fundamental element of life, making up about 60% of our body weight and covering 71% of the Earth's surface. Its significance extends beyond biology and geography, playing a crucial role in various cultures and traditions around the world.
For instance, in Hinduism, water is one of the 'Panchamahabhutas' or five great elements. In Christianity, it symbolizes purification and spiritual rebirth. And in many African cultures, water is believed to possess healing powers.
Given its importance, it's no surprise that people often want to know how to say 'water' in different languages. Here are a few examples: ' Wasser' in German, ' eau' in French, and 'acqua' in Italian.
Exploring the translations of water not only satisfies our curiosity but also offers insights into the diverse ways cultures perceive and interact with this vital resource.
Water
Water in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | water | ||
| The word "water" in Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word "water" and also means "to water". | |||
| Amharic | ውሃ | ||
| Hausa | ruwa | ||
| In Hausa, 'ruwa' can also refer to a type of traditional beer or an aqueous potion used in traditional medicine. | |||
| Igbo | mmiri | ||
| The Igbo word for water, mmiri, also means 'life', denoting its essential nature to all living things. | |||
| Malagasy | rano | ||
| The Malagasy word "rano" also means "rain" or "liquid". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | madzi | ||
| "Madzi" also means "rain" or "river" in Chichewa, and is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "*maji" meaning "liquid". | |||
| Shona | mvura | ||
| "Mvura" is also the name of a river god in Shona mythology. | |||
| Somali | biyo | ||
| Sesotho | metsi | ||
| "Metsi" in Sesotho also refers to a river, and it can be used figuratively to symbolize life. | |||
| Swahili | maji | ||
| The Swahili word 'maji' is derived from the Bantu word 'ma' which means 'to flow'. | |||
| Xhosa | amanzi | ||
| Although | |||
| Yoruba | omi | ||
| It is a prefix in many Yoruba words that include "water" or "liquid" (e.g. "omi-omi" for "ocean". | |||
| Zulu | amanzi | ||
| The etymology of "amanzi" traces back to the proto-Bantu word "*máː́nzí", which originated from the root "*-nzí" meaning "to flow or pour". | |||
| Bambara | ji | ||
| Ewe | tsi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amazi | ||
| Lingala | mai | ||
| Luganda | amazzi | ||
| Sepedi | meetse | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nsuo | ||
Water in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ماء | ||
| Etymology: <Arabic: "ماء (ma): water" > Alternative meanings in Quran: "semen" (of man) | |||
| Hebrew | מים | ||
| The Hebrew word 'מים' ('water') may also refer to the amniotic fluid in which a fetus develops. | |||
| Pashto | اوبه | ||
| The word "اوبه" is derived from the Proto-Iranian word *hapu- and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "अप" (ápa) meaning "water." | |||
| Arabic | ماء | ||
| Etymology: <Arabic: "ماء (ma): water" > Alternative meanings in Quran: "semen" (of man) | |||
Water in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ujë | ||
| The Albanian word for water "ujë" is thought to be of Illyrian origin. | |||
| Basque | ura | ||
| The Basque word ura has a cognate in the Indo-European | |||
| Catalan | aigua | ||
| 'Aigua' originates from Latin 'aqua' and shares roots with 'eau' in French and 'acqua' in Italian, and can also refer to the juice inside a watermelon or melon in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | voda | ||
| The word "voda" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wed-" meaning "to wet" and has cognates in many Slavic languages. | |||
| Danish | vand | ||
| In Old Norse, "vand" referred to the sea specifically and not to bodies of freshwater | |||
| Dutch | water | ||
| The Dutch word "water" is thought to derive from an Indo-European root meaning "to flow" or "to be wet." | |||
| English | water | ||
| The word "water" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *wed-, meaning "wet". | |||
| French | eau | ||
| The word "eau" in French derives from the Latin word "aqua" and also means "a body of water" like a lake or river. | |||
| Frisian | wetter | ||
| The word "wetter" in Frisian also means "weather". | |||
| Galician | auga | ||
| Galician word "auga" comes from Latin "aqua" and can also mean "rain" in some Galician dialects. | |||
| German | wasser | ||
| The Old German word | |||
| Icelandic | vatn | ||
| Cognate to the Irish word "uisce" (meaning "water") and possibly related to the Latin word "aqua" (also meaning "water"). | |||
| Irish | uisce | ||
| The word "uisce" is cognate with the Latin word "aqua" and the Greek word "hydor". | |||
| Italian | acqua | ||
| The Italian word "acqua" (water) derives from the Latin "aqua" and Proto-Indo-European "*akʷā"} | |||
| Luxembourgish | waasser | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "Waasser" shares the root with the English "wash", as both originate from an Indo-European base word referring to "liquid"} | |||
| Maltese | ilma | ||
| Ilma is the Semitic cognate of the Arabic root w-d-y, meaning "water" or "river". | |||
| Norwegian | vann | ||
| Vann is also a Norwegian name for men and means 'hope'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | água | ||
| "Água" can also refer to the clear liquid part of another drink, like tea or coffee. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uisge | ||
| In Scots Gaelic, «uisge» may refer to water of any kind, but the term can also mean a spirit or liquor. | |||
| Spanish | agua | ||
| ''Agua'' ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European ''*h₂ékʷeh₂, referring to both ''water'' and ''aqueous liquids''. | |||
| Swedish | vatten | ||
| The Swedish word 'vatten' is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'watar', meaning 'water' or 'liquid'. | |||
| Welsh | dwr | ||
| The Welsh word "dwr" is also found in the names of many rivers, lakes, and other water bodies in Wales. | |||
Water in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вада | ||
| The word "вада" is a cognate of the Indo-European root "*wed-", which means "wet" or "water". | |||
| Bosnian | vode | ||
| The word "vode" is a Slavic word that is also used in other languages, such as Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian. | |||
| Bulgarian | вода | ||
| The word "вода" (water) in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *voda and is related to words like "wet" and "wash". | |||
| Czech | voda | ||
| In Proto-Slavic, *voda meant "that which washes, water"; it also developed meanings like "flood" or "river". | |||
| Estonian | vesi | ||
| The word "vesi" may also be related to the Proto-Finnic word meaning "liquid" or "fluid." | |||
| Finnish | vettä | ||
| The word 'vettä' (water) is etymologically related to 'vesi' and 'veistos', which mean 'water' and 'sculpture' respectively. | |||
| Hungarian | víz | ||
| Hungarian "víz" derives from Proto-Uralic "wete" and can also mean "urine" in Hungarian dialect. | |||
| Latvian | ūdens | ||
| In Latvian, the word "ūdens" not only means "water" but also can refer to the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus. | |||
| Lithuanian | vandens | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vandens" is related to the Latin word "unda" (wave) and the Sanskrit word "ud" (water). | |||
| Macedonian | вода | ||
| Macedonian "вода" comes from the Proto-Slavic *voda, like other Slavic languages, but is also related to words like "guide" and "leader" in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Polish | woda | ||
| In old Polish, "woda" could also mean "river" or "creek". | |||
| Romanian | apă | ||
| "Apă" derives from the Proto-Slavic word "voda", also meaning "water", and is related to the Latin "aqua" and Greek "ὕδωρ" (húdōr). | |||
| Russian | вода | ||
| The Russian word "вода" (water) comes from the Proto-Slavic *voda, which is related to the Latin "unda" (wave) and the Greek "ὕδωρ" (water). | |||
| Serbian | воде | ||
| The word "воде" in Serbian is a noun with a singular feminine form and is used to refer to water. | |||
| Slovak | voda | ||
| The Slovak word "voda" is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wed-", meaning "wet" or "to moisten". | |||
| Slovenian | vode | ||
| "Vode" in Slovene language also means "flood". | |||
| Ukrainian | води | ||
| The Ukrainian word "води" is derived from an Old Slavonic root that also means "to lead" or "to guide". | |||
Water in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | জল | ||
| জল, which means "water" in Bengali, is cognate with the English "gel", indicating the fluid quality shared by the two terms. | |||
| Gujarati | પાણી | ||
| The Gujarati word "પાણી" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*wed-", which meant "wet". | |||
| Hindi | पानी | ||
| The Hindi word 'पानी' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'पानीय' and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root 'pa-,' meaning 'to drink'. | |||
| Kannada | ನೀರು | ||
| The word "ನೀರು," meaning "water" in Kannada, shares a possible etymological root with the Sanskrit word "नीर," which also means "water." | |||
| Malayalam | വെള്ളം | ||
| Marathi | पाणी | ||
| The Marathi word "पाणी" derives from the Sanskrit word "पानीय" meaning "drinkable" or "liquid". | |||
| Nepali | पानी | ||
| Punjabi | ਪਾਣੀ | ||
| The word "ਪਾਣੀ" ("water") is cognate with the Sanskrit word "पानी" ("water") and the Iranian word "ap" ("water"). | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ජලය | ||
| In Sinhala, the word "ජලය" (jala) is derived from the Sanskrit word "जल" (jala), which also means "water". It is cognate with the English word "jelly" and the Latin word "gelu", both of which refer to a substance that is semisolid or liquid. | |||
| Tamil | தண்ணீர் | ||
| தண்ணீர் comes from the Dravidian word, "tanni" meaning "coolness". | |||
| Telugu | నీటి | ||
| Urdu | پانی | ||
Water in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 水 | ||
| “水” originally meant liquid but later got applied to many other meanings like time, money, and desire. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 水 | ||
| The Chinese character 水 (water) also means "level" or "horizontal", as in 水平 (horizontal). | |||
| Japanese | 水 | ||
| The character 水 (read as sui) also means "liquid" or "fluid" in both Japanese and Chinese. | |||
| Korean | 물 | ||
| The Korean word '물' can also mean 'liquid' or 'juice'. | |||
| Mongolian | ус | ||
| The word "ус" is a homonym in Mongolian, with distinct meanings in different contexts, such as "water," "intelligence," and "scent." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရေ | ||
| The word ရေ in Burmese comes from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan word *rek, meaning 'moisture', 'juice', or 'broth'. | |||
Water in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | air | ||
| "Air" means "water" in Indonesian but also means "melody" and "song". | |||
| Javanese | banyu | ||
| In Balinese, "banyu" specifically refers to river water, as opposed to "toya" which is used for well or spring water. | |||
| Khmer | ទឹក | ||
| The word "ទឹក" (water) also means "river" or "lake" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ນ້ໍາ | ||
| The Lao word "ນ້ໍາ" can also refer to a sauce, juice, or broth. | |||
| Malay | air | ||
| In Malay, "air" can also refer to water currents, bubbles, or tears. | |||
| Thai | น้ำ | ||
| The Thai word "น้ำ" (nam) also means "saliva" or "juice", and is related to the Khmer word "nam" (water). | |||
| Vietnamese | nước | ||
| The Sino-Vietnamese word 'nước' also refers to a nation, country, or state. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tubig | ||
Water in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | su | ||
| The word "su" in Azerbaijani also has meanings such as "aqua", "liquid" and "juice", and is the root word of the Turkic word "suda" meaning "to wash". | |||
| Kazakh | су | ||
| In some dialects, "су" can also refer to milk, while in others it means "liquid" in general. | |||
| Kyrgyz | суу | ||
| "Суу" has also been translated as "river" and has its origins in the Turkic languages. | |||
| Tajik | об | ||
| The word "об" can also mean "irrigation canal" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | suw | ||
| Uzbek | suv | ||
| The Uzbek word "suv" is cognate with the Turkish "su" and the Mongolian "us", all of which derive from the Proto-Altaic root *su-. | |||
| Uyghur | water | ||
Water in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wai | ||
| The word "wai" in Hawaiian can also mean "liquid" or "sap", and is related to the Proto-Austronesian word *wai "water".} | |||
| Maori | wai | ||
| The Maori word "wai" also means "essence" or "spirit". | |||
| Samoan | vai | ||
| The word 'vaī', which comes as a root in many Samoan words related to water (such as 'vaisa', 'vaisalo', and 'vaiumu') also means to 'break' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tubig | ||
| "Tubig" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*tabiŋ" which also means "water". | |||
Water in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uma | ||
| Guarani | y | ||
Water in International Languages
| Esperanto | akvo | ||
| The word "akvo" is derived from the Latin "aqua" and also means "life's fluid" in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | aqua | ||
| Aqua, Latin for "water," shares a root with "aqueduct" and "aquarium," highlighting its historical significance in managing water resources and creating aquatic habitats. | |||
Water in Others Languages
| Greek | νερό | ||
| In some archaic Greek dialects, such as Lesbian, "νερό" also meant "grape juice". | |||
| Hmong | dej | ||
| "Dej" means "water" in the Green Hmong dialect, but "river" in the White Hmong dialect. | |||
| Kurdish | av | ||
| Av also means 'dew' or 'rain' and is related to the Farsi 'ab' (water). | |||
| Turkish | su | ||
| "Su" (water) comes from the Proto-Turkic "*suw" and also means "liquid", "fluid", or "juice" in the Turkic languages. | |||
| Xhosa | amanzi | ||
| Although | |||
| Yiddish | וואַסער | ||
| The Yiddish word "וואַסער" (water) is derived from the Proto-Germanic "watraz," also the source of the English word "water." | |||
| Zulu | amanzi | ||
| The etymology of "amanzi" traces back to the proto-Bantu word "*máː́nzí", which originated from the root "*-nzí" meaning "to flow or pour". | |||
| Assamese | পানী | ||
| Aymara | uma | ||
| Bhojpuri | पानी | ||
| Dhivehi | ފެން | ||
| Dogri | पानी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tubig | ||
| Guarani | y | ||
| Ilocano | danum | ||
| Krio | wata | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاو | ||
| Maithili | जल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯁꯤꯡ | ||
| Mizo | tui | ||
| Oromo | bishaan | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଜଳ | ||
| Quechua | yaku | ||
| Sanskrit | जलम् | ||
| Tatar | су | ||
| Tigrinya | ማይ | ||
| Tsonga | mati | ||