How to say “sky” around the world

295 languages · 295 in their own spelling

sky · cielo · سَمَاءlangit · ọ̀run · likoloआकाश · আকাশ · आकाशне́бо · 天 · 하늘天空 · trời · 天mbingu · Himmel · hemelฟ้า · wim · ၽႃႉOther shapes

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	天空	tiānkōng	Sino-Tibetan
English	sky		Indo-European
Spanish	cielo		Indo-European
Hindi	आकाश	ākāś	Indo-European
Arabic	سَمَاء	samāʔ	Afro-Asiatic
Bengali	আকাশ	akaś	Indo-European
Indonesian	langit		Austronesian
Portuguese	céu		Indo-European
French	ciel		Indo-European
Russian	не́бо	nébo	Indo-European
Japanese	空	sora	Japonic
Marathi	आकाश	ākāś	Indo-European
Swahili	mbingu		Atlantic-Congo
Turkish	gök		Turkic
Telugu	ఆకాశము	ākāśamu	Dravidian
Wu Chinese	天		Sino-Tibetan
Korean	하늘	haneul	Koreanic
German	Himmel		Indo-European
Vietnamese	trời		Austroasiatic
Tamil	ஆகாயம்	ākāyam	Dravidian
Cantonese	天	tin¹	Sino-Tibetan
Urdu	آسْمان	āsmān	Indo-European
Italian	cielo		Indo-European
Egyptian Arabic	سما	samā	Afro-Asiatic
Gujarati	આકાશ	ākāś	Indo-European
Western Farsi	آسْمان	âsmân	Indo-European
Hausa	samà		Afro-Asiatic
Kannada	ಆಕಾಶ	ākāśa	Dravidian
Polish	niebo		Indo-European
Yoruba	ọ̀run		Atlantic-Congo
Malayalam	ആകാശം	ākāśaṁ	Dravidian
Odia	ଆକାଶ	ākāśa	Indo-European
Burmese	ကောင်းကင်	kaung:kang	Sino-Tibetan
Ukrainian	не́бо	nébo	Indo-European
Uzbek	koʻk		Turkic
Romanian	cer		Indo-European
Dutch	hemel		Indo-European
Amharic	ሰማይ	sämay	Afro-Asiatic
Thai	ฟ้า	fáa	Tai-Kadai
Lingala	likolo		Atlantic-Congo
Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian	не̏бо		Indo-European
Khmer	មេឃ	meik	Austroasiatic
Somali	cir		Afro-Asiatic
Turkmen	asman		Turkic
Nepali	आकाश	ākāś	Indo-European
Assamese	আকাশ	akax	Indo-European
Sinhala	අහස	ahasa	Indo-European
Greek	ουρανός	ouranós	Indo-European
Kurdish	esman		Indo-European
Hijazi Arabic	سما	sama	Afro-Asiatic
Tajik	осмон	osmon	Indo-European
Kazakh	аспан	aspan	Turkic
Hungarian	ég		Uralic
Zulu	isibhakabhaka		Atlantic-Congo
Akan	wim		Atlantic-Congo
Southern Pashto	هسک	hask	Indo-European
Czech	nebe		Indo-European
Uighur	ئاسمان	asman	Turkic
Afrikaans	lug		Indo-European
Haitian	syèl		Indo-European
Swedish	himmel		Indo-European
Azerbaijani	göy		Turkic
Iloko	langit		Austronesian
Bulgarian	небе́	nebé	Indo-European
Hiligaynon	ginhanan		Austronesian
Xhosa	isibhakabhaka		Atlantic-Congo
Tachelhit	ignna		Afro-Asiatic
Belarusian	не́ба	njéba	Indo-European
Tigrinya	ሰማይ	sämay	Afro-Asiatic
Neapolitan	cielo		Indo-European
Central Kurdish	ئاسمان	asman	Indo-European
Northern Thai	ᨼ᩶ᩣ		Tai-Kadai
Danish	himmel		Indo-European
Slovak	nebo		Indo-European
Umbundu	ilu		Atlantic-Congo
Finnish	taivas		Uralic
Lao	ທ້ອງຟ້າ	thǭng fā	Tai-Kadai
Norwegian	himmel		Indo-European
Tatar	күк	kük	Turkic
Buginese	langiq		Austronesian
Catalan	cel		Indo-European
Guarani	yvága		Tupian
Sicilian	ariu		Indo-European
Kirghiz	асман	asman	Turkic
Riffian	ajenna		Afro-Asiatic
Armenian	երկինք	erkinkʻ	Indo-European
Ganda	eggulu		Atlantic-Congo
Lithuanian	dangus		Indo-European
Lombard	ciel		Indo-European
Georgian	ცა	ca	Kartvelian
Goan Konkani	आकाश	ākāś	Indo-European
Waray	langit		Austronesian
Albanian	qiell		Indo-European
Shan	ၽႃႉ	phâ̰a	Tai-Kadai
Mongolian	тэнгэр	tenger	Mongolic-Khitan
Bikol	langit		Austronesian
Galician	ceo		Indo-European
Pampanga	banua		Austronesian
Slovenian	nebo		Indo-European
Bouyei	mbenl		Tai-Kadai
Esperanto	ĉielo		Artificial Language
Kʼicheʼ	kaj		Mayan
Macedonian	небо	nebo	Indo-European
Sichuan Yi	ꃅ	mu	Sino-Tibetan
Zhuang	mbwn		Tai-Kadai
Sidamo	gordo		Afro-Asiatic
Kabardian	уафэ	wafɛ	Abkhaz-Adyge
Latvian	debesis		Indo-European
Quechua	hanaq pacha		Quechuan
Scots	lint		Indo-European
Tày	fạ		Tai-Kadai
Chechen	стигал	stigal	Nakh-Daghestanian
Estonian	taevas		Uralic
Bashkir	күк	kük	Turkic
Tibetan	གནམ	gnam	Sino-Tibetan
Muong	tlời		Austroasiatic
Maguindanao	langit		Austronesian
Romagnol	zil		Indo-European
Tausug	langit		Austronesian
Central Okinawan	すら	sura	Japonic
Kachin	lamu		Sino-Tibetan
Western Frisian	himel		Indo-European
Kalmyk	теңгр	teñgr	Mongolic-Khitan
Maranao	langit		Austronesian
Talysh	osmon		Indo-European
Basque	zeru		Isolates
Chuvash	тӳпе	tüp̬e	Turkic
Welsh	awyr		Indo-European
Yucatec Maya	kaʼan		Mayan
Lü	ᦝᦱᧉ	faa²	Tai-Kadai
Tai Nüa	ᥜᥣᥳ	fȧa	Tai-Kadai
Lezghian	цав	cav	Nakh-Daghestanian
Rusyn	не́бо	nébo	Indo-European
Morisyen	lesiel		Indo-European
Walloon	cir		Indo-European
Adyghe	ошъуапщэ	wošʷapśɛ	Abkhaz-Adyge
Classical Syriac	ܫܡܝܐ	šəmayyā	Afro-Asiatic
Maltese	sema		Afro-Asiatic
Occitan	cèl		Indo-European
Tetum	lalehan		Austronesian
Asturian	cielu		Indo-European
Yakut	халлаан	xallaan	Turkic
Sranan Tongo	heimel		Indo-European
Ibanag	langit		Austronesian
Tzotzil	vinajel		Mayan
Mingrelian	ცა	ca	Kartvelian
Dhivehi	އުޑު	uḍu	Indo-European
Ingush	сигале	sigale	Nakh-Daghestanian
Papiamento	shelu		Indo-European
Icelandic	himinn		Indo-European
Friulian	cîl		Indo-European
Saho	caran		Afro-Asiatic
Udmurt	ин	in	Uralic
Ao Naga	anüng		Sino-Tibetan
Plautdietsch	Himmel		Indo-European
Laz	მცა	mʒa	Kartvelian
Zeelandic	'emel		Indo-European
Buriat	тэнгэри	tengeri	Mongolic-Khitan
Māori	rangi		Austronesian
Abkhaz	ажәҩан	aẑʷjʷan	Abkhaz-Adyge
Tonga (Tonga Islands)	langi		Austronesian
Navajo	yá		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit
Bahnar	plĕnh		Austroasiatic
Komi	енэж	jenež	Uralic
Irish	aer		Indo-European
Western Highland Purepecha	auanda		Tarascan
Ladino	sielo		Indo-European
Aromanian	tser		Indo-European
Kashubian	niebò		Indo-European
Breton	oabl		Indo-European
Erzya	менель	meneľ	Uralic
Võro	taivas		Uralic
Tabasaran	зав	zav	Nakh-Daghestanian
Faroese	himin		Indo-European
Tahitian	raʻi		Austronesian
Chamorro	långet		Austronesian
Scottish Gaelic	speur		Indo-European
Mansaka	langit		Austronesian
Aguaruna	nayaim		Chicham
Southern Altai	теҥери	teŋeri	Turkic
Sanskrit	दिव	diva	Indo-European
Argobba	ሱማይ	sumay	Afro-Asiatic
Dungan	тян	tian	Sino-Tibetan
Romansh	tschiel		Indo-European
Higaonon	gabon		Austronesian
Hawaiian	lani		Austronesian
Kajtak	ццав	ccav	Nakh-Daghestanian
Rarotongan	rangi		Austronesian
Evenki	няӈня	ņaŋņa	Tungusic
Mirandese	cielo		Indo-European
Svan	დეც	dec	Kartvelian
Western Apache	yáá		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit
Upper Sorbian	njebjo		Indo-European
Cherokee	ᎦᎸᎶᎢ	galvloi	Iroquoian
Yagnobi	осмон	osmon	Indo-European
Nheengatu	iuaka		Tupian
Udi	ҝоьй	gʲöj	Nakh-Daghestanian
Lower Sorbian	njebjo		Indo-European
North Marquesan	'aki		Austronesian
Megleno-Romanian	țer		Indo-European
Rapanui	rangi		Austronesian
Dolgan	каллаан	kallaan	Turkic
Yami	angit		Austronesian
Arawak	hayumu		Arawakan
Moksha	менель	meneľ	Uralic
Interlingua	celo		Artificial Language
Nanai	боа	boa	Tungusic
Veps	taivaz		Uralic
Pipil	ilwikak		Uto-Aztecan
Istro-Romanian	țer		Indo-European
Northern Mansi	то̄рум	tōrum	Uralic
Comanche	tomoobi		Uto-Aztecan
Taos Northern Tiwa	pʼȍpə́na		Kiowa-Tanoan
Cornish	ebron		Indo-European
Maliseet-Passamaquoddy	musikisq		Algic
Ingrian	taivas		Uralic
Straits Salish	ŦI¸ŦEȽ		Salishan
Chickasaw	shotik		Muskogean
Wymysorys	hymuł		Indo-European
Votic	taivõz		Uralic
Prussian	dangus		Indo-European
Manchu	ᠠᠪᡴᠠ	abka	Tungusic
Ainu	ニㇱ	nis	Ainu
Pawnee	awaahaksuʼ		Caddoan
Chamicuro	ikejta		Arawakan
Aklanon	eangit		Austronesian
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (ca. 200-1200 CE)	שְׁמַיָּא	šəmayyā	Afro-Asiatic
Western Neo-Aramaic	ܫܡܘܐ	šmūā	Afro-Asiatic
Eastern Arrernte	alkere		Pama-Nyungan
Avestan	𐬀𐬯𐬨𐬀𐬥	asman	Indo-European
Aymara	alaxa pacha		Aymaran
Western Balochi	آزمان	ázmán	Indo-European
Bobangi	likolo		Atlantic-Congo
Baure	ani		Arawakan
Central Atlas Tamazight	ⵉⴳⵏⵏⴰ	ignna	Afro-Asiatic
Dalmatian	cil		Indo-European
Ancient Egyptian	p*t:pt	pt	Afro-Asiatic
Etruscan	𐌀𐌉𐌈𐌕𐌓𐌀	aiθtra	Isolates
Arpitan	cièl		Indo-European
Saterland Frisian	Heemel		Indo-European
Geez	ሰማይ	sämay	Afro-Asiatic
Ancient Greek	οὐρανός	ouranós	Indo-European
Hebrew	שמיים		Afro-Asiatic
Hittite	𒉈𒂊𒁉𒅖	nēpis	Indo-European
Hmong Daw	ntuj		Hmong-Mien
Hunsrik	Himmel		Indo-European
Inuktitut	ᕿᓚᒃ	qilak	Eskimo-Aleut
Old Irish	nem		Indo-European
Ibatan	hañit		Austronesian
Jarawa (India)	paŋnaŋ		Jarawa-Onge
Javanese	langit		Austronesian
Lubuagan Kalinga	langit		Austronesian
Bangad	langit		Austronesian
Latin	caelum		Indo-European
Livonian	tōvaz		Uralic
Moselle Franconian	Himmel		Indo-European
Masai	enkai		Nilotic
Malagasy	lanitra		Austronesian
Malay	langit		Austronesian
Brunei	langit		Austronesian
South Marquesan	'ani		Austronesian
Maybrat	ayoh		Maybratic
Central Melanau	langit		Austronesian
Middle English	welken		Indo-European
Middle Mongol	ᠲᠩᠷᠢ		Mongolic-Khitan
Lake Miwok	líilewali		Miwok-Costanoan
Classical Nahuatl	iluikatl		Uto-Aztecan
Ojibwa	giizhig		Algic
Church Slavic	небо	nebo	Indo-European
Old Russian	небо	nebo	Indo-European
Old English	heofon		Indo-European
Old Turkic	𐾀𐽺𐽷𐽾𐽶		Turkic
Oromo	samii		Afro-Asiatic
Iron Ossetian	арв	arv	Indo-European
Parthian	assamän		Indo-European
Pahlavi	𐭠𐭮𐭬𐭠𐭭		Indo-European
Phoenician	𐤔𐤌𐤌	šmm	Afro-Asiatic
Polabian	nebü		Indo-European
Eastern Panjabi	ਅਸਮਾਨ	asamān	Indo-European
Sango	ndüzü		Atlantic-Congo
Sardinian	chelu		Indo-European
Sumerian	𒀭	an	Isolates
Sundanese	awang		Austronesian
Tagalog	langit		Austronesian
Muslim Tat	a'siman		Indo-European
Latege	yulu		Atlantic-Congo
Tokharian A	eprer		Indo-European
Ugaritic	𐎌𐎎𐎎	šmm	Afro-Asiatic
Wappo	túyhuwela		Yuki-Wappo
Woiwurrung-Thagungwurrung	wurru-wurru		Pama-Nyungan
Wolof	asamaan		Atlantic-Congo
Yámana	seyf		Isolates
Yiddish	הימל	himl	Indo-European
Dimli	ezman		Indo-European
East Taa	kùu ǂèe		Tuu