How to say “banana” around the world

256 languages · 256 in their own spelling

Banana is thought to come from a West African language, spread by Portuguese and Spanish; in Southeast Asia, the fruit’s homeland, it has quite different local names, such as Malay pisang.

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banana · plátano · pisangकेला · কলা · केळे香蕉 · 香蕉 · chuốiمَوْزَة · muz · موزةndizi · 香蕉 · ငှက်ပျောသီးတကွံသၣ် · hudi · ދޮންކެޔޮఅరటిపండు · irigũ · lbananOther shapes

Dots of one colour begin with a similar sound. Colours group words by the class of their first consonant (a sound-class method used in linguistics): words that begin alike share a colour. This shows resemblance, not common origin — proving relationship needs case-by-case comparison. Readable forms come from Wiktionary translation tables; many smaller languages come from the ASJP word lists, in ASJP’s simplified transcription.

Language	Word	Romanization	Family
Chinese	香蕉	xiāngjiāo	Sino-Tibetan
English	banana		Indo-European
Spanish	plátano		Indo-European
Hindi	केला	kelā	Indo-European
Arabic	مَوْزَة	mawza	Afro-Asiatic
Bengali	কলা	kola	Indo-European
Indonesian	pisang		Austronesian
Portuguese	banana		Indo-European
French	banane		Indo-European
Russian	бана́н	banán	Indo-European
Japanese	バナナ	banana	Japonic
Marathi	केळे	keḷe	Indo-European
Swahili	ndizi		Atlantic-Congo
Turkish	muz		Turkic
Telugu	అరటిపండు	araṭipaṇḍu	Dravidian
Wu Chinese	香蕉	¹shian-ciau	Sino-Tibetan
Korean	바나나	banana	Koreanic
German	Banane		Indo-European
Vietnamese	chuối		Austroasiatic
Tamil	வாழைப்பழம்	vāḻaippaḻam	Dravidian
Cantonese	香蕉	hoeng¹ ziu¹	Sino-Tibetan
Urdu	کیلا	kelā	Indo-European
Italian	banana		Indo-European
Egyptian Arabic	موزة	mōza	Afro-Asiatic
Gujarati	કેળું	keḷũ	Indo-European
Western Farsi	موز	moz	Indo-European
Min Nan Chinese	弓蕉	keng-chio	Sino-Tibetan
Hakka Chinese	弓蕉	kiûng-chêu	Sino-Tibetan
Jinyu Chinese	香蕉	xion¹ jiau¹	Sino-Tibetan
Hausa	ayaba		Afro-Asiatic
Kannada	ಬಾಳೆಹಣ್ಣು	bāḷehaṇṇu	Dravidian
Polish	banan		Indo-European
Yoruba	ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀		Atlantic-Congo
Xiang Chinese	香蕉	xian¹ jiau¹	Sino-Tibetan
Malayalam	പഴം	paḻaṁ	Dravidian
Odia	କଦଳୀ	kadaḷi	Indo-European
Burmese	ငှက်ပျောသီး	hngakpyau:si:	Sino-Tibetan
Moroccan Arabic	بنان	banān	Afro-Asiatic
Ukrainian	бана́н	banán	Indo-European
Uzbek	banan		Turkic
Sindhi	ڪيانا	kyānā	Indo-European
Romanian	banană		Indo-European
Dutch	banaan		Indo-European
Gan Chinese	香蕉	xiong¹ 'jieu¹	Sino-Tibetan
Amharic	ሙዝ	muz	Afro-Asiatic
Thai	กล้วย	glûai	Tai-Kadai
Lingala	ntela		Atlantic-Congo
Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian	бана́на		Indo-European
Khmer	ចេក	ceek	Austroasiatic
Somali	muus		Afro-Asiatic
Turkmen	banan		Turkic
Cebuano	saging		Austronesian
Nepali	केरा	kerā	Indo-European
Assamese	কল	kol	Indo-European
Sinhala	කෙසෙල්	kesel	Indo-European
Greek	μπανάνα	banána	Indo-European
Kurdish	mûz		Indo-European
Hijazi Arabic	موزة	mōza	Afro-Asiatic
Tajik	мавз	mavz	Indo-European
Kazakh	банан	banan	Turkic
Hungarian	banán		Uralic
Akan	akwaadu		Atlantic-Congo
Southern Pashto	کيله	kila	Indo-European
Czech	banán		Indo-European
Uighur	بانان	banan	Turkic
Afrikaans	piesang		Indo-European
Min Dong Chinese	芭蕉	bă-ciĕu	Sino-Tibetan
Haitian	fig		Indo-European
Swedish	banan		Indo-European
Azerbaijani	banan		Turkic
Iloko	saba		Austronesian
Bulgarian	бана́н	banán	Indo-European
Hiligaynon	saging		Austronesian
Belarusian	бана́н	banán	Indo-European
Tigrinya	ሙዝ	muz	Afro-Asiatic
Central Kurdish	مۆز	moz	Indo-European
Santali	ᱠᱟᱭᱨᱟ	kayra	Austroasiatic
Tumbuka	ntochi		Atlantic-Congo
Kashmiri	کیلہٕ	kēlụ	Indo-European
Kikuyu	irigũ		Atlantic-Congo
Danish	banan		Indo-European
Slovak	banán		Indo-European
Southern Sotho	banana		Atlantic-Congo
Wolaytta	muuziya		Ta-Ne-Omotic
Kabyle	lbanan		Afro-Asiatic
Finnish	banaani		Uralic
Lao	ໝາກກ້ວຍ	māk kuāi	Tai-Kadai
Norwegian	banan		Indo-European
Tatar	банан	banan	Turkic
Catalan	banana		Indo-European
Guarani	pakova		Tupian
Kirghiz	банан	banan	Turkic
Armenian	բանան	banan	Indo-European
Balinese	biu		Austronesian
S'gaw Karen	တကွံသၣ်	ta kwee thà	Sino-Tibetan
Lithuanian	bananas		Indo-European
Tok Pisin	banana		Indo-European
Georgian	ბანანი	banani	Kartvelian
Waray	saging		Austronesian
Albanian	banane		Indo-European
Shan	ၵူၺ်ႈ	kōi	Tai-Kadai
Mongolian	гадил	gadil	Mongolic-Khitan
Bikol	batag		Austronesian
Galician	banana		Indo-European
Pampanga	sagin		Austronesian
Slovenian	banana		Indo-European
Bouyei	joicdiangz		Tai-Kadai
Esperanto	banano		Artificial Language
Macedonian	бана́на	banána	Indo-European
Zhuang	gyoij		Tai-Kadai
Rohingya	kela		Indo-European
Sidamo	muuze		Afro-Asiatic
Latvian	banāns		Indo-European
Quechua	latanu		Quechuan
Chechen	банан	banan	Nakh-Daghestanian
Estonian	banaan		Uralic
Tibetan	ཀེ་ར	ke ra	Sino-Tibetan
Muong	chuổi		Austroasiatic
Maguindanao	sagin		Austronesian
Pangasinan	pontí		Austronesian
Romagnol	banâna		Indo-European
Tausug	saing		Austronesian
Mon	ဗြာတ်	brāt	Austroasiatic
Western Frisian	banaan		Indo-European
Frafra	kodugu		Atlantic-Congo
Nupe-Nupe-Tako	yàbà		Atlantic-Congo
Kalmyk	һадль	ğadlʹ	Mongolic-Khitan
Maranao	saging		Austronesian
Tai Dam	ꪀ꫁ꪺꪥ		Tai-Kadai
Basque	platano		Isolates
Welsh	banana		Indo-European
Lü	ᦂᦽᧉ	k̇oy²	Tai-Kadai
Rusyn	бана́н	banán	Indo-European
Morisyen	banann		Indo-European
Adyghe	бэнанэ	bɛnanɛ	Abkhaz-Adyge
Maltese	banana		Afro-Asiatic
Occitan	banana		Indo-European
Tetum	hudi		Austronesian
Asturian	plátanu		Indo-European
Chavacano	saging		Indo-European
Samoan	fa'i		Austronesian
Sranan Tongo	bakba		Indo-European
Masbatenyo	saging		Austronesian
Dhivehi	ދޮންކެޔޮ	don̊keyo	Indo-European
Chakma	𑄇𑄧𑄣	kalā	Indo-European
Icelandic	banani		Indo-European
Friulian	banane		Indo-European
Plautdietsch	Banan		Indo-European
Dzongkha	ངང་ལག	ngang lag	Sino-Tibetan
Iriga Bicolano	batag		Austronesian
Enga	angató		Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Amis	pawli		Austronesian
Māori	panana		Austronesian
Abkhaz	абанан	abanan	Abkhaz-Adyge
Tonga (Tonga Islands)	siaine		Austronesian
Central Dusun	punti		Austronesian
Hiri Motu	biku		Pidgin
Navajo	hashkʼaan		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit
Talaandig-Binukid	saging		Austronesian
Bantoanon	batag		Austronesian
Solu-Khumbu Sherpa	ཀེ་ར	ke ra	Sino-Tibetan
Irish	banana		Indo-European
Cuyonon	saging		Austronesian
Ibaloi	balat		Austronesian
Paiwan	veljevelj		Austronesian
Atayal	buqoh		Austronesian
Northern Catanduanes Bicolano	saging		Austronesian
Tinà Sambal	batag		Austronesian
Faroese	banan		Indo-European
Tahitian	me'a		Austronesian
Scottish Gaelic	banana		Indo-European
Southern Altai	банан	banan	Turkic
Bolinao	batag		Austronesian
Tiruray	saging		Austronesian
Sanskrit	कदली	kadalī	Indo-European
Argobba	ሙዝ	muz	Afro-Asiatic
Dungan	щёнҗё	xionjio	Sino-Tibetan
Romansh	banana		Indo-European
Motu	bigu		Austronesian
Bunun	bunbun		Austronesian
Higaonon	saging		Austronesian
Hawaiian	maiʻa		Austronesian
Inabaknon	punti		Austronesian
Taroko	blebun		Austronesian
Western Bukidnon Manobo	saɣing		Austronesian
Leh Ladakhi	ཀེ་ལའི	ke la'i	Sino-Tibetan
Upper Sorbian	banana		Indo-European
Cherokee	ᏆᏁᎾ	quanena	Iroquoian
Rukai	belebele		Austronesian
Northern Frisian	banaan		Indo-European
Puyuma	belrbelr		Austronesian
Abau	yoh		Sepik
Lower Sorbian	banana		Indo-European
Rapanui	māika		Austronesian
Saisiyat	tawmo'		Austronesian
Yami	vineveh		Austronesian
Mohawk	teiotahià꞉kton		Iroquoian
Tokelau	fuāfai		Austronesian
Tsou	cnʉmʉ		Austronesian
Karao	balat		Austronesian
Manx	bananey		Indo-European
Interlingua	banana		Artificial Language
Pipil	kinia		Uto-Aztecan
Sakizaya	paza'		Austronesian
Cornish	banana		Indo-European
Kavalan	benina		Austronesian
Saaroa	tavʉhlʉvʉhlʉ		Austronesian
Kanakanavu	nivanga		Austronesian
Chamicuro	masipata		Arawakan
Ahom	𑜀𑜤𑜐𑜫	kuñ	Tai-Kadai
Angal Enen	ai		Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Aymara	puquta		Aymaran
Basay	puti		Austronesian
Coastal-Virac Bikol	batag		Austronesian
Coptic	ⲁⲗⲗⲱⲕⲓ	allōki	Afro-Asiatic
Kalaallisut	banani		Eskimo-Aleut
Hebrew	בָּנָנָה	banána	Afro-Asiatic
Hunsrik	Banann		Indo-European
Batad Ifugao	balat		Austronesian
Isoko	oruvbo		Atlantic-Congo
Ibatan	vinyiveh		Austronesian
Javanese	gedhang		Austronesian
Kawi	pisaṅ		Austronesian
Kachama-Ganjule-Haro	muze		Ta-Ne-Omotic
Tagakaulu Kalagan	saging		Austronesian
Limos Kalinga	balat		Austronesian
Keley-i Kallahan	balat		Austronesian
Kituba (Democratic Republic of Congo)	dikondo		Atlantic-Congo
South-Central Koongo	dinkondo		Atlantic-Congo
San Blas Kuna	madun		Chibchan
Latin	ariēna		Indo-European
Lengo	vudi		Austronesian
Low German	Banaan		Indo-European
Lautu	buohla		Sino-Tibetan
Moselle Franconian	Banann		Indo-European
Malagasy	akondro		Austronesian
Malay	pisang		Austronesian
Brunei	pisang		Austronesian
Minamanwa	saging		Austronesian
Central Melanau	baleak		Austronesian
Alcozauca Mixtec	chi̱ta̱		Otomanguean
Tagal Murut	punti		Austronesian
Ojibwa	akandamoo		Algic
Oromo	muuzii		Afro-Asiatic
Brooke's Point Palawano	punti		Austronesian
Eastern Panjabi	ਕੇਲਾ	kelā	Indo-European
Sangil	vusa		Austronesian
Sardinian	banana		Indo-European
Masbate Sorsogon	saging		Austronesian
Waray Sorsogon	saging		Austronesian
Sundanese	cau		Austronesian
Tagalog	saging		Austronesian
Thao	fizfiz		Austronesian
Ho-Chunk	ceerap		Siouan
Wolof	banaana		Atlantic-Congo
Yiddish	באַנאַנע	banane	Indo-European