How to say “four” around the world
462 languages · 462 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 | 四 | sì | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | four | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | cuatro | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | चार | cār | Indo-European |
| Arabic | أَرْبَعَة | ʔarbaʕa | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | চার | car | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | empat | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | quatro | Indo-European | |
| French | quatre | Indo-European | |
| Russian | четы́ре | četýre | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 四 | yon | Japonic |
| Marathi | चार | cār | Indo-European |
| Swahili | nne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | dört | Turkic | |
| Telugu | నాలుగు | nālugu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 四 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 넷 | net | Koreanic |
| German | vier | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | bốn | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | நான்கு | nāṉku | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 四 | sei³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | چار | cār | Indo-European |
| Italian | quattro | Indo-European | |
| Gujarati | ચાર | cār | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | چَهار | čahâr | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 四 | sì | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 四 | siì | Sino-Tibetan |
| Nigerian Pidgin | fọ́ | Indo-European | |
| Hausa | huɗu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ನಾಲ್ಕು | nālku | Dravidian |
| Polish | cztery | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | ẹ̀rin | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Malayalam | നാലു | nālu | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଚାରି | cāri | Indo-European |
| Burmese | လေး | le: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Igbo | ànọ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | чоти́ри | čotýry | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | toʻrt | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | چار | čār | Indo-European |
| Romanian | patru | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | vier | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | አራት | ʾärat | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | สี่ | sìi | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mínei | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | чѐтири | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | បួន | buən | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | afar | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | dört | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | upat | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | चार | cār | Indo-European |
| Assamese | চাৰি | sari | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | හතර | hatara | Indo-European |
| Greek | τέσσερα | téssera | Indo-European |
| Madurese | empaʔ | Austronesian | |
| Kurdish | çar | Indo-European | |
| Tajik | чор | čor | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | төрт | tört | Turkic |
| Hungarian | négy | Uralic | |
| Zulu | ne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | nayi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | anan | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | څلور | calor | Indo-European |
| Czech | čtyři | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | تۆت | töt | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | vier | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 四 | sei | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | kat | Indo-European | |
| Kanuri | dege | Saharan | |
| Swedish | fyra | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | dörd | Turkic | |
| Iloko | uppat | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | че́тири | čétiri | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | apat | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | ne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tachelhit | koz | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | чаты́ры | čatýry | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ኣርባዕተ | ʾarbaʿtä | Afro-Asiatic |
| Central Kurdish | چوار | çwar | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱯᱳᱱ | pon | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | nayi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᩈᩦ᩵ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Danish | fire | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | štyri | Indo-European | |
| Wolaytta | oydda | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Minangkabau | ampeʔ | Austronesian | |
| Sukuma | ine | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Finnish | neljä | Uralic | |
| Lao | ສີ່ | sī | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | fire | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | дүрт | dürt | Turkic |
| Buginese | eppa | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | quatre | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | irundy | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | quattru | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | төрт | tört | Turkic |
| Swiss German | vier | Indo-European | |
| Armenian | չորս | čʻors | Indo-European |
| Balinese | patpat | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | လွံၢ် | lwee̱ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | keturi | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | fopela | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | cuàter | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | ოთხი | otxi | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | peuët | Austronesian | |
| Mazanderani | چار | čār | Indo-European |
| Waray | upat | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | katër | Indo-European | |
| Shan | သီႇ | sìi | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | дөрөв | döröv | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Bikol | apat | Austronesian | |
| Galician | catro | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | štírje | Indo-European | |
| Iban | empat | Austronesian | |
| Swati | ne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Batak Toba | opat | Austronesian | |
| Bouyei | sis | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | kvar | Artificial Language | |
| Kʼicheʼ | kajïb | Mayan | |
| Macedonian | четири | četiri | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꇖ | ly | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | quatr | Indo-European | |
| Sasak | empat | Austronesian | |
| Venetian | quatro | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | seiq | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | sair | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | shoole | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | feréy | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | плӏы | plˢʼə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Bini | ẹ̀nẹ́ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Igala | ẹ̀lẹ̀ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Makasar | appaʔ | Austronesian | |
| Latvian | četri | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | tawa | Quechuan | |
| Scots | fower | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | диъ | diʔ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Emilian | quâter | Indo-European | |
| Estonian | neli | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | дүрт | dürt | Turkic |
| Tibetan | བཞི | bzhi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Muong | pổn | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | pat | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | cvàtar | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | upat | Austronesian | |
| Urhobo | ẹ́ne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Soninke | naxato | Mande | |
| Kinaray-a | apat | Austronesian | |
| Newari | पी | pī | Sino-Tibetan |
| Central Okinawan | 四 | yū | Japonic |
| Isekiri | mẹ́ẹrẹn | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nuer | ŋuaan | Nilotic | |
| Kabuverdianu | kuátu | Indo-European | |
| Pa'o Karen | လစ်ꩻ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mon | ပန် | pɔn | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | fjouwer | Indo-European | |
| Nias | õfa | Austronesian | |
| Iu Mien | biei | Hmong-Mien | |
| Tigre | አርበዕ | ʾärbäʿ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Kalmyk | дөрвн | dörvn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | pat | Austronesian | |
| Avar | ункъо | unqxʼo | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | ço | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪎꪲ꪿ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Basque | lau | Isolates | |
| Ga | ejwɛ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Chuvash | тӑваттӑ | tăvattă | Turkic |
| Welsh | pedwar | Indo-European | |
| Yucatec Maya | kan | Mayan | |
| Hlai | caus | Tai-Kadai | |
| Lü | ᦉᦲᧈ | ṡii¹ | Tai-Kadai |
| Tai Nüa | ᥔᥤᥱ | sǐ | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | кьуд | q̇ud | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | штири | štyry | Indo-European |
| Batak Karo | empat | Austronesian | |
| Morisyen | kat | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | kat | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | cwate | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | плӏы | plˢʼə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܐܪܒܥܐ | ʾarbəʿā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | erbgħa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | dört | Turkic | |
| Occitan | quatre | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | śtar | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | quàttro | Indo-European | |
| Mizo | pali | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mari | нылыт | nylyt | Uralic |
| Tetum | haat | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | štyry | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | cuatro | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | түөрт | tüört | Turkic |
| Kumyk | дёрт | dört | Turkic |
| Bassa | hĩinyɛ | Kru | |
| Samoan | fā | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | fo | Indo-European | |
| Ibanag | appat | Austronesian | |
| Mingrelian | ოთხი | otxi | Kartvelian |
| Fijian | va | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ޖަތަރު | jataru | Indo-European |
| Chakma | 𑄬𑄌𑄃𑄨𑄢𑄴 | ce-ir | Indo-European |
| Papiamento | kuater | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | fjórir | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | -ne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | тёрт | tört | Turkic |
| Friulian | cuatri | Indo-European | |
| Muna | paa | Austronesian | |
| Tuvinian | дөрт | dört | Turkic |
| Aari | ʔoydí | South Omotic | |
| Saho | afar | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | ньыль | ńyľ | Uralic |
| Jarai | pă | Austronesian | |
| Nama | haka | Khoe-Kwadi | |
| Laz | ოთხო | otxo | Kartvelian |
| Dzongkha | བཞི | bzhi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܐܲܪܒܥܵܐ | ārbʿa | Afro-Asiatic |
| Zeelandic | vier | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | дүрбэн | dürben | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | whā | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | empat | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | cuatru | Indo-European | |
| Abkhaz | ԥшьба | pšba | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Garifuna | gádürü | Arawakan | |
| Central Dusun | apat | Austronesian | |
| Hiri Motu | hani | Pidgin | |
| Navajo | dį́į́ʼ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | нёль | ńoľ | Uralic |
| Corsican | quattru | Indo-European | |
| Western Kayah | ꤜꤝꤟꤤ꤭ | lwī̤ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | བཞི | bzhi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Pennsylvania German | fiah | Indo-European | |
| Irish | ceathair | Indo-European | |
| Western Highland Purepecha | t'ámu | Tarascan | |
| Pamona | opo | Austronesian | |
| Gilbertese | aua | Austronesian | |
| Aromanian | patru | Indo-European | |
| Yakan | ampat | Austronesian | |
| Kashubian | sztërë | Indo-European | |
| Breton | pevar | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | vinne | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tai Laing | ꩬီ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Erzya | ниле | nile | Uralic |
| Tboli | fat | Austronesian | |
| Mulam | ti⁵ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Seselwa Creole French | kat | Indo-European | |
| Võro | nelli | Uralic | |
| Tabasaran | юкьуб | juq̇ub | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Sikkimese | ཞི | zhi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Faroese | fýra | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | māha | Austronesian | |
| Wolio | apa | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | нёль | ńoľ | Uralic |
| Marshallese | emān | Austronesian | |
| Zou | li | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Scottish Gaelic | ceithir | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | opat | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | тӧрт | tört | Turkic |
| Chuukese | ruanu | Austronesian | |
| Tiruray | efot | Austronesian | |
| Sanskrit | चतुर् | catur | Indo-European |
| Abaza | пщба | pśba | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Argobba | አርቢት | arbit | Afro-Asiatic |
| Khakas | тӧрт | tört | Turkic |
| Ternate | raha | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | сы | sɨ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | quatter | Indo-European | |
| Motu | hani | Austronesian | |
| Chepang | प्लय् | play | Sino-Tibetan |
| Karelian | nelʹlʹä | Uralic | |
| Plains Cree | newo | Algic | |
| Higaonon | ha-apat | Austronesian | |
| Ladin | cater | Indo-European | |
| Hawaiian | hā | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | njeallje | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | угъа́л | uɣál | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Pijin | foa | Indo-European | |
| Rarotongan | ā | Austronesian | |
| Central Yupik | cetaman | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | дыгин | digin | Tungusic |
| Western Bukidnon Manobo | upat | Austronesian | |
| Mirandese | quatro | Indo-European | |
| Tohono O'odham | giʼik | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Drung | vbli | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Western Apache | dį́į́'i | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | štyrjo | Indo-European | |
| Tuvalu | fa | Austronesian | |
| Cherokee | ᏅᎩ | nvgi | Iroquoian |
| West Makian | fati | North Halmahera | |
| Yagnobi | туфор | tufor | Indo-European |
| Innu-aimun | neu | Algic | |
| Bislama | fo | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | fjauer | Indo-European | |
| Louisiana Creole | kat | Indo-European | |
| Niuean | fa | Austronesian | |
| Kalo Finnish Romani | staar | Indo-European | |
| Zuni | a:wide | Isolates | |
| Nauru | aeoq | Austronesian | |
| Aragonese | quatre | Indo-European | |
| Nheengatu | irundí | Tupian | |
| Hopi | naalöyöʼ | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Lower Sorbian | styri | Indo-European | |
| Even | дигэн | ʒigən | Tungusic |
| Chukchi | ӈыраӄ | ṇyraq | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Siksiká | niisó | Algic | |
| Jejueo | 닛 | nit | Koreanic |
| Megleno-Romanian | patru | Indo-European | |
| Rapanui | ha | Austronesian | |
| Dolgan | түөрт | Turkic | |
| Wutunhua | se | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | тӧрт | Turkic | |
| Moksha | ниле | nile | Uralic |
| Kven Finnish | nelje | Uralic | |
| Lakota | tópa | Siouan | |
| Mòcheno | viar | Indo-European | |
| Manx | kiare | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | quatro | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | дуин | duin | Tungusic |
| Veps | nelʹlʹ | Uralic | |
| Pipil | nawi | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Abon | bine | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Istriot | quatro | Indo-European | |
| Istro-Romanian | påtru | Indo-European | |
| Northern Mansi | нила | nila | Uralic |