How to say “milk” around the world
337 languages · 337 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 | 奶 | nǎi | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | milk | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | leche | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | दूध | dūdh | Indo-European |
| Arabic | حَلِيب | ḥalīb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | দুধ | dudh | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | susu | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | leite | Indo-European | |
| French | lait | Indo-European | |
| Russian | молоко́ | molokó | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 牛乳 | gyūnyū | Japonic |
| Marathi | दूध | dūdh | Indo-European |
| Swahili | maziwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | süt | Turkic | |
| Telugu | పాలు | pālu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 乳 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 우유 | uyu | Koreanic |
| German | Milch | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | sữa | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | பால் | pāl | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 奶 | naai⁵ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | دُودھ | dūdh | Indo-European |
| Italian | latte | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | لبن | laban | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | દૂધ | dūdh | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | شیر | šir | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 奶 | leng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Levantine Arabic | حليب | ḥalīb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | madara | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಹಾಲು | hālu | Dravidian |
| Polish | mleko | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | wàrà | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Malayalam | പാൽ | pāl | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଖିର | khira | Indo-European |
| Burmese | နို့ | nui. | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | حليب | ḥlīb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ukrainian | молоко́ | molokó | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | sut | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | شير | šīru | Indo-European |
| Romanian | lapte | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | melk | Indo-European | |
| Awadhi | दूध | dūdh | Indo-European |
| Amharic | ወተት | wätät | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | น้ำนม | náam-nom | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | míliki | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | мле́ко | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ទឹកដោះ | tɨk dɑh | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | caano | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | süýt | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | दुध | dudh | Indo-European |
| Assamese | গাখীৰ | gakhir | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | කිරි | kiri | Indo-European |
| Greek | γάλα | gála | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | şîr | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | حليب | ḥalīb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bavarian | Mille | Indo-European | |
| Tajik | шир | šir | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠖꠥꠗ | dudó | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | сүт | süt | Turkic |
| Hungarian | tej | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | amata | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | ubisi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | mkaka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | شيدې | šide | Indo-European |
| Czech | mléko | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | سۈت | süt | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | melk | Indo-European | |
| Haitian | lèt | Indo-European | |
| Dari | شِیر | šīr | Indo-European |
| Kanuri | câm | Saharan | |
| Swedish | mjölk | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | süd | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | мля́ко | mljáko | Indo-European |
| Shona | mukaka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xhosa | ubisi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tachelhit | akʷfay | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | малако́ | malakó | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ጸባ | ṣäba | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | latte | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | شیر | şîr | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱛᱳᱚ | toô | Austroasiatic |
| Kashmiri | دۄد | dọd | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | iria | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Luba-Lulua | mabele | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Danish | mælk | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | mlieko | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | lebese | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | maattaa | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Minangkabau | dadiah | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | maito | Uralic | |
| Lao | ນ້ຳນົມ | nam nom | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | melk | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | сөт | söt | Turkic |
| Catalan | llet | Indo-European | |
| Sicilian | latti | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | сүт | süt | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Milch | Indo-European | |
| Tswana | maši | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | aɣi | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | կաթ | katʻ | Indo-European |
| Bambara | nɔnɔ | Mande | |
| Lithuanian | pienas | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | susu | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | latt | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | რძე | rʒe | Kartvelian |
| Goan Konkani | दूद | dūd | Indo-European |
| Waray | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | qumësht | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | notsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Garhwali | दूद | dūd | Indo-European |
| Shan | ၼမ်ႉၼူမ်း | nâ̰m núum | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | сүү | süü | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | لبن | laban | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bikol | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Galician | leite | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | mleko | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | lakto | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | млеко | mleko | Indo-European |
| Piedmontese | làit | Indo-European | |
| Tulu | ಪೇರ್ | pērŭ | Dravidian |
| Venetian | lat | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | cij | Tai-Kadai | |
| Brahui | palle | Dravidian | |
| Rohingya | dut | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | ado | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | can | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | шэ | šɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Limburgan | mèlk | Indo-European | |
| Latvian | piens | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | wilali | Quechuan | |
| Scots | milk | Indo-European | |
| Kelantan-Pattani Malay | susu | Austronesian | |
| Chechen | шура | šura | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Venda | mafhi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Estonian | piim | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | һөт | höt | Turkic |
| Tibetan | འོ་མ | 'o ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Beja | a | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Muong | khã | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | làt | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Bakhtiari | شیر | šir | Indo-European |
| Newari | दुरु | duru | Sino-Tibetan |
| Central Okinawan | うしぬちー | ʼushinuchī | Japonic |
| Kachin | chyu | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mon | ဍာ်တှ် | Austroasiatic | |
| Western Frisian | molke | Indo-European | |
| Kalmyk | үсн | üsn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Avar | рахь | rax̂ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | šət | Indo-European | |
| Basque | esne | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | сӗт | sĕt | Turkic |
| Welsh | llaeth | Indo-European | |
| Lü | ᦓᧄᧉᦓᦳᧄᧉ | nam²num² | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | нек | nek | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | молоко́ | molokó | Indo-European |
| Walloon | laecea | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | щэ | śɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܚܠܒܐ | ḥaləḇā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | ħalib | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | süt | Turkic | |
| Occitan | lach | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | thud | Indo-European | |
| Upper Guinea Crioulo | liti | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | læte | Indo-European | |
| Mari | шӧр | šör | Uralic |
| Tetum | susubeen | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | mlyko | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | lleche | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | үүт | üüt | Turkic |
| Samoan | susu | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | merki | Indo-European | |
| Mingrelian | ბჟა | bža | Kartvelian |
| Dhivehi | ކިރު | kiru | Indo-European |
| Ingush | шура | šura | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Icelandic | mjólk | Indo-European | |
| Karachay-Balkar | сют | süt | Turkic |
| Friulian | lat | Indo-European | |
| Mapuche | lici | Araucanian | |
| Tuvinian | сүт | süt | Turkic |
| Saho | xan | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | йӧл | jöl | Uralic |
| Plautdietsch | Malkj | Indo-European | |
| Laz | ბჯა | bca | Kartvelian |
| Dzongkha | འོ་མ | 'o ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Buriat | һүн | hün | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | waiū | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | lechi | Indo-European | |
| Abkhaz | ахш | axŝ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | hu'akau | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | abeʼ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | йӧв | jöv | Uralic |
| Corsican | latti | Indo-European | |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | འོ་མ | 'o ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Gagauz | süt | Turkic | |
| Pennsylvania German | Millich | Indo-European | |
| Irish | bainne | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | leche | Indo-European | |
| Gilbertese | miriki | Austronesian | |
| Aromanian | lapte | Indo-European | |
| Yakan | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Kashubian | mlékò | Indo-European | |
| Breton | laezh | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | masiwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Erzya | ловсо | lovso | Uralic |
| Võro | piim | Uralic | |
| Faroese | mjólk | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | ha'ari | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | йӧв | jöv | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | bainne | Indo-European | |
| Aguaruna | munȼu | Chicham | |
| Southern Altai | сӱт | süt | Turkic |
| Chuukese | minik | Austronesian | |
| Sanskrit | दुग्ध | dugdha | Indo-European |
| Rutul | наӏк | naˤk | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Khakas | сӱт | süt | Turkic |
| Nubi | leben | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Ternate | susu | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | нэзы | nezɨ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | latg | Indo-European | |
| Karelian | maido | Uralic | |
| Plains Cree | ᒎᒎᔑᓈᐴ | coocooshinaapoo | Algic |
| Hawaiian | waiū | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | mielki | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | нег | neg | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lamboya | huhhu | Austronesian | |
| Tsakhur | няк | nʲak | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Central Yupik | muluk'uuq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | укумни | ukumņi | Tungusic |
| Mirandese | lheite | Indo-European | |
| Svan | ლჷჯე | ləǯe | Kartvelian |
| Leh Ladakhi | འོ་མ | 'o ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Upper Sorbian | mloko | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎤᏅᏗ | unvdi | Iroquoian |
| Bislama | susu | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | molke | Indo-European | |
| Aragonese | leit | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | mloko | Indo-European | |
| Atikamekw | tcotcocanapo | Algic | |
| Even | өкэнь | ökəņ | Tungusic |
| Chukchi | лывээръын | lyvėėrʺyn | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Megleno-Romanian | lapti | Indo-European | |
| Pitjantjatjara | ipi | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Wutunhua | naize | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Bats | შურ | šur | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | сӱт | süt | Turkic |
| Cheyenne | matana | Algic | |
| Moksha | лофца | lofca | Uralic |
| Lakota | asáŋpi | Siouan | |
| Mòcheno | milch | Indo-European | |
| Manx | bainney | Indo-European | |
| Dogrib | ejietʼò | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Interlingua | lacte | Artificial Language | |
| Veps | maid | Uralic | |
| Arapaho | beθéneč | Algic | |
| Istro-Romanian | låpte | Indo-European | |
| Cornish | leth | Indo-European | |
| Kildin Saami | ма̄ййт | mājjt | Uralic |
| Skolt Sami | mieʹlǩǩ | Uralic | |
| Pirahã | xíbogi | Isolates | |
| Narrinyeri | ngumperi | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Inari Sami | mielkki | Uralic | |
| Ket | mamul | Yeniseian | |
| Godoberi | щи̃ву | ʃːĩwu | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Ingrian | maito | Uralic | |
| Wymysorys | myłich | Indo-European | |
| Prussian | daddan | Indo-European | |
| Maricopa | ma | Cochimi-Yuman | |
| Manchu | ᠰᡠᠨ | sun | Tungusic |
| Ainu | トペ | tope | Ainu |
| Chamicuro | tensa | Arawakan | |
| Paraujano | leechü | Arawakan | |
| Longchuan Achang | nauh | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Aklanon | gatas | Austronesian | |
| Gulf Arabic | حليب | ḥalīb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aramaic | חַלְבָּא | ḥalbā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aymara | millk'i | Aymaran | |
| Western Balochi | شیر | šír | Indo-European |
| Dargwa | ниъ | niʾ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Fataluku | ami | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Saterland Frisian | Molk | Indo-European | |
| Pular | kosam | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Geez | ሐሊብ | ḥälib | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gothic | 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 | miluks | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | γάλα | gála | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | immuk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Hebrew | חָלָב | khaláv | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | mis | Hmong-Mien | |
| Inuktitut | ᐃᒻᒧᒃ | immok | Eskimo-Aleut |
| North Alaskan Inupiatun | immuk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Old Irish | lacht | Indo-European | |
| Isnag | xatta | Austronesian | |
| Isoko | imiliki | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Javanese | susu | Austronesian | |
| Jumjum | aak | Nilotic | |
| Kambaata | ado | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Western Panjabi | ਦੁੱਧ | duddh | Indo-European |
| Latin | lac | Indo-European | |
| Maru | nug' | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Livonian | sēmḑa | Uralic | |
| Low German | Melk | Indo-European | |
| Luba-Katanga | mabele | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Lautu | cuehnung | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Moselle Franconian | Mëllech | Indo-European | |
| Masai | kule | Nilotic | |
| Makasae-Makalero | amirae | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Malagasy | ronono | Austronesian | |
| Malay | susu | Austronesian | |
| Classical Nahuatl | chīchīhualāyōtl | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Ojibwa | doodooshaaboo | Algic | |
| Church Slavic | млѣко | mlěko | Indo-European |
| Old Russian | молоко | moloko | Indo-European |
| Old English | meolc | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | aannan | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Osage | paazénii | Siouan | |
| Iron Ossetian | ӕхсыр | æxsyr | Indo-European |
| Pali | duddha | Indo-European |