How to say “water” around the world
6,094 languages · 3,303 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 | 水 | shuǐ | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | water | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | agua | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | पानी | pānī | Indo-European |
| Arabic | مَاء | māʔ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | পানি | pani | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | air | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | água | Indo-European | |
| French | eau | Indo-European | |
| Russian | вода́ | vodá | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 水 | mizu | Japonic |
| Marathi | पाणी | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Swahili | maji | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | su | Turkic | |
| Telugu | నీరు | nīru | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 水 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 물 | mul | Koreanic |
| German | Wasser | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | nước | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | தண்ணீர் | taṇṇīr | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 水 | seoi² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | پانی | pānī | Indo-European |
| Italian | acqua | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | مية | máyya | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | પાણી | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | آب | āb | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 水 | chúi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 水 | súi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 水 | sui² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Levantine Arabic | مَيّ | ṃayy | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | ruwā | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ನೀರು | nīru | Dravidian |
| Algerian Arabic | ما | mā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Polish | woda | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | omi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 水 | xyei³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | ജലം | jalaṁ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଜଳ | jaḷa | Indo-European |
| Maithili | पानि | pānɨ | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ရေ | re | Sino-Tibetan |
| Sudanese Arabic | موية | mōya | Afro-Asiatic |
| Moroccan Arabic | ما | mā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | mmiri | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | вода́ | vodá | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | suv | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | پاڻي | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Romanian | apă | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | water | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 水 | sui³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Awadhi | पानी | pānī | Indo-European |
| Amharic | ውሃ | wəha | Afro-Asiatic |
| Magahi | 𑂣𑂰𑂢𑂲 | pānī | Indo-European |
| Thai | น้ำ | náam | Tai-Kadai |
| Saraiki | پاݨی | paanyii | Indo-European |
| Lingala | mái | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | вода | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ទឹក | tɨk | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | biyo | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | suw | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | tubig | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | पानी | pānī | Indo-European |
| Assamese | পানী | pani | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | ජලය | jalaya | Indo-European |
| Greek | νερό | neró | Indo-European |
| Northeastern Thai | น้ำ | nàam | Tai-Kadai |
| Madurese | aeng | Austronesian | |
| Kurdish | av | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | موية | mōya | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | об | ob | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠙꠣꠘꠤ | fani | Indo-European |
| Tsonga | mati | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kazakh | су | suw | Turkic |
| Hungarian | víz | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | amazi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | amanzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | madzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tunisian Arabic | ما | mē | Afro-Asiatic |
| Akan | ǹsú | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | اوبه | Indo-European | |
| Czech | voda | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | سۇ | su | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | water | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 水 | cūi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malvi | पाणी | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Haitian | dlo | Indo-European | |
| Kanuri | nji | Saharan | |
| Swedish | vatten | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | su | Turkic | |
| Iloko | danúm | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | вода́ | vodá | Indo-European |
| Shona | mvura | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Hiligaynon | tubig | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | amanzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tachelhit | aman | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | вада́ | vadá | Indo-European |
| Mossi | kòom | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tigrinya | ማይ | may | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | acqua | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | ئاو | aw | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱫᱟᱜ | dak’ | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | maji | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | آب | āb | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | maĩ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Luba-Lulua | mayi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᨶ᩶ᩣᩴ | nam | Tai-Kadai |
| Danish | vand | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | voda | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | metsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Umbundu | ovava | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | haatta | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Kabyle | aman | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Minangkabau | aia | Austronesian | |
| Sukuma | minzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Finnish | vesi | Uralic | |
| Lao | ນ້ຳ | nam | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | vann | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | су | su | Turkic |
| Buginese | toja | Austronesian | |
| Betawi | aèr | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | aigua | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | y | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | acqua | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | суу | suu | Turkic |
| Swiss German | Wasser | Indo-European | |
| Southern Thai | หน่าม | nàam | Tai-Kadai |
| Tswana | metsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | aman | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Libyan Arabic | مي | me | Afro-Asiatic |
| Armenian | ջուր | ǰur | Indo-European |
| Bambara | ji | Mande | |
| Ganda | amazzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Balinese | yeh | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | ထံ | hṭee | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | vanduo | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | wara | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | acqua | Indo-European | |
| Kamba | kiw'u | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Hassaniyya | ما | mā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Georgian | წყალი | c̣q̇ali | Kartvelian |
| Goan Konkani | उदक | udak | Indo-European |
| Bemba | amenshi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Acehnese | ie | Austronesian | |
| Bhili | पाणि | pāṇi | Indo-European |
| Mazanderani | او | au | Indo-European |
| Jamaican Creole English | wata | Indo-European | |
| Dagbani | kom | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Waray | tubig | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | ujë | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | tsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Garhwali | पाणि | pāṇi | Indo-European |
| Southern Kurdish | ئاو | aw | Indo-European |
| Luo | pi | Nilotic | |
| Shan | ၼမ်ႉ | nâ̰m | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | ус | us | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Dyula | jí | Mande | |
| Efik | mmọñ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Chadian Arabic | المي | almi | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gilaki | آب | âb | Indo-European |
| Bikol | túbig | Austronesian | |
| Galician | auga | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | danúm | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | vôda | Indo-European | |
| Susu | yéé | Mande | |
| Chiga | amaizi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Iban | ai | Austronesian | |
| Nyankole | amaizi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Chaouia of the Aures | aman | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Baoulé | nzue | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Lango (Uganda) | pì | Nilotic | |
| Swati | emanti | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Batak Toba | aek | Austronesian | |
| Bouyei | ram⁶ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Cameroon Pidgin | wata | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | akvo | Artificial Language | |
| Kʼicheʼ | jaʼ | Mayan | |
| Kurukh | अम्म | amm | Dravidian |
| Macedonian | вода | voda | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꒉ | yy | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | eva | Indo-European | |
| Sasak | aiq | Austronesian | |
| Shilluk | phi | Nilotic | |
| Tulu | ನೀರ್ | nīrŭ | Dravidian |
| Venetian | aqua | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | raemx | Tai-Kadai | |
| Fon | sḭ̀ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Brahui | dīr | Dravidian | |
| Karekare | àmù | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Rohingya | faní | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | waa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Makonde | medi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Afar | lee | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | псы | psə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Bini | àmɛ̃̀ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Igala | ómi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Limburgan | water | Indo-European | |
| Makasar | je’ne’ | Austronesian | |
| Zimbabwean Ndebele | amanzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Gun | sin | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ho | दः | da: | Austroasiatic |
| Laki | ئاو | aw | Indo-European |
| Latvian | ūdens | Indo-European | |
| Northern Luri | او | âw | Indo-European |
| Mundari | दाः | dāḥ | Austroasiatic |
| Nimadi | पाणी | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Quechua | yaku | Quechuan | |
| Scots | watter | Indo-European | |
| Tày | nặm | Tai-Kadai | |
| Bodo | dwi | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Sebat Bet Gurage | እኻ | əxa | Afro-Asiatic |
| Kelantan-Pattani Malay | aé | Austronesian | |
| Manipuri | ইসিং | isiŋ | Sino-Tibetan |
| West Flemish | woater | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | хи | xi | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Mandinka | jí | Mande | |
| Domari | pânî | Indo-European | |
| Emilian | aqua | Indo-European | |
| Venda | maḓi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tonga (Zambia) | maanzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Estonian | vesi | Uralic | |
| Acoli | pii | Nilotic | |
| Bashkir | һыу | hıw | Turkic |
| Tibetan | ཆུ | chu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Serer | foof | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tswa | mati | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Eastern Tamang | कयुइ | kyui | Sino-Tibetan |
| Beja | yam | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Muong | đác | Austroasiatic | |
| Aja (Benin) | eshi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Maguindanao | ig | Austronesian | |
| Pangasinan | danúm | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | aqua | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | tubig | Austronesian | |
| Urhobo | àmẽ̀ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Soninke | jí | Mande | |
| Kinaray-a | tubig | Austronesian | |
| Bakhtiari | او | aw | Indo-European |
| Garo | chi | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Gorontalo | taluhu | Austronesian | |
| Kabiyé | lɩm | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Luri | او | aw | Indo-European |
| Newari | लः | la: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Central Okinawan | 水 | miji | Japonic |
| Nyamwezi | mììnzí | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kachin | hka | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Silt'e | መዪ | mayi | Afro-Asiatic |
| Manggarai | waé | Austronesian | |
| Nuer | pi | Nilotic | |
| Ngaju | danum | Austronesian | |
| Khorasan Turkic | سو | su | Turkic |
| Kabuverdianu | águ | Indo-European | |
| Kachchi | પાણી | pāṇī | Indo-European |
| Khasi | um | Austroasiatic | |
| Bulu | mendim | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Pa'o Karen | ထီ | hti | Sino-Tibetan |
| Fang | cim | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Manado Malay | aer | Austronesian | |
| Mon | ဍာ် | daik | Austroasiatic |
| Nung (Viet Nam) | nam | Tai-Kadai | |
| Western Frisian | wetter | Indo-European | |
| Nias | idanö | Austronesian | |
| Frafra | ko'om | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Swabian | Wasser | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | wuom | Hmong-Mien | |
| Ndonga | omeya | Atlantic-Congo | |
| South Sudanese Creole Arabic | moya | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Nupe-Nupe-Tako | nuwan | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tigre | ማይ | may | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dotyali | पानी | pānī | Indo-European |
| Kalmyk | усн | usn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | ig | Austronesian | |
| Pontic | νερόν | nerón | Indo-European |
| Avar | лъим | lˢim | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | ov | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪙꪾ꫁ | nam6 | Tai-Kadai |
| Basque | ur | Isolates | |
| Fur | koro | Furan | |
| Ga | nu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Angika | जल | djala | Indo-European |
| Hani | eelquvq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Chuvash | шыв | šyv | Turkic |
| Welsh | dŵr | Indo-European | |
| Ronga | mati | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shina | ویࣿئ | wey | Indo-European |
| Yucatec Maya | haʼ | Mayan | |
| Guyanese Creole English | wata | Indo-European | |
| Hlai | noms | Tai-Kadai | |
| Kok Borok | twi | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Lü | ᦓᧄᧉ | nam² | Tai-Kadai |
| Picard | iau | Indo-European | |
| Krio | wata | Indo-European | |
| Luguru | matsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Mambwe-Lungu | amanzi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nobiin | ámán | Nubian | |
| Shambala | mazi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Tai Nüa | ᥘᥛᥳ | lȧm | Tai-Kadai |
| Kui (India) | ସିରୁ | siru | Dravidian |
| Capiznon | tubi | Austronesian | |
| Lezghian | йад | jad | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | вода | voda | Indo-European |
| Akha | eehf chjoohxv | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Batak Karo | lau | Austronesian | |
| Lozi | mezi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Morisyen | dilo | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | lo | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | aiwe | Indo-European | |
| Kara-Kalpak | suw | Turkic | |
| Ewondo | məndím | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Adyghe | псы | psə | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܡܝܐ | mayyā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Korwa | dak | Austroasiatic | |
| Maltese | ilma | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Balkan Romani | pani | Indo-European | |
| Crimean Tatar | suv | Turkic | |
| Occitan | aiga | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | paji | Indo-European | |
| Asu | eku | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Upper Guinea Crioulo | yagu | Indo-European | |
| Kaqchikel | ya' | Mayan | |
| Ligurian | aigua | Indo-European | |
| Mizo | tui | Sino-Tibetan |