How to say “sun” around the world
5,275 languages · 258 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 | 太阳 | tàiyáng | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | sun | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | sol | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | सूरज | sūraj | Indo-European |
| Arabic | شَمْس | šams | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | সূর্য | śurjo | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | matahari | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | sol | Indo-European | |
| French | soleil | Indo-European | |
| Russian | со́лнце | sólnce | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 太陽 | taiyō | Japonic |
| Marathi | सूर्य | sūrya | Indo-European |
| Swahili | jua | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | güneş | Turkic | |
| Telugu | సూర్యుడు | sūryuḍu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 太阳 | tha hhian | Sino-Tibetan |
| Korean | 해 | hae | Koreanic |
| German | Sonne | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | mặt trời | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | சூரியன் | cūriyaṉ | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 太陽 | taai³ joeng⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | سُورَج | sūraj | Indo-European |
| Italian | sole | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | شمس | šams | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | સૂર્ય | sūrya | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | خورشید | xoršid | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 日頭 | ji̍t-thâu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 日頭 | ngit-thèu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hausa | rana | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಸೂರ್ಯ | sūrya | Dravidian |
| Polish | słońce | Indo-European | |
| Malayalam | സൂര്യൻ | sūryaṉ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ | surjya | Indo-European |
| Burmese | နေ | ne | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | شمش | šamš | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ukrainian | со́нце | sónce | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | quyosh | Turkic | |
| Romanian | soare | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | zon | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | ጸሓይ | ṣäḥay | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | ดวงอาทิตย์ | duuang-aa-tít | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mói | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | сунце | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | អាទិត្យ | ʼaatɨt | Austroasiatic |
| Turkmen | gün | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | adlaw | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | सूर्य | sūrya | Indo-European |
| Assamese | সূৰ্য | xurz | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | ඉර | ira | Indo-European |
| Greek | ήλιος | ílios | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | roj | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | شَمْس | šams | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | хуршед | xuršed | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | күн | kün | Turkic |
| Hungarian | nap | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | izuba | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | ilanga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | dzuwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | awia | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | لمر | lmar | Indo-European |
| Czech | slunce | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | كۈن | kün | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | son | Indo-European | |
| Haitian | solèy | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | sol | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | günəş | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | слъ́нце | slắnce | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | adlaw | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | ilanga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | со́нца | sónca | Indo-European |
| Neapolitan | sole | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | ھەتاو | hetaw | Indo-European |
| Tumbuka | zuwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kikuyu | riũa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Danish | sol | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | slnko | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | letsatsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Finnish | aurinko | Uralic | |
| Lao | ຕາເວັນ | tā wen | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | sol | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | кояш | qoyaş | Turkic |
| Catalan | sol | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | kuarahy | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | suli | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | күн | kün | Turkic |
| Riffian | tfušt | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | արև | arew | Indo-European |
| Bambara | tile | Mande | |
| Balinese | matanai | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | မုၢ် | mu̱ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | saulė | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | მზე | mze | Kartvelian |
| Albanian | diell | Indo-European | |
| Southern Kurdish | خوەر | xwer | Indo-European |
| Shan | ဝၼ်း | wán | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | нар | nar | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Bikol | saldang | Austronesian | |
| Galician | sol | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | sónce | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | suno | Artificial Language | |
| Kʼicheʼ | qʼij | Mayan | |
| Macedonian | со́нце | sónce | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꉘꁮ | hxo bbu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | sol | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | daengngoenz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Sidamo | arrisho | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | ayro | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Laki | ھوەر | hwer | Indo-European |
| Latvian | saule | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | inti | Quechuan | |
| Tày | tha vằn | Tai-Kadai | |
| Estonian | päike | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | ҡояш | qoyaş | Turkic |
| Tibetan | ཉི་མ | nyi ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romagnol | sôl | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | suga | Austronesian | |
| Kabuverdianu | sol | Indo-European | |
| Khasi | sngi | Austroasiatic | |
| Pa'o Karen | မွူး | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Western Frisian | sinne | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | mba'hnoi | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | нарн | narn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | alongan | Austronesian | |
| Avar | бакъ | baqxʼ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Basque | iguzki | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | хӗвел | hĕvel | Turkic |
| Welsh | haul | Indo-European | |
| Yucatec Maya | kʼiin | Mayan | |
| Lü | ᦎᦱᦞᧃ | ṫaavan | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | рагъ | raġ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | со́нце | sónce | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | soley | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | solea | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | тыгъэ | təğɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܫܡܫܐ | šemšā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | xemx | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | küneş | Turkic | |
| Occitan | solelh | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | kham | Indo-European | |
| Kaqchikel | ik | Mayan | |
| Ligurian | sô | Indo-European | |
| Tetum | loro | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | słůńce | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | sol | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | күн | kün | Turkic |
| Kumyk | гюнеш | güneş | Turkic |
| Samoan | la | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | son | Indo-European | |
| Mingrelian | ბჟა | bža | Kartvelian |
| Fijian | siga | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | އިރު | iru | Indo-European |
| Papiamento | solo | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | sól | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | хүн | xün | Turkic |
| Saho | ayro | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Ao Naga | anü | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plautdietsch | Sonn | Indo-European | |
| Laz | მჟურა | mjura | Kartvelian |
| Dzongkha | ཉི་མ་ | nyi ma | Sino-Tibetan |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܫܡܫܐ | šimšā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Buriat | наран | naran | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | rā | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | naran | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | амра | amra | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | la'ā | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | jóhonaaʼéí | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Bahnar | 'năr | Austroasiatic | |
| Irish | grian | Indo-European | |
| Badaga | ಸೂರಿಯ | sūriya | Dravidian |
| Kashubian | słuńce | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | juwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Seselwa Creole French | soley | Indo-European | |
| Faroese | sól | Indo-European | |
| Marshallese | aļ | Austronesian | |
| Scottish Gaelic | grian | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | suga | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | кӱн | kün | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | सूर्य | sūrya | Indo-European |
| Tagabawa | álló | Austronesian | |
| Dungan | эрту | ertu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Tlaxcala-Puebla-Central Nahuatl | tonatih | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Higaonon | anlaw | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | lā | Austronesian | |
| Kajtak | ба́ре | báre | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lamboya | lado | Austronesian | |
| Wakhi | yīr | Indo-European | |
| Central Yupik | akerta | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Sarikoli | xer | Indo-European | |
| Evenki | дылача | dilaça | Tungusic |
| Tohono O'odham | taṣ | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Svan | ბჟა | bža | Kartvelian |
| Western Apache | ya'áí | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | słónco | Indo-European | |
| Yagnobi | офтоб | oftob | Indo-European |
| Semai | mat jiis | Austroasiatic | |
| Nengone | du | Austronesian | |
| Lower Sorbian | słyńco | Indo-European | |
| Warlpiri | wanta | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Tiwi | yiminga | Isolates | |
| Nanai | сиун | siun | Tungusic |
| Cornish | howl | Indo-European | |
| Pela | pui⁵⁵ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Amur Nivkh | кʼеӈ | kʼeŋ | Nivkh |
| Nganasan | коу | kou | Uralic |
| Ingrian | päivyt | Uralic | |
| Chickasaw | hashi' | Muskogean | |
| Wymysorys | zun | Indo-European | |
| Manchu | ᡧᡠᠨ | šun | Tungusic |
| Alutor | титкытит | titkətit | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Chamicuro | mo'sojko | Arawakan | |
| Akkadian | 𒌓 | šamšum | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gulf Arabic | شمس | ʃəms | Afro-Asiatic |
| Western Balochi | روچ | roc | Indo-European |
| Boloki | mói | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Eastern Cham | ꨀꨕꨪꨓꨳꩀ | Austronesian | |
| Coptic | ⲣⲏ | rē | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eshtehardi | اَفدِب | afdeb | Indo-European |
| Fataluku | vacu | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Geez | ፀሐይ | ṣ́äḥäy | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ancient Greek | ἥλιος | hḗlios | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | seqineq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Gurindji | gangirriny | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Hebrew | שֶׁמֶשׁ | shémesh | Afro-Asiatic |
| Diandongbei-Large Flowery Miao | 𖼐𖽑𖽪𖾐 | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hmong Daw | hnub | Hmong-Mien | |
| Inuktitut | ᓯᕿᓂᖅ | siqiniq | Eskimo-Aleut |
| North Alaskan Inupiatun | siqiñiq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Kamasau | nginy | Nuclear Torricelli | |
| Kambaata | arruchcho | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Tembo (Kitembo) | esuba | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | sōl | Indo-European | |
| Livonian | pǟva | Uralic | |
| Low German | Sünn | Indo-European | |
| Moselle Franconian | Sonn | Indo-European | |
| Makasae-Makalero | watu | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Malagasy | masoandro | Austronesian | |
| Malay | matahari | Austronesian | |
| Middle English | sonne | Indo-European | |
| Classical Nahuatl | tonatiuh | Uto-Aztecan | |
| San Francisco Bay Ohlone | hismen | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ojibwa | giizis | Algic | |
| Church Slavic | слъньце | slŭnĭce | Indo-European |
| Old Russian | сълньце | sŭlnĭce | Indo-European |
| Old English | sunne | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | biiftuu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Iron Ossetian | хур | xur | Indo-European |
| Mezquital Otomi | hyadi | Otomanguean | |
| Pali | suriya | Indo-European | |
| Phoenician | 𐤔𐤌𐤔 | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਸੂਰਜ | sūraj | Indo-European |
| Quapaw | mi | Siouan | |
| Sundanese | panonpoé | Austronesian | |
| Tagalog | araw | Austronesian | |
| Tokharian A | koṃ | Indo-European | |
| Tokharian B | kauṃ | Indo-European | |
| Yiddish | זון | zun | Indo-European |
| Zande | uru | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Dimli | tij | Indo-European |