How to say “rain” around the world
549 languages · 549 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 | 雨 | yǔ | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | rain | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | lluvia | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | बारिश | bāriś | Indo-European |
| Arabic | مَطَر | maṭar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | বৃষ্টি | briśṭi | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | hujan | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | chuva | Indo-European | |
| French | pluie | Indo-European | |
| Russian | дождь | doždʹ | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 雨 | ame | Japonic |
| Marathi | पाऊस | pāūs | Indo-European |
| Swahili | mvua | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | yağmur | Turkic | |
| Telugu | వాన | vāna | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 雨 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 비 | bi | Koreanic |
| German | Regen | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | mưa | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | மழை | maḻai | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 雨 | jyu⁵ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | بارِش | bāriś | Indo-European |
| Italian | pioggia | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | مطر | maṭar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | વરસાદ | varsād | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | بَارَان | bārān | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 雨 | hō͘ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 雨 | yí | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 雨 | y² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hausa | ruwa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಮಳೆ | maḷe | Dravidian |
| Polish | deszcz | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | òjò | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 雨 | y³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | മഴ | maḻa | Dravidian |
| Odia | ବର୍ଷା | barṣā | Indo-European |
| Burmese | မိုး | mui: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | شْتا | šta | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | mmiri ozuzo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | дощ | došč | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | yomgʻir | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | بَرساتَ | barsāta | Indo-European |
| Romanian | ploaie | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | regen | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 雨 | y³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ዝናብ | zənab | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | ฝน | fǒn | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mbúla | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | ки̏ша | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ភ្លៀង | phliəng | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | roob | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | ýagyş | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | वर्षा | varṣā | Indo-European |
| Assamese | বৰষুণ | boroxun | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | වැස්ස | wæssa | Indo-European |
| Greek | βροχή | vrochí | Indo-European |
| Madurese | ojen | Austronesian | |
| Kurdish | baran | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | مطر | maṭar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | борон | boron | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠝꠦꠊ | megó | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | жаңбыр | jaŋbır | Turkic |
| Hungarian | eső | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | imvura | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | imvula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | mvula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | osu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | باران | bārān | Indo-European |
| Czech | déšť | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | يامغۇر | yamghur | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | reën | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 雨 | huô | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | lapli | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | regn | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | yağış | Turkic | |
| Iloko | uran | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | дъжд | dăžd | Indo-European |
| Shona | mvura | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Hiligaynon | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | imvula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | дождж | doždž | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ዝናብ | zənab | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | chiòve | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | باران | baran | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱫᱟᱜ | dak’ | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | vula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | روٗد | rūd | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | mbura | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Luba-Lulua | mvula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᨺᩫ᩠ᨶ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Danish | regn | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | dážď | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | pula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | iraa | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Minangkabau | hujan | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | sade | Uralic | |
| Lao | ຝົນ | fon | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | regn | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | яңгыр | yañğır | Turkic |
| Buginese | bosi | Austronesian | |
| Betawi | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | pluja | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | ama | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | acqua | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | жамгыр | jamgır | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Räge | Indo-European | |
| Tswana | pula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | anẓar | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | անձրև | anjrew | Indo-European |
| Bambara | sanji | Mande | |
| Ganda | enkuba | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Balinese | ujan | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | တၢ်စူ | ta̱ soo | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | lietus | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | piovuda | Indo-European | |
| Kamba | mbua | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Hassaniyya | سحاب | sḥāb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Georgian | წვიმა | c̣vima | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | ujeuen | Austronesian | |
| Mazanderani | وارش | vâreš | Indo-European |
| Albanian | shi | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | tsidzadza | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shan | ၽူၼ် | phǔun | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | бороо | boroo | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Galician | chuvia | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | uran | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | dež | Indo-European | |
| Iban | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Swati | litulu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Batak Toba | udan | Austronesian | |
| Esperanto | pluvo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | дожд | dožd | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꂷꉐ | ma hxa | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | pieuva | Indo-European | |
| Sasak | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Venetian | pióva | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | fwn | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | zór | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | xeena | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | rob | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | уэшх | wɛšx | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Makasar | bosi | Austronesian | |
| Latvian | lietus | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | para | Quechuan | |
| Tày | phân | Tai-Kadai | |
| Chechen | догӏа | doğa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Tonga (Zambia) | mainza | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Estonian | vihm | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | ямғыр | yamğır | Turkic |
| Tibetan | ཆར་པ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Batak Mandailing | udan | Austronesian | |
| Maguindanao | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | acva | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Urhobo | osio | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Bakhtiari | باروں | bârõw | Indo-European |
| Gorontalo | didi | Austronesian | |
| Central Okinawan | あみ | ʔami | Japonic |
| Manggarai | usang | Austronesian | |
| Ngaju | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Kabuverdianu | txuba | Indo-European | |
| Khasi | slap | Austroasiatic | |
| Mon | ဗြဲ | pròa | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | rein | Indo-European | |
| Nias | teu | Austronesian | |
| Iu Mien | duih | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | хур | xur | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | oran | Austronesian | |
| Avar | цӏад | cʼad | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | kuluk | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪶꪠꪙ | fon1 | Tai-Kadai |
| Basque | euri | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | ҫумӑр | śumăr | Turkic |
| Welsh | glaw | Indo-European | |
| Lü | ᦚᦳᧃ | ḟun | Tai-Kadai |
| Tai Nüa | ᥜᥨᥢᥴ | fón | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | марф | marf | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | додж | dodž | Indo-European |
| Batak Karo | udan | Austronesian | |
| Morisyen | lapli | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | plouve | Indo-European | |
| Kara-Kalpak | jamgʻır | Turkic | |
| Adyghe | ощхы | wośxə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܡܛܪܐ | meṭrā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | xita | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | yağmur | Turkic | |
| Occitan | pluèja | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | briśind | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | dilûvio | Indo-European | |
| Mizo | ruah | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mari | йӱр | jür | Uralic |
| Komering | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Tetum | udan | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | dyszcz | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | lluvia | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | самыыр | samïïr | Turkic |
| Kumyk | янгур | yañur | Turkic |
| Samoan | timu | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | alen | Indo-European | |
| Rejang | ujen | Austronesian | |
| Mingrelian | ჭვიმა | č̣vima | Kartvelian |
| Fijian | uca | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ވަރެއާ | vareā | Indo-European |
| Chakma | 𑄏𑄧𑄢𑄴 | jhar | Indo-European |
| Ingush | догӏа | doğa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Papiamento | yobida | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | rigning | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | mvua | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | жауун | jawun | Turkic |
| Friulian | ploie | Indo-European | |
| Muna | ghuse | Austronesian | |
| Osing | udyan | Austronesian | |
| Sumbawa | ujan | Austronesian | |
| Tuvinian | чаъс | çàs | Turkic |
| Saho | rob | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | зор | zor | Uralic |
| Ao Naga | tzünglu | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plautdietsch | Räajen | Indo-European | |
| Nama | ǀnanub | Khoe-Kwadi | |
| Laz | ჭიმა | ç̌ima | Kartvelian |
| Kambera | urangu | Austronesian | |
| Dzongkha | ཆརཔ | ch.rap | Sino-Tibetan |
| Herero | ombura | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܡܸܛܵܪܐ | miṭṭārā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Zeelandic | regen | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | бороо | boroo | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | ua | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | uran | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | lluvia | Indo-European | |
| Abkhaz | ақәоура | akʷowra | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | 'uha | Austronesian | |
| Chol | jaʼal | Mayan | |
| Lamaholot | uran | Austronesian | |
| Sika | urang | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | níłtsą́ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | зэр | zer | Uralic |
| Corsican | pioggia | Indo-European | |
| Ma'anyan | uran | Austronesian | |
| Tornedalen Finnish | sae | Uralic | |
| Gagauz | yaamur | Turkic | |
| Pennsylvania German | Regge | Indo-European | |
| Irish | báisteach | Indo-European | |
| Pamona | uja | Austronesian | |
| Aromanian | ploai | Indo-European | |
| Yakan | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Kashubian | deszcz | Indo-European | |
| Breton | glav | Indo-European | |
| Li'o | uja | Austronesian | |
| Mwani | nvula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Erzya | пиземе | pizeme | Uralic |
| Saramaccan | tjúba | Indo-European | |
| Nogai | ямгыр | yamgır | Turkic |
| Mulam | kwən¹ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Tabasaran | мархь | marx | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Faroese | regn | Indo-European | |
| Wolio | wao | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | зэр | zer | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | uisge | Indo-European | |
| Ngad'a | uza | Austronesian | |
| Mansaka | oran | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | јаҥмыр | ǰaŋmïr | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | वृष्टि | vṛṣṭi | Indo-European |
| Abaza | ква | kʷa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Khakas | наңмыр | nañmır | Turkic |
| Ternate | besa | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | йү | yü | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | plievgia | Indo-European | |
| Tlaxcala-Puebla-Central Nahuatl | quiyahuitl | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Karelian | vihmu | Uralic | |
| Buru (Indonesia) | dekat | Austronesian | |
| Livvi | vihmu | Uralic | |
| Higaonon | odan | Austronesian | |
| Ladin | pievia | Indo-European | |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | jan | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | ua | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | arvi | Uralic | |
| Lamboya | ura | Austronesian | |
| Bolango | huwa | Austronesian | |
| Andi | цӏцӏа | ccʼa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Alune | ulane | Austronesian | |
| Central Yupik | ellalluk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | тыгдэ | tigdə | Tungusic |
| Mirandese | chuba | Indo-European | |
| Tohono O'odham | ju꞉kĭ | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Svan | უჩხა | učxa | Kartvelian |
| Upper Sorbian | dešć | Indo-European | |
| Abanyom | àlɨb | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Cherokee | ᎠᎦᏍᎬ | agasgv | Iroquoian |
| Yagnobi | борон | boron | Indo-European |
| Northern Frisian | rin | Indo-European | |
| Palu'e | ura | Austronesian | |
| Semai | manik | Austroasiatic | |
| Aragonese | plevia | Indo-European | |
| West Tarangan | gôyan | Austronesian | |
| Chitral Kalasha | báṣik | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | dešć | Indo-European | |
| Even | удан | udan | Tungusic |
| Chukchi | илиил | iliil | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Jejueo | 비 | bi | Koreanic |
| Kunigami | あミー | ʔamī | Japonic |
| Rapanui | 'ua | Austronesian | |
| Dolgan | һамыыр | hamıır | Turkic |
| Yami | cimoy | Austronesian | |
| Bats | ყარო̂ | q̇arô | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | нағбур | nağbur | Turkic |
| Buli (Indonesia) | ulan | Austronesian | |
| Banda (Indonesia) | wien | Austronesian | |
| Moksha | пизем | pizem | Uralic |
| Dobel | kwusan | Austronesian | |
| Kven Finnish | saet | Uralic | |
| Mòcheno | reng | Indo-European | |
| Manx | fliaghey | Indo-European | |
| Selaru | us | Austronesian | |
| Southern Amami-Oshima | アムぃ | ʔamï | Japonic |
| Dogrib | chǫ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Interlingua | pluvia | Artificial Language | |
| Bororo | bübütü | Bororoan | |
| Nanai | тугдэ | tugde | Tungusic |
| Kei | do'ot | Austronesian |