How to say “bird” around the world
424 languages · 424 in their own spelling
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 | 鸟 | niǎo | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | bird | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | pájaro | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | चिड़िया | ciṛiyā | Indo-European |
| Arabic | طَائِر | ṭāʔir | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | পাখী | pakhi | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | burung | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | pássaro | Indo-European | |
| French | oiseau | Indo-European | |
| Russian | пти́ца | ptíca | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 鳥 | tori | Japonic |
| Marathi | पक्षी | pakṣī | Indo-European |
| Swahili | ndege | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | kuş | Turkic | |
| Telugu | పక్షి | pakṣi | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 鸟 | ⁵tiau | Sino-Tibetan |
| Korean | 새 | sae | Koreanic |
| German | Vogel | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | chim | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | பறவை | paṟavai | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 雀仔 | zoek³ zai² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | چِڑْیا | ciṛyā | Indo-European |
| Italian | uccello | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | طير | ṭēr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | પક્ષી | pakṣī | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | پَرِنْدَه | parinda | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 鳥 | chiáu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 鳥子 | tiâu-chṳ́ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Nigerian Pidgin | bẹd | Indo-European | |
| Levantine Arabic | عصفورة | ʕaṣfūre | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | tsuntsu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಹಕ್ಕಿ | hakki | Dravidian |
| Algerian Arabic | زاوش | zāwəš | Afro-Asiatic |
| Polish | ptak | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | ẹyẹ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 鸟 | nyau³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | പക്ഷി | pakṣi | Dravidian |
| Odia | ପକ୍ଷୀ | pakṣi | Indo-European |
| Maithili | चिड़ै | ciṛaɨ | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ငှက် | hngak | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | برطال | bɘrṭāl | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | nnụnụ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | птах | ptax | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | qush | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | پَکِي | pakhī | Indo-European |
| Romanian | pasăre | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | vogel | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | ወፍ | wäf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Magahi | 𑂣𑂒𑂹𑂓𑂲 | pacchī | Indo-European |
| Thai | นก | nók | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | ndeke | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | пти̏ца | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | បក្សី | baksəy | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | shimbir | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | guş | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | langgam | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | चरा | carā | Indo-European |
| Assamese | চৰাই | sorai | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | පක්ෂියා | pakṣiyā | Indo-European |
| Greek | πουλί | poulí | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | firrinde | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | طير | ṭēr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | парранда | parranda | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠙꠣꠈꠤ | fakí | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | құс | qus | Turkic |
| Hungarian | madár | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | inyoni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | inyoni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | mbalame | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | مرغه | marǧa | Indo-European |
| Czech | pták | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | قۇش | qush | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | voël | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 鳥 | cēu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | zwazo | Indo-European | |
| Kanuri | ngudo | Saharan | |
| Swedish | fågel | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | quş | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | пти́ца | ptíca | Indo-European |
| Xhosa | intaka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | пту́шка | ptúška | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ዑፍ | ʿuf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | auciello | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | باڵندە | ballinde | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱪᱮᱺᱬᱮᱹ | cĕ̃ṇĕ | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | ciyuni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | جاناوار | jānāvār | Indo-European |
| Northern Thai | ᨶᩫ᩠ᨠ | nok | Tai-Kadai |
| Danish | fugl | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | vták | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | nonyana | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | kafuwa | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Kabyle | agḍiḍ | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Minangkabau | buruang | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | lintu | Uralic | |
| Lao | ນົກ | nok | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | fugl | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | кош | qoş | Turkic |
| Buginese | dongi | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | ocell | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | guyra | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | aceddu | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | куш | kuş | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Vogel | Indo-European | |
| Tswana | nonyane | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | ajḍiḍ | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | թռչուն | tʻṙčʻun | Indo-European |
| Ganda | ekinyonyi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| S'gaw Karen | ထိၣ် | hṭoh̀ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | paukštis | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | pisin | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | usell | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | ფრინველი | prinveli | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | cicém | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | zog | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | xevi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shan | ၼူၵ်ႉ | nṵ̂uk | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | шувуу | šuvuu | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Bikol | bayong | Austronesian | |
| Galician | paxaro | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | ayup | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | ptič | Indo-European | |
| Iban | burong | Austronesian | |
| Esperanto | birdo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | птица | ptica | Indo-European |
| Piedmontese | osel | Indo-European | |
| Tulu | ಪಕ್ಕಿ | pakki | Dravidian |
| Venetian | oseo | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | roeg | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | faik | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | ceʼa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | kimbiró | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Bini | áhíanmwẹ̏ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Igala | ẹ́wẹ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latvian | putns | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | pisqu | Quechuan | |
| Scots | bird | Indo-European | |
| Bodo | दाव | dao | Sino-Tibetan |
| Chechen | олхазар | olxazar | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | lind | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | ҡош | qoş | Turkic |
| Tibetan | བྱ | bya | Sino-Tibetan |
| Muong | chim | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | papanuk | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | ușël | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | manuk-manuk | Austronesian | |
| Newari | झंगः | jhaṃga: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Central Okinawan | 鳥 | tui | Japonic |
| Nuer | dit | Nilotic | |
| Kabuverdianu | avi | Indo-European | |
| Khasi | sim | Austroasiatic | |
| Western Frisian | fûgel | Indo-European | |
| Nias | fofo | Austronesian | |
| Iu Mien | norqc | Hmong-Mien | |
| Nupe-Nupe-Tako | elú | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Maranao | papanok | Austronesian | |
| Avar | хӏинчӏ | ḥʳinčʼ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | paranda | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪶꪙꪀ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Basque | txori | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | кайӑк | kajăk | Turkic |
| Welsh | adar | Indo-European | |
| Yucatec Maya | chʼíichʼ | Mayan | |
| Kok Borok | tok | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Lü | ᦷᦓᧅ | nok | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | къуш | q̄uš | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | птах | ptax | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | zwazo | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | zoizo | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | oujhea | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | бзыу | bzəwu | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | għasfur | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | quş | Turkic | |
| Occitan | aucèl | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | ćiriklo | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | öxéllo | Indo-European | |
| Mari | кайык | kajyk | Uralic |
| Tetum | manu | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | páxaru | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | чыычаах | čïïčaax | Turkic |
| Samoan | manu | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | fowru | Indo-European | |
| Tzotzil | mut | Mayan | |
| Fijian | mahumanu | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ދޫނި | dūni | Indo-European |
| Ingush | оалхазар | oalxazar | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Icelandic | fugl | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | nuni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | къанатлы | qanatlı | Turkic |
| Friulian | uciel | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | куш | kuş | Turkic |
| Udmurt | тылобурдо | tyloburdo | Uralic |
| Jarai | čĭm | Austronesian | |
| Plautdietsch | Voagel | Indo-European | |
| Nama | anis | Khoe-Kwadi | |
| Dzongkha | བྱ | bya | Sino-Tibetan |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܛܲܝܪܵܐ | ṭayra | Afro-Asiatic |
| Zeelandic | veugel | Indo-European | |
| Māori | manu | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | memanuk | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | bunzhu | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | аԥсаа | apsaa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | manupuna | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | tsídii | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Bahnar | sem | Austroasiatic | |
| Komi | лэбач | lebać | Uralic |
| Corsican | aceddu | Indo-European | |
| Gagauz | kuş | Turkic | |
| Pennsylvania German | Voggel | Indo-European | |
| Irish | éan | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | ave | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | pulj | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | ptôch | Indo-European | |
| Breton | labous | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | nyuni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Erzya | нармунь | narmuń | Uralic |
| Dagur | degii | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Nogai | кус | kus | Turkic |
| Võro | tsirk | Uralic | |
| Tabasaran | гъуш | ġuš | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Faroese | fuglur | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | manu | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | кай | kaj | Uralic |
| Marshallese | bao | Austronesian | |
| Scottish Gaelic | eun | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | куш | kuš | Turkic |
| Chuukese | machang | Austronesian | |
| Sanskrit | वि | vi | Indo-European |
| Ternate | namo | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | чёр | qior | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | utschè | Indo-European | |
| Tlaxcala-Puebla-Central Nahuatl | tototl | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Chepang | वाः | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Karelian | lintu | Uralic | |
| Plains Cree | pileshish | Algic | |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | manuk | Austronesian | |
| Pohnpeian | menpihr | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | manu | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | loddi | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | чӏучӏу́ | č̣uč̣ú | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Central Yupik | yaqulek | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | дэги | dəgi | Tungusic |
| Mirandese | páixaro | Indo-European | |
| Svan | მეპო̈̄რ | meṗȫr | Kartvelian |
| Drung | pvchiq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Western Apache | diǫ' | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | ptačk | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᏥᏍᏆ | tsisqua | Iroquoian |
| Innu-aimun | pineshish | Algic | |
| Blagar | uul | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Northern Frisian | fögel | Indo-European | |
| Louisiana Creole | zwazo | Indo-European | |
| Semai | cep | Austroasiatic | |
| Zuni | wotsana | Isolates | |
| Choctaw | hushi | Muskogean | |
| Aragonese | paxaro | Indo-European | |
| Mi'kmaw | jipji'j | Algic | |
| Kosraean | tuhram | Austronesian | |
| Udi | къуш | q̇uš | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Abau | ahney | Sepik | |
| Hopi | tsiro | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Lower Sorbian | ptašk | Indo-European | |
| Yidgha | طوطی | Indo-European | |
| Even | дэги | dəgi | Tungusic |
| Chukchi | гатԓе | gatḷe | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Jejueo | 생이 | saeng'i | Koreanic |
| Rapanui | manu | Austronesian | |
| Dolgan | көтөр | Turkic | |
| Pitjantjatjara | tjuḻpu | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Tokelau | manu | Austronesian | |
| Algonquin | pineshìnjish | Algic | |
| Cheyenne | vé'kése | Algic | |
| Alangan | punay | Austronesian | |
| Moksha | нармонь | narmoń | Uralic |
| Lakota | ziŋtkála | Siouan | |
| Mòcheno | vougl | Indo-European | |
| Manx | ushag | Indo-European | |
| Woleaian | mal | Austronesian | |
| Interlingua | ave | Artificial Language | |
| Bororo | kiogö | Bororoan | |
| Nanai | гаса | gasa | Tungusic |
| Pipil | tutut | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Istriot | uzai | Indo-European | |
| Shoshoni | huchu | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Archi | ноцӏ | nocʼ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Taos Northern Tiwa | cìwyuʼúna | Kiowa-Tanoan | |
| Guugu Yimidhirr | dyidyirr | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Cornish | edhen | Indo-European | |
| Cimbrian | bóoghel | Indo-European | |
| Aleut | sax | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Amur Nivkh | пыйӈа | pəjŋa | Nivkh |
| Ket | кеӈассель | keŋasselʸ | Yeniseian |
| Nganasan | тәибәә | təibəə | Uralic |
| Ingrian | lintu | Uralic | |
| Seneca | jíʼdëʼö꞉h | Iroquoian | |
| Negidal | дэғӣ | dəɣī | Tungusic |
| Korur | mein | Austronesian | |
| Kavalan | alam | Austronesian | |
| Wymysorys | fȫguł | Indo-European | |
| Votic | lintu | Uralic | |
| Macanese | pastro | Indo-European | |
| Prussian | pippelis | Indo-European | |
| Maricopa | chyer | Cochimi-Yuman | |
| Manchu | ᡤᠠᠰᡥᠠ | gasha | Tungusic |
| Western Abenaki | sips | Algic | |
| Central Sierra Miwok | číčka- | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ainu | チㇼ | cir | Ainu |
| Pawnee | rikucki | Caddoan | |
| Chamicuro | chisti | Arawakan | |
| Chinook Jargon | kələkələ | Chinookan | |
| Abu | ungaraka | Ramu | |
| Longchuan Achang | nghoq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Ahom | 𑜃𑜤𑜀𑜫 | nuk | Tai-Kadai |
| Akkadian | iṣṣūrum | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Ama (Papua New Guinea) | uo | Left May | |
| Gilit Mesopotamian Arabic | طير | ṭīr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Arrernte | thipe | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Kriol | bed | Indo-European | |
| Avestan | 𐬬𐬍𐬱 | vīš | Indo-European |
| Aymara | jamach'i | Aymaran |