How to say “potato” around the world
227 languages · 227 in their own spelling
The potato comes from the Andes, but its names vary: English potato is from Taíno batata (originally the sweet potato), while French pomme de terre and Dutch aardappel both mean “earth apple”.
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 | 土豆 | tǔdòu | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | potato | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | chuño | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | आलू | ālū | Indo-European |
| Arabic | بَطَاطَا | baṭāṭā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | আলু | alu | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | kentang | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | batata | Indo-European | |
| French | pomme de terre | Indo-European | |
| Russian | карто́фель | kartófelʹ | Indo-European |
| Japanese | じゃがいも | jagaimo | Japonic |
| Marathi | बटाटा | baṭāṭā | Indo-European |
| Swahili | kiazi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | patates | Turkic | |
| Telugu | ఆలుగడ్డ | ālugaḍḍa | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 洋山芋 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 감자 | gamja | Koreanic |
| German | Kartoffel | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | khoai tây | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | உருளைக்கிழங்கு | uruḷaikkiḻaṅku | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 薯仔 | syu⁴ zai² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | آلُو | ālū | Indo-European |
| Italian | patata | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | بطاطس | baṭāṭes | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | બટાટો | baṭāṭo | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | سیبزَمینی | sib-zamini | Indo-European |
| Bhojpuri | आलु | ālu | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 馬鈴薯 | bé-lêng-chû | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 馬鈴薯 | mâ-làng-sù | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 山药蛋 | san¹ ieh⁴ dan³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Kannada | ಆಲೂಗಡ್ಡೆ | ālūgaḍḍe | Dravidian |
| Polish | ziemniak | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | ọ̀dùnkún | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 洋芋头 | ian² y⁵ dou | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | ഉരുളക്കിഴങ്ങ് | uruḷakkiḻaṅṅŭ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଆଳୁ | āḷu | Indo-European |
| Burmese | အာလူး | alu: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | بطاطا | bṭāṭa | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ukrainian | карто́пля | kartóplja | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | kartoshka | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | پَٽاٽو | paṭāṭo | Indo-European |
| Romanian | cartof | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | aardappel | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 洋芋头 | iong⁴ y⁵ teu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ድን፟ች፟ | dənnəčč | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | มันฝรั่ง | man-fà-ràng | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mbala | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | кро̀мпӣр | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ដំឡូង | dɑmloung | Austroasiatic |
| Turkmen | kartoşka | Turkic | |
| Assamese | আলু | alu | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | අල | ala | Indo-European |
| Greek | πατάτα | patáta | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | petat | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | بَطَاطِس | baṭāṭis | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bavarian | Eadäpfe | Indo-European | |
| Tajik | себзаминӣ | sebzamini | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | картоп | kartop | Turkic |
| Hungarian | burgonya | Uralic | |
| Zulu | izambane | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | aborɔdwomaa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | الو | alu | Indo-European |
| Czech | brambor | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | ياڭيۇ | yangyu | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | aartappel | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 番囝薯 | huăng-giāng-sṳ̀ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Dari | کَچالُو | kačālū | Indo-European |
| Swedish | potatis | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | kartof | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | карто́ф | kartóf | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | patatas | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | itapile | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tachelhit | baṭaṭa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | бу́льба | búlʹba | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ድንሽ | dənš | Afro-Asiatic |
| Central Kurdish | پەتاتە | petate | Indo-European |
| Danish | kartoffel | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | zemiak | Indo-European | |
| Finnish | peruna | Uralic | |
| Lao | ມັນຝະລັ່ງ | man fa lang | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | potet | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | бәрәңге | bäräñge | Turkic |
| Betawi | artapel | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | patata | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | картөшкө | kartöşkö | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Härdöpfel | Indo-European | |
| Armenian | կարտոֆիլ | kartofil | Indo-European |
| Lithuanian | bulvė | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | pòm da tèra | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | კარტოფილი | ḳarṭopili | Kartvelian |
| Goan Konkani | आळूं | āḷū̃ | Indo-European |
| Albanian | patate | Indo-European | |
| Mongolian | төмс | töms | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Galician | pataca | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | krompir | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | terpomo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | компир | kompir | Indo-European |
| Venetian | tartùfola | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | majlingzsuz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | alu | Indo-European | |
| Limburgan | aerpel | Indo-European | |
| Latvian | kartupelis | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | papa | Quechuan | |
| Scots | pitattie | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | картол | kartol | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | kartul | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | бәрәңге | bäräñge | Turkic |
| Tibetan | ཞོ་ཁོག | zho khog | Sino-Tibetan |
| Gorontalo | artape | Austronesian | |
| Manado Malay | artapel | Austronesian | |
| Western Frisian | ierappel | Indo-European | |
| Swabian | Bodabirra | Indo-European | |
| Kalmyk | боднцг | bodntsg | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Basque | patata | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | ҫӗр улми | śĕr ulmi | Turkic |
| Welsh | taten | Indo-European | |
| Picard | pétote | Indo-European | |
| Rusyn | банду́рка | bandúrka | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | pomdeter | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | crompire | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | чӏырыкӏу | ĉʼərəkʷʼu | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | patata | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | qartop | Turkic | |
| Occitan | trufa | Indo-European | |
| Mari | роколма | rokolma | Uralic |
| Tetum | fehuk-ropa | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | kartofel | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | pataca | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | хортуоппуй | xortuoppuy | Turkic |
| Kumyk | картоп | kartop | Turkic |
| Samoan | pateta | Austronesian | |
| Chakma | 𑄃𑄣𑄪 | ālu | Indo-European |
| Icelandic | kartafla | Indo-European | |
| Karachay-Balkar | гардош | gardoş | Turkic |
| Friulian | patate | Indo-European | |
| Mapuche | poñi | Araucanian | |
| Udmurt | картофка | kartofka | Uralic |
| Plautdietsch | Ieedschock | Indo-European | |
| Laz | დიხამაქვალი | dixamakvali | Kartvelian |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܟܸܪܬܘܿܦܵܐ | kirtopa | Afro-Asiatic |
| Buriat | түмһэн | tümhen | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | parareka | Austronesian | |
| Abkhaz | акартош | akʼartʼoŝ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | pateta | Austronesian | |
| Kipchak Urum | картоп | kartop | Turkic |
| Navajo | nímasii | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | картупель | kartupeľ | Uralic |
| Corsican | pomu | Indo-European | |
| Pennsylvania German | Grumbeer | Indo-European | |
| Irish | práta | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | patata | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | pãtatã | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | bùlwa | Indo-European | |
| Breton | aval-douar | Indo-European | |
| Erzya | модамарь | modamaŕ | Uralic |
| Seselwa Creole French | ponmdeter | Indo-European | |
| Võro | kardohkas | Uralic | |
| Faroese | epli | Indo-European | |
| Komi-Permyak | картов | kartov | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | buntàta | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | картошко | kartoško | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | आलुकम् | ālukam | Indo-European |
| Argobba | ድንች | dənnəč | Afro-Asiatic |
| Khakas | яблах | yablax | Turkic |
| Dungan | ёнйү | ionyü | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | tartuffel | Indo-European | |
| Karelian | potakka | Uralic | |
| Livvi | kartohku | Uralic | |
| Hawaiian | ʻuala kahiki | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | buđeita | Uralic | |
| Central Yupik | patitussaaq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Cherokee | ᏄᎾ | nuna | Iroquoian |
| Northern Frisian | Jiartapel | Indo-European | |
| Aragonese | trunfa | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | kulka | Indo-European | |
| Jejueo | 지슬 | jiseul | Koreanic |
| Dakota | mdo | Siouan | |
| Moksha | модамарь | modamaŕ | Uralic |
| Mòcheno | ruab | Indo-European | |
| Manx | praase | Indo-European | |
| Veps | kartohk | Uralic | |
| Cornish | aval dor | Indo-European | |
| Skolt Sami | pååttaǩ | Uralic | |
| Cimbrian | pataata | Indo-European | |
| Inari Sami | potás | Uralic | |
| Ingrian | maamuna | Uralic | |
| Straits Salish | sqewθ | Salishan | |
| Karaim | къартоф | qartof | Turkic |
| Chickasaw | ahi' | Muskogean | |
| Wymysorys | aorpuł | Indo-European | |
| Votic | maamuna | Uralic | |
| Chamicuro | ma'kona | Arawakan | |
| Chinook Jargon | wapato | Chinookan | |
| Ambonese Malay | artapel | Austronesian | |
| Gulf Arabic | آلو | ālo | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aymara | ch'uqi | Aymaran | |
| Min Bei Chinese | 馬鈴薯 | mǎ-lâing-cṳ̂ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Saterland Frisian | Tuwwelke | Indo-European | |
| Kalaallisut | naatsiiaq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Hebrew | תַּפּוּחַ אֲדָמָה | tapuákh adamá | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | qos yaj ywv | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hunsrik | Kartoffel | Indo-European | |
| Javanese | kenthang | Austronesian | |
| Kaingang | pén'ó | Nuclear-Macro-Je | |
| South-Central Koongo | mbala | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | patāta | Indo-European | |
| Livonian | naggõrz | Uralic | |
| Low German | Kantüffel | Indo-European | |
| Bukusu | silasi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Moselle Franconian | Gromper | Indo-European | |
| Malagasy | ovy | Austronesian | |
| Malay | kentang | Austronesian | |
| Western Mari | тури | turi | Uralic |
| Mobilian | ahé | Pidgin | |
| Classical Nahuatl | camohtli | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Ojibwa | opin | Algic | |
| Oromo | dinnicha | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Osage | tóoska | Siouan | |
| Iron Ossetian | картоф | kartof | Indo-European |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਆਲੂ | ālū | Indo-European |
| Sundanese | kumeli | Austronesian | |
| Tagalog | patatas | Austronesian | |
| Ulithian | koemoeti | Austronesian | |
| Ho-Chunk | too | Siouan | |
| Wolof | pombiteer | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Yiddish | קאַרטאָפֿל | kartofl | Indo-European |
| Yoidik | sarembʌt | Nuclear Trans New Guinea |