How to say “drink” around the world
5,244 languages · 252 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 | 喝 | hē | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | drink | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | beber | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | पीना | pīnā | Indo-European |
| Arabic | شَرِبَ | šariba | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | খাওয়া | khaōẇa | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | minum | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | beber | Indo-European | |
| French | boire | Indo-European | |
| Russian | пить | pitʹ | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 飲む | nomu | Japonic |
| Marathi | पिणे | piṇe | Indo-European |
| Swahili | kunywa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | içmek | Turkic | |
| Telugu | తాగు | tāgu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 吃 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 마시다 | masida | Koreanic |
| German | trinken | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | uống | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | குடி | kuṭi | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 飲 | jam² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | پِینا | pīnā | Indo-European |
| Italian | bere | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | شرب | širib | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | પીવું | pīvũ | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | نوشِیدَن | nōšīdan | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 啉 | lim | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 食 | sṳ̍t | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 喝 | hah⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Polish | pić | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | mu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 吃 | qia⁶ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | കുടിയ്ക്കുക | kuṭiykkuka | Dravidian |
| Odia | ପିଇବା | piibā | Indo-European |
| Burmese | သောက် | sauk | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | شْرب | šrab | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | nuo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | пи́ти | pýty | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | ichmoq | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | پيئڻ | peṇ | Indo-European |
| Romanian | bea | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | drinken | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 吃 | qiah⁶ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | መጠጣት | mäṭäṭat | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | ดื่ม | dʉ̀ʉm | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mele | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | п̏ити | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ផឹក | phək | Austroasiatic |
| Turkmen | içmek | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | inom | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | खानु | khānu | Indo-European |
| Assamese | খা | kha | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | බොන්න | bonna | Indo-European |
| Greek | πίνω | píno | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | vexwarin | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | شِرِب | širib | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | нӯшидан | nüšidan | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | ішу | išüw | Turkic |
| Hungarian | iszik | Uralic | |
| Zulu | -phuza | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | kumwá | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | nom | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | شومل | šumə́l | Indo-European |
| Czech | pít | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | ئىچمەك | ichmek | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | drink | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 啜 | chiók | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | bwè | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | dricka | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | içmək | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | пи́я | píja | Indo-European |
| Belarusian | піць | picʹ | Indo-European |
| Neapolitan | veve | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | خواردنەوە | xwardnewe | Indo-European |
| Tumbuka | mwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | چۆن | con | Indo-European |
| Danish | drikke | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | piť | Indo-European | |
| Wolaytta | uya | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Minangkabau | minun | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | juoda | Uralic | |
| Lao | ດື່ມ | dư̄m | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | drikke | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | эчәргә | eçärgä | Turkic |
| Catalan | beure | Indo-European | |
| Sicilian | vìviri | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | ичүү | icüü | Turkic |
| Swiss German | trinke | Indo-European | |
| Armenian | ըմպել | əmpel | Indo-European |
| Ganda | okunywa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Lithuanian | gerti | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | bev | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | სმა | sma | Kartvelian |
| Waray | irimnon | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | pi | Indo-European | |
| Shan | ၵိၼ် | kǐn | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | уух | uux | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | شرب | širib | Afro-Asiatic |
| Galician | beber | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | piti | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | trinki | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | пие | pie | Indo-European |
| Piedmontese | bèive | Indo-European | |
| Venetian | trincàr | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | luj | Tai-Kadai | |
| Brahui | kunak | Dravidian | |
| Latvian | dzert | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | upyay | Quechuan | |
| Chechen | мала | mala | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | jooma | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | эсеү | esew | Turkic |
| Tibetan | འཐུང | 'thung | Sino-Tibetan |
| Maguindanao | minum | Austronesian | |
| Tausug | inum | Austronesian | |
| Urhobo | da | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kachin | lu | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Nuer | math | Nilotic | |
| Fang | áñú | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Western Frisian | drinke | Indo-European | |
| Swabian | schlotza | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | hopv | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | уух | uux | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | inom | Austronesian | |
| Basque | edan | Isolates | |
| Welsh | yfed | Indo-European | |
| Rusyn | пи́ти | pýty | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | bwar | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | boir | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | boere | Indo-European | |
| Maltese | xorob | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Occitan | beure | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | béive | Indo-European | |
| Tetum | hemu | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | beber | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | ис | is | Turkic |
| Kumyk | ичмек | içmek | Turkic |
| Samoan | inu | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | dringi | Indo-European | |
| Fijian | gunuva | Austronesian | |
| Ingush | мала | mala | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Papiamento | bebe | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | drekka | Indo-European | |
| Friulian | bevi | Indo-European | |
| Udmurt | юыны | juyny | Uralic |
| Jarai | mơñum | Austronesian | |
| Ao Naga | ajem | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Laz | შუმს | şums | Kartvelian |
| Zeelandic | drienke | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | ууха | uuxa | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | inu | Austronesian | |
| Abkhaz | ажәра | aẑʷra | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Navajo | yidlą́ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | юны | juny | Uralic |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | དུང | dung | Sino-Tibetan |
| Pennsylvania German | drinke | Indo-European | |
| Irish | ól | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | beau | Indo-European | |
| Belize Kriol English | jrink | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | pic | Indo-European | |
| Breton | evañ | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | kunywa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zapotec | reʼ | Otomanguean | |
| Faroese | drekka | Indo-European | |
| Scottish Gaelic | òl | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | inum | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | ичер | ičer | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | पिबति | pibati | Indo-European |
| Khakas | ізерге | ìzerge | Turkic |
| Ternate | oke | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | хә | hə | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | baiver | Indo-European | |
| Aukan | diingi | Indo-European | |
| Higaonon | inom | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | inu | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | juhkat | Uralic | |
| Lamboya | enu | Austronesian | |
| Evenki | уммӣ | ummī | Tungusic |
| Western Bukidnon Manobo | inum | Austronesian | |
| Drung | ngaq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Upper Sorbian | pić | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | drank | Indo-European | |
| Aragonese | beber | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | piś | Indo-European | |
| Jejueo | 먹다 | meokda | Koreanic |
| Mòcheno | trinken | Indo-European | |
| Manx | oyl | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | biber | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | омиори | omiori | Tungusic |
| Istro-Romanian | be | Indo-European | |
| Cornish | eva | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sami | jovkedh | Uralic | |
| Kildin Saami | югкэ | jugke | Uralic |
| Pela | ʃauʔ⁵⁵ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Amur Nivkh | радь | rad̦ | Nivkh |
| Ingrian | joovva | Uralic | |
| Chickasaw | ishko | Muskogean | |
| Manchu | ᠣᠮᡳᠮᠪᡳ | omimbi | Tungusic |
| N||ng | kxʼâi | Tuu | |
| Chinook Jargon | loqa | Chinookan | |
| Akkadian | 𒅘 | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Aklanon | inom | Austronesian | |
| Aramaic | ܫܬܐ | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Nangnda | à̰ȳ | Central Sudanic | |
| Besisi | cado | Austroasiatic | |
| Biatah Bidayuh | nok | Austronesian | |
| Bukar-Sadung Bidayuh | sihip | Austronesian | |
| Eastern Cham | ꨟꨐꨭꩌ | mưnhum | Austronesian |
| Tedim Chin | dawn | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Dalmatian | bar | Indo-European | |
| Old Frisian | drinka | Indo-European | |
| Middle High German | trinken | Indo-European | |
| Old High German | trinkan | Indo-European | |
| Gothic | 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌺𐌰𐌽 | drigkan | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | πίνω | pínō | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | imerpoq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Hebrew | שָׁתָה | shatá | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | haus | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hunsrik | drinke | Indo-European | |
| Inuktitut | ᐃᒥᖅᑐᖅ | imiqtoq | Eskimo-Aleut |
| Old Irish | ibid | Indo-European | |
| Isnag | inum | Austronesian | |
| Isoko | da | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Javanese | ngombé | Austronesian | |
| Jutish | drek | Indo-European | |
| Kituba (Democratic Republic of Congo) | nwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | bibo | Indo-European | |
| Livonian | jūodõ | Uralic | |
| Low German | drinken | Indo-European | |
| Lautu | dang | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Moselle Franconian | drénken | Indo-European | |
| Malay | minum | Austronesian | |
| Classical Nahuatl | ī | Uto-Aztecan | |
| San Francisco Bay Ohlone | owahto | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ojibwa | minikwe | Algic | |
| Church Slavic | пити | piti | Indo-European |
| Old English | drincan | Indo-European | |
| Old Saxon | drinkan | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | dhuguu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Iron Ossetian | нуазын | nwazyn | Indo-European |
| Pacoh | ngoiq | Austroasiatic | |
| Sardinian | bíbere | Indo-European | |
| Sundanese | arot | Austronesian | |
| Tagalog | inom | Austronesian | |
| Tokharian B | yok- | Indo-European | |
| Tooro | -nywa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ugaritic | 𐎌𐎚𐎊 | šty | Afro-Asiatic |
| Yámana | ala | Isolates | |
| Yiddish | טרינקען | trinken | Indo-European |
| Yurok | rekwoh | Algic | |
| Dimli | şımıtene | Indo-European | |
| Zyphe | ding | Sino-Tibetan | |
| East Taa | kxʻāhã | Tuu |