How to say “river” around the world
371 languages · 371 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 | 河 | hé | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | river | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | río | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | नदी | nadī | Indo-European |
| Arabic | نَهْر | nahr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | নদী | nodi | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | sungai | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | rio | Indo-European | |
| French | fleuve | Indo-European | |
| Russian | река́ | reká | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 川 | kawa | Japonic |
| Marathi | नदी | nadī | Indo-European |
| Swahili | mto | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | ırmak | Turkic | |
| Telugu | నది | nadi | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 江 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 강 | gang | Koreanic |
| German | Fluss | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | sông | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | ஆறு | āṟu | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 河 | ho⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | نَدی | nadī | Indo-European |
| Italian | fiume | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | نهر | nahr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | નદી | nadī | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | رود | rud | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 河 | hô | Sino-Tibetan |
| Levantine Arabic | نهر | nahr | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | kogi | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ನದಿ | nadi | Dravidian |
| Polish | rzeka | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | odò | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 江 | jian¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | നദി | nadi | Dravidian |
| Odia | ନଦୀ | nadi | Indo-European |
| Burmese | မြစ် | mrac | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | واد | wād | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | uji | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | ріка́ | riká | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | daryo | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | دَرياءُ | daryāu | Indo-European |
| Romanian | râu | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | rivier | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 江 | gong¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ወንዝ | wänz | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | แม่น้ำ | mɛ̂ɛ-náam | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | ebale | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | ре́ка | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ទន្លេ | tɔɔtŭənlei | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | webi | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | derýa | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | suba | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | नदी | nadī | Indo-European |
| Assamese | নৈ | noi | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | ගඟ | gaⁿga | Indo-European |
| Greek | ποτάμι | potámi | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | çem | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | نهر | nahar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | рӯд | rüd | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠘꠖꠤ | nodi | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | өзен | özen | Turkic |
| Hungarian | folyó | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | uruzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | umfula | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | mtsinje | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tunisian Arabic | واد | wād | Afro-Asiatic |
| Akan | asubɔntene | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | سيند | sīnd | Indo-European |
| Czech | řeka | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | دەريا | derya | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | rivier | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 河 | ò̤ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | rivyè | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | flod | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | çay | Turkic | |
| Iloko | karayan | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | река́ | reká | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | suba | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | umlambo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tachelhit | asif | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | рака́ | raká | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ፈለግ | fäläg | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | ciume | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | ڕۆ | ro | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱜᱟᱰᱟ | gaḍa | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | mronga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | नदी | nadī | Indo-European |
| Danish | flod | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | rieka | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | noka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Minangkabau | sungai | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | joki | Uralic | |
| Lao | ແມ່ນ້ຳ | mǣ nam | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | flod | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | елга | yılğa | Turkic |
| Betawi | kali | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | riu | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | ysyry | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | ciumi | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | өзөн | özön | Turkic |
| Riffian | iɣzar | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | գետ | get | Indo-European |
| Ganda | omugga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| S'gaw Karen | ထံကျိ | hṭee kloh | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | upė | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | wara | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | fiumm | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | მდინარე | mdinare | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | kruëng | Austronesian | |
| Waray | salog | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | lumë | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | etɔ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shan | မႄႈၼမ်ႉ | māae nâ̰m | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | гол | gol | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Efik | akpa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Bikol | salog | Austronesian | |
| Galician | río | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | ilug | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | réka | Indo-European | |
| Iban | sungai | Austronesian | |
| Esperanto | rivero | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | река | reka | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꒊꃀ | yyp mop | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | fium | Indo-European | |
| Tulu | ಸುದೆ | sude | Dravidian |
| Venetian | fiume | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | dah | Tai-Kadai | |
| Sidamo | laga | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | псыхъо | psəꭓʷo | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Limburgan | reveer | Indo-European | |
| Latvian | upe | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | mayu | Quechuan | |
| Scots | river | Indo-European | |
| Tày | tả | Tai-Kadai | |
| Chechen | хи | xi | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | jõgi | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | йылға | yılğa | Turkic |
| Tibetan | གཙང་ཆུ | gtsang chu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Muong | không | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | pulangi | Austronesian | |
| Tausug | suba | Austronesian | |
| Kinaray-a | suba | Austronesian | |
| Gorontalo | dutula | Austronesian | |
| Kabiyé | pɔɔ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Newari | खुसि | khusi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Kachin | hka | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Khasi | wah | Austroasiatic | |
| Mon | ကြုၚ် | krɜŋ | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | rivier | Indo-European | |
| Frafra | kʋlaa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Iu Mien | ndaaih | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | һол | ğol | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | iyolog | Austronesian | |
| Avar | гӏор | ʻor | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | ru | Indo-European | |
| Basque | ibai | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | юханшыв | juh̬anš̬yv | Turkic |
| Welsh | afon | Indo-European | |
| Lü | ᦶᦩ | xwae | Tai-Kadai |
| Rusyn | ріка́ | riká | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | larivier | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | aiwe | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | псыхъо | psəꭓʷo | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܢܗܪܐ | nahrā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | xmara | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | özen | Turkic | |
| Occitan | riu | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | sciùmme | Indo-European | |
| Mizo | lui | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mari | эҥер | eŋer | Uralic |
| Tetum | mota | Austronesian | |
| Iraqw | yaaee | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Silesian | rzyka | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | ríu | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | өрүс | örüs | Turkic |
| Kumyk | оьзен | özen | Turkic |
| Sranan Tongo | liba | Indo-European | |
| Mingrelian | წყარმალუ | c̣q̇armalu | Kartvelian |
| Dhivehi | ކޯރު | kōru | Indo-European |
| Chakma | 𑄉𑄧𑄋 | gaṅā | Indo-European |
| Papiamento | riu | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | fljót | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | mro wa madji | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | черек | çerek | Turkic |
| Naxi | hoq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Friulian | flum | Indo-European | |
| Muna | laa | Austronesian | |
| Tuvinian | хем | xem | Turkic |
| Udmurt | шур | šur | Uralic |
| Ao Naga | ayong | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plautdietsch | Fluss | Indo-European | |
| Dzongkha | གཙང་ཆུ | gtsang chu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Zeelandic | rivier | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | гол | gol | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | awa | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | ríu | Indo-European | |
| Dongxiang | moron | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | аʒиас | aʒjas | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Central Dusun | bawang | Austronesian | |
| Hiri Motu | sinavai | Pidgin | |
| Navajo | tooh | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Bahnar | krong | Austroasiatic | |
| Komi | ю | ju | Uralic |
| Corsican | fiume | Indo-European | |
| Tornedalen Finnish | joki | Uralic | |
| Gagauz | derä | Turkic | |
| Pennsylvania German | Rewwer | Indo-European | |
| Irish | abhainn | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | rio | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | arãu | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | rzéka | Indo-European | |
| Breton | stêr | Indo-European | |
| Erzya | лей | lej | Uralic |
| Atayal | llyung | Austronesian | |
| Võro | jõgi | Uralic | |
| Sikkimese | ཀྱོང | kyong | Sino-Tibetan |
| Faroese | á | Indo-European | |
| Komi-Permyak | ва | va | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | abhainn | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | суу | suu | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | नदी | nadī | Indo-European |
| Khakas | суғ | suğ | Turkic |
| Dungan | хә | hə | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | flum | Indo-European | |
| Motu | sinavai | Austronesian | |
| Car Nicobarese | ta-hël | Austroasiatic | |
| Chepang | मातीः | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Karelian | jogi | Uralic | |
| Plains Cree | sîpîy | Algic | |
| Livvi | jogi | Uralic | |
| Higaonon | suba | Austronesian | |
| Ladin | gherdëina | Indo-European | |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | sungi | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | kahawai | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | johka | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | еркӏ | erḳ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lamboya | laiwe | Austronesian | |
| Andi | гьадор | hador | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Taroko | yayung | Austronesian | |
| Central Yupik | kuik | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | бира | bira | Tungusic |
| Comorian | muro | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Mirandese | riu | Indo-European | |
| Drung | wang | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Upper Sorbian | rěka | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎤᏪᏴ | uweyv | Iroquoian |
| Baba Malay | sunge | Austronesian | |
| Yagnobi | дайро | dayro | Indo-European |
| Fala | ríu | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | struum | Indo-European | |
| Zuni | k'yawinanne | Isolates | |
| Nauru | ekaw | Austronesian | |
| Aragonese | río | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | rěka | Indo-European | |
| Even | ока̄т | okāt | Tungusic |
| Muscogee | hvcce | Muskogean | |
| Koryak | вʼэем | v'ėjem | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Tokelau | vaitafe | Austronesian | |
| Moksha | ляй | läj | Uralic |
| Manx | awin | Indo-European | |
| Dogrib | deh | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Interlingua | fluvio | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | мангбо | maŋbo | Tungusic |
| Veps | jogi | Uralic | |
| Istriot | fioûme | Indo-European | |
| Comanche | pia hunuubi | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Tlingit | héen | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Skolt Sami | jokk | Uralic | |
| Narrinyeri | kuri | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Inari Sami | juuhâ | Uralic | |
| Halkomelem | stó:lō | Salishan | |
| Nyunga | beerliya | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Amur Nivkh | эри | eri | Nivkh |
| Ingrian | joki | Uralic | |
| Straits Salish | STO | Salishan | |
| Ahtena | -naʼ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Chickasaw | abookoshi | Muskogean | |
| Wymysorys | fłūs | Indo-European | |
| Votic | jõki | Uralic | |
| Arabela | moo | Zaparoan | |
| Prussian | apē | Indo-European | |
| Southern Yukaghir | унун | unun | Yukaghir |
| Kashaya | ʔahqʰa | Pomoan | |
| Wiradhuri | bila | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Manchu | ᠪᡳᡵᠠ | bira | Tungusic |
| Western Abenaki | sibo | Algic | |
| Ainu | ペッ | pet | Ainu |
| Kanakanavu | cakʉran | Austronesian | |
| Chamicuro | maneli | Arawakan | |
| Achuar-Shiwiar | entza | Chicham | |
| Achumawi | ajúmmá | Palaihnihan | |
| Akkadian | 𒀀𒇉 | nāru | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aklanon | suba' | Austronesian | |
| Guadeloupe-Martinique Creole French | wiviè | Indo-European | |
| Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (ca. 200-1200 CE) | נַהֲרָא | nahărā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aymara | jawira | Aymaran | |
| Usun Apau Kenyah | cungai | Austronesian | |
| Western Balochi | کور | kor | Indo-European |
| Bobangi | ebale | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Catawba | iswa | Siouan | |
| Central Atlas Tamazight | ⴰⵙⵉⴼ | asif | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Cham | ꨯꨴꨆ | kraung | Austronesian |
| Coptic | ⲉⲓⲟⲟⲣ | eioor | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dalmatian | floim | Indo-European | |
| Ancient Egyptian | i-t*:r-w-mw | jtrw | Afro-Asiatic |
| Old French | flueve | Indo-European | |
| Saterland Frisian | Äi | Indo-European | |
| Pular | maayo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Gothic | 𐌰𐍈𐌰 | aƕa | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | ποταμός | potamós | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | kuuk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Mbyá Guaraní | yakã | Tupian | |
| Hebrew | נָהָר | nahár | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | dej | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hunsrik | Fluss | Indo-European | |
| Tuwali Ifugao | wangwang | Austronesian | |
| Inuktitut | ᑰᒃ | kook | Eskimo-Aleut |
| North Alaskan Inupiatun | kuuk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Old Irish | aub | Indo-European | |
| Javanese | kali | Austronesian |