How to say “knee” around the world
4,731 languages · 282 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 | 膝盖 | xīgài | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | knee | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | rodilla | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | घुटना | ghuṭnā | Indo-European |
| Arabic | رُكْبَة | rukba | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | হাঁটু | hãṭu | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | lutut | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | joelho | Indo-European | |
| French | genou | Indo-European | |
| Russian | коле́но | koléno | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 膝 | hiza | Japonic |
| Marathi | गुडघा | guḍghā | Indo-European |
| Swahili | goti | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | diz | Turkic | |
| Telugu | మోకాలు | mōkālu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 脚馒头 | ⁷ciaq-moe-deu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Korean | 무릎 | mureup | Koreanic |
| German | Knie | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | gối | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | முழங்கால் | muḻaṅkāl | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 膝頭哥 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Urdu | گُھٹْنا | ghuṭnā | Indo-European |
| Italian | ginocchio | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | ركبة | rukba | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | ઘૂંટણ | ghū̃ṭaṇ | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | زانو | zânu | Indo-European |
| Bhojpuri | घुटना | ghuṭᵊnā | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 跤頭趺 | kha-thâu-u | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 圪膝盖 | geh⁵ qieh⁴ gai³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hausa | gwiwa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಮೊಣಕಾಲು | moṇakālu | Dravidian |
| Polish | kolano | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | orúnkún | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Malayalam | കാൽമുട്ട് | kālmuṭṭŭ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଆଣ୍ଠୁ | āṇṭhu | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ဒူး | du: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | ركبة | rukba | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ukrainian | колі́но | kolíno | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | tizza | Turkic | |
| Romanian | genunchi | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | knie | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | ጉልበት | gulbät | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | เข่า | kào | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | libolongo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | ко̀љено | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ជង្គង់ | cŭəngkŭəng | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | jilib | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | dyz | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | घुँडा | ghũḍā | Indo-European |
| Assamese | আঁঠু | ãthu | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | දණ | daṇa | Indo-European |
| Greek | γόνατο | gónato | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | çok | Indo-European | |
| Tajik | зону | zonu | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠀꠑꠥ | aṭú | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | тізе | tize | Turkic |
| Hungarian | térd | Uralic | |
| Zulu | idolo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | bondo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | kotodwe | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | زنګون | zangun | Indo-European |
| Czech | koleno | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | تىز | tiz | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | knie | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 跤腹頭 | kă-bók-tàu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | jenou | Indo-European | |
| Dari | زَانُو | zānū | Indo-European |
| Swedish | knä | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | diz | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | коля́но | koljáno | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | idolo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | кале́на | kaljéna | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ብርኪ | bərki | Afro-Asiatic |
| Central Kurdish | ئەژنۆ | ejno | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | iru | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Danish | knæ | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | koleno | Indo-European | |
| Finnish | polvi | Uralic | |
| Lao | ຫົວເຂົ່າ | hūa khao | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | kne | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | тез | tez | Turkic |
| Catalan | genoll | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | тизе | tize | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Chnüü | Indo-European | |
| Armenian | ծունկ | cunk | Indo-European |
| Lithuanian | kelis | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | skru | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | zeneugg | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | მუხლი | muxli | Kartvelian |
| Waray | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | gju | Indo-European | |
| Mongolian | өвдөг | övdög | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Bikol | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Galician | xeonllo | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | tud | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | koleno | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | genuo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | колено | koleno | Indo-European |
| Venetian | zenocio | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | hoq | Tai-Kadai | |
| Afar | gulub | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Limburgan | kneen | Indo-European | |
| Latvian | celis | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | гола | gola | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Mandinka | kumbaliŋo | Mande | |
| Emilian | źnòć | Indo-European | |
| Estonian | põlv | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | тубыҡ | tubıq | Turkic |
| Tibetan | པུས་མོ | pus mo | Sino-Tibetan |
| Maguindanao | leb | Austronesian | |
| Pangasinan | pueg | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | znoc | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | tuhud | Austronesian | |
| Newari | पुलि | puli | Sino-Tibetan |
| Kabuverdianu | duedju | Indo-European | |
| Mon | က္ၜံၚ် | kḅåṅ | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | knibbel | Indo-European | |
| Kalmyk | өвдг | övdg | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | leb | Austronesian | |
| Pontic | γόνοτο | gónoto | Indo-European |
| Avar | наку | naku | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Basque | belaun | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | чӗркуҫҫи | čĕrk̬uśśi | Turkic |
| Welsh | pen-lin | Indo-European | |
| Morisyen | zenou | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | zonou | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | djno | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | лъэгуанджэ | lˢɛgʷandžɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | rkoppa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | tiz | Turkic | |
| Occitan | genolh | Indo-European | |
| Tetum | ain-tuur | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | rodiya | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | түһах | tühax | Turkic |
| Sranan Tongo | kindi | Indo-European | |
| Fijian | duru | Austronesian | |
| Chakma | 𑄃𑄙𑄪 | ādhu | Indo-European |
| Ingush | гола | gola | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Icelandic | hné | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | gunguno | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Friulian | zenoli | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | дискек | diskek | Turkic |
| Saho | gulub | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | пыдес | pyďes | Uralic |
| Ao Naga | temokok | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plautdietsch | Kjnee | Indo-European | |
| Laz | burguli | Kartvelian | |
| Zeelandic | knie | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | үвдэг | üvdeg | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | turi | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | tu'ut | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | odou | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | ашьамхы | ašamxə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | tui | Austronesian | |
| Central Dusun | totud | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | agod | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Lak | ник | nik | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Corsican | ghjinochju | Indo-European | |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | པིས་མུང | pis mung | Sino-Tibetan |
| Pennsylvania German | Gnie | Indo-European | |
| Irish | glúin | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | dzinuclju | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | kòlano | Indo-European | |
| Breton | glin | Indo-European | |
| Gallurese Sardinian | ghinocchiu | Indo-European | |
| Dagur | tolcig | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Faroese | knæ | Indo-European | |
| Scottish Gaelic | glùn | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | tood | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | тизе | tize | Turkic |
| Tiruray | tur | Austronesian | |
| Sanskrit | जानु | jānu | Indo-European |
| Argobba | ጉልብ | gulbe | Afro-Asiatic |
| Romansh | schanugl | Indo-European | |
| Chepang | क्य्रोङः | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plains Cree | ᒥᐦᒋᑲᐧᐣ | mihcikayn | Algic |
| Higaonon | tuhud | Austronesian | |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | koruob | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | kuli | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | čibbi | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | кьвакь | q̇vaq̇ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Central Yupik | ciisquq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | хэнңэн | Tungusic | |
| Comorian | gunguni | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Mirandese | zinolho | Indo-European | |
| Svan | ღულა̈ჲ | ɣuläy | Kartvelian |
| Upper Sorbian | koleno | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎧᏂᎨᏂ | kanigeni | Iroquoian |
| Yagnobi | зонк | zonk | Indo-European |
| Aragonese | chenullo | Indo-European | |
| Udi | кӏаъкӏаъпӏ | ḳa̱ḳa̱ṗ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Hopi | tamö | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Lower Sorbian | kóleno | Indo-European | |
| Even | хэнӈэн | hənŋən | Tungusic |
| Megleno-Romanian | zinucľu | Indo-European | |
| Rapanui | turi va'e | Austronesian | |
| Pitjantjatjara | muṯi | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Cappadocian Greek | γόνατο | gónato | Indo-European |
| Tsakonian | γοῦνα | goῦna | Indo-European |
| Manx | glioon | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | genu | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | пэйнгэн | pejŋen | Tungusic |
| Istriot | zanucio | Indo-European | |
| Istro-Romanian | jeruncľu | Indo-European | |
| Khinalug | ник | nik | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Skolt Sami | puõlvv | Uralic | |
| Inari Sami | iidâ | Uralic | |
| Amur Nivkh | пих | pix | Nivkh |
| Wymysorys | kni | Indo-European | |
| Manchu | ᡨᠣᠪᡤᡳᡟᠠ | tobgiya | Tungusic |
| Ainu | コッカサパ | kokkasapa | Ainu |
| Chamicuro | melo'ti | Arawakan | |
| Paraujano | oopiye | Arawakan | |
| Aklanon | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Aramaic | ברכא | birkā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Arrernte | ampere | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Western Balochi | کونڈ | konď | Indo-European |
| Bobangi | libolongo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Boloki | libongó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Central Atlas Tamazight | ⴰⴼⵓⴷ | afud | Afro-Asiatic |
| Min Bei Chinese | 跤腹頭 | káu-bŭ-tê | Sino-Tibetan |
| Coptic | ⲕⲉⲗⲓ | keli | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dalmatian | denacle | Indo-European | |
| Ancient Egyptian | p-A-D | pꜣḏ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Old French | genoill | Indo-European | |
| Geez | ብርክ | bərk | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gothic | 𐌺𐌽𐌹𐌿 | kniu | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | γόνυ | gónu | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | seeqqoq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Hebrew | בֶּרֶךְ | bérekh | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hittite | 𒄀𒉡 | ge-nu | Indo-European |
| Hmong Daw | hauv caug | Hmong-Mien | |
| Iranun | leb | Austronesian | |
| Old Irish | glún | Indo-European | |
| Javanese | dhengkul | Austronesian | |
| Kawi | dĕkung | Austronesian | |
| Kazym-Berezover-Suryskarer Khanty | ҷанҷ | č̣anč̣ | Uralic |
| Kimaragang | totud | Austronesian | |
| South-Central Koongo | dibolongo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | genu | Indo-European | |
| Linngithigh | nggo | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Lotud | totud | Austronesian | |
| Low German | Knee | Indo-European | |
| Lautu | pakhuv | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Moselle Franconian | Knéi | Indo-European | |
| Malagasy | lohalika | Austronesian | |
| Malay | lutut | Austronesian | |
| Brunei | tuhut | Austronesian | |
| Mongghul | bodo | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Central Melanau | bukou | Austronesian | |
| Middle English | kne | Indo-European | |
| Tagal Murut | atur | Austronesian | |
| Timugon Murut | atur | Austronesian | |
| Khiamniungan Naga | shīekāuhkhèu | Sino-Tibetan | |
| San Francisco Bay Ohlone | tú̄mis | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ojibwa | ingidig | Algic | |
| Church Slavic | колѣно | kolěno | Indo-European |
| Old Russian | колѣно | kolěno | Indo-European |
| Old English | cnēow | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | jilba | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Iron Ossetian | уӕраг | wærag | Indo-European |
| Pali | jānu | Indo-European | |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਗੋਡਾ | goḍā | Indo-European |
| Rungus | otud | Austronesian | |
| Sabah Bisaya | otud | Austronesian | |
| Sebop | lep | Austronesian | |
| Sundanese | tuur | Austronesian | |
| Tagalog | tuhod | Austronesian | |
| Muslim Tat | zani | Indo-European | |
| Tokharian A | kanweṃ du | Indo-European | |
| Tokharian B | keni du | Indo-European | |
| Ugaritic | 𐎁𐎗𐎋 | brk | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ulithian | bugyel pichel | Austronesian | |
| Ho-Chunk | huuporo | Siouan | |
| Woiwurrung-Thagungwurrung | barring | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Wolof | óom | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Yámana | tulepuS | Isolates | |
| Yiddish | קני | kni | Indo-European |
| Yurok | 'errkerhl | Algic | |
| Dimli | çoq | Indo-European |