Caramel in Different Languages: Sweet Ways to Say It

Caramel is one of the most familiar sweet flavors in the world. Made by heating sugar until it develops a rich golden-brown color and distinctive taste, caramel appears in desserts, sauces, candies, drinks, and many traditional foods.

If you are wondering how to say caramel in different languages, this guide gives you 70 useful translations. Each entry includes the native word, an easy English pronunciation, and a short example sentence with its English meaning.

Whether you are learning languages, traveling, writing about food, or simply curious about how this delicious word changes around the world, these caramel translations provide a convenient reference.

Caramel in 70 Different Languages

The word for caramel is often similar across languages because the food and culinary term have spread internationally. However, pronunciation, spelling, grammatical gender, and local usage can differ.

#	Language	Caramel in Native Language	Easy English Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
1	English	caramel	KARR-uh-mel	I added caramel to my ice cream.	I added caramel to my ice cream.
2	Spanish	caramelo	kah-rah-MEH-loh	El helado tiene caramelo.	The ice cream has caramel.
3	French	caramel	kah-rah-MEL	J’aime le caramel dans les desserts.	I like caramel in desserts.
4	German	Karamell	kah-rah-MELL	Das Eis hat Karamell.	The ice cream has caramel.
5	Italian	caramello	kah-rah-MELL-loh	Il dolce ha del caramello.	The dessert has caramel.
6	Portuguese	caramelo	kah-rah-MEH-loh	Eu gosto de caramelo.	I like caramel.
7	Dutch	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Ik eet karamel bij mijn ijs.	I eat caramel with my ice cream.
8	Swedish	karamell	kah-rah-MELL	Glassen har karamell.	The ice cream has caramel.
9	Danish	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Jeg elsker karamel.	I love caramel.
10	Norwegian	karamell	kah-rah-MELL	Jeg liker karamell.	I like caramel.
11	Finnish	karamelli	kah-rah-MELL-lee	Jäätelössä on karamellia.	There is caramel in the ice cream.
12	Icelandic	karamella	kah-rah-MEL-la	Ég elska karamellu.	I love caramel.
13	Irish	caramal	KARR-uh-mal	Tá caramal sa mhilseog.	There is caramel in the dessert.
14	Welsh	caramel	kah-rah-MEL	Mae caramel ar yr hufen iâ.	There is caramel on the ice cream.
15	Polish	karmel	KAR-mel	Lubię karmel w lodach.	I like caramel in ice cream.
16	Czech	karamel	KAH-rah-mel	Mám rád karamel.	I like caramel.
17	Slovak	karamel	KAH-rah-mel	Mám rád karamel.	I like caramel.
18	Slovenian	karamela	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Obožujem karamelo.	I love caramel.
19	Croatian	karamela	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Volim karamelu.	I like caramel.
20	Serbian	карамела	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Волим карамелу.	I like caramel.
21	Bosnian	karamela	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Volim karamelu.	I like caramel.
22	Bulgarian	карамел	kah-rah-MEL	Обичам карамел.	I love caramel.
23	Macedonian	карамела	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Сакам карамела.	I love caramel.
24	Romanian	caramel	kah-rah-MEL	Îmi place caramelul.	I like caramel.
25	Hungarian	karamell	KAH-rah-mell	Szeretem a karamellt.	I like caramel.
26	Greek	καραμέλα	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Μου αρέσει η καραμέλα.	I like caramel.
27	Albanian	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Më pëlqen karameli.	I like caramel.
28	Lithuanian	karamelė	kah-rah-meh-LEH	Man patinka karamelė.	I like caramel.
29	Latvian	karamele	kah-rah-MEH-leh	Man garšo karamele.	I like caramel.
30	Estonian	karamell	KAH-rah-mell	Mulle meeldib karamell.	I like caramel.
31	Russian	карамель	kah-rah-MYEL	Я люблю карамель.	I love caramel.
32	Ukrainian	карамель	kah-rah-MEL	Я люблю карамель.	I love caramel.
33	Belarusian	карамель	kah-rah-MYEL	Я люблю карамель.	I love caramel.
34	Armenian	կարամել	kah-rah-MEL	Ես սիրում եմ կարամել։	I love caramel.
35	Georgian	კარამელი	kah-rah-MEH-lee	მე მიყვარს კარამელი.	I love caramel.
36	Turkish	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Karamelli dondurma seviyorum.	I like caramel ice cream.
37	Azerbaijani	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Mən karamel sevirəm.	I like caramel.
38	Persian	کارامل	kah-rah-MEL	من کارامل دوست دارم.	I like caramel.
39	Arabic	كراميل	kah-rah-MEEL	أحب الكراميل.	I love caramel.
40	Hebrew	קרמל	KAH-rah-mel	אני אוהב קרמל.	I like caramel.
41	Hindi	कैरेमल	KAI-reh-muhl	मुझे कैरेमल पसंद है।	I like caramel.
42	Urdu	کیریمل	KAI-ri-muhl	مجھے کیریمل پسند ہے۔	I like caramel.
43	Bengali	ক্যারামেল	KAI-rah-mel	আমি ক্যারামেল পছন্দ করি।	I like caramel.
44	Punjabi	ਕੈਰਾਮਲ	KAI-rah-mal	ਮੈਨੂੰ ਕੈਰਾਮਲ ਪਸੰਦ ਹੈ।	I like caramel.
45	Gujarati	કેરામેલ	KAY-rah-mel	મને કેરામેલ ગમે છે.	I like caramel.
46	Marathi	कॅरॅमल	KAI-rah-muhl	मला कॅरॅमल आवडते.	I like caramel.
47	Tamil	கேரமல்	KAY-rah-mal	எனக்கு கேரமல் பிடிக்கும்.	I like caramel.
48	Telugu	కారమెల్	KAA-rah-mel	నాకు కారమెల్ ఇష్టం.	I like caramel.
49	Kannada	ಕ್ಯಾರಮೆಲ್	KAI-rah-mel	ನನಗೆ ಕ್ಯಾರಮೆಲ್ ಇಷ್ಟ.	I like caramel.
50	Malayalam	കാരമൽ	KAA-rah-mal	എനിക്ക് കാരമൽ ഇഷ്ടമാണ്.	I like caramel.
51	Sinhala	කැරමල්	KAI-rah-mal	මම කැරමල් වලට කැමතියි.	I like caramel.
52	Nepali	क्यारामेल	KYA-rah-mel	मलाई क्यारामेल मन पर्छ।	I like caramel.
53	Chinese (Mandarin)	焦糖	jiāo táng	我喜欢焦糖。	I like caramel.
54	Japanese	キャラメル	kyarameru	キャラメルが好きです。	I like caramel.
55	Korean	캐러멜	kaereomel	저는 캐러멜을 좋아해요.	I like caramel.
56	Vietnamese	caramel	kah-rah-MEL	Tôi thích caramel.	I like caramel.
57	Thai	คาราเมล	kaa-rah-mel	ฉันชอบคาราเมล	I like caramel.
58	Indonesian	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Saya suka karamel.	I like caramel.
59	Malay	karamel	kah-rah-MEL	Saya suka karamel.	I like caramel.
60	Filipino	karamelo	kah-rah-MEH-loh	Gusto ko ang karamelo.	I like caramel.
61	Swahili	karameli	kah-rah-MEH-lee	Ninapenda karameli.	I like caramel.
62	Afrikaans	karamel	KAH-rah-mel	Ek hou van karamel.	I like caramel.
63	Zulu	ikharameli	ee-kha-rah-MEH-lee	Ngiyathanda ikharameli.	I like caramel.
64	Xhosa	ikharameli	ee-kha-rah-MEH-lee	Ndiyayithanda ikharameli.	I like caramel.
65	Amharic	ካራሜል	kah-rah-MEL	ካራሜል እወዳለሁ።	I like caramel.
66	Somali	karamell	kah-rah-MELL	Waxaan jeclahay karamell.	I like caramel.
67	Malagasy	karamela	kah-rah-MEH-lah	Tiako ny karamela.	I like caramel.
68	Haitian Creole	karamèl	kah-rah-MEL	Mwen renmen karamèl.	I like caramel.
69	Esperanto	karamelo	kah-rah-MEH-loh	Mi ŝatas karamelon.	I like caramel.
70	Latin	caramelum	kah-rah-MEH-lum	Caramelum dulce est.	Caramel is sweet.

How to Say Caramel in Different Languages

The easiest way to learn the word is to notice how frequently it resembles the English term. Spanish caramelo, Italian caramello, Portuguese caramelo, and Filipino karamelo, for example, share a recognizable sound and spelling.

In other languages, the word may be adapted to local writing systems. Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and several other languages use their own scripts.

One important exception is Mandarin Chinese, where 焦糖 (jiāo táng) is commonly used for caramel. The expression literally relates to the idea of burnt or caramelized sugar rather than simply copying the international spelling.

Caramel Translations Around the World

Caramel has become a global culinary term. It can describe the cooked sugar itself, a caramel-flavored ingredient, a sauce, candy, topping, or dessert component depending on the language and context.

In European languages, forms such as caramel, karamel, caramello, caramelo, and karamell are especially common. These similarities make the word relatively easy to recognize when traveling across Europe.

Across Asia, the spelling and pronunciation can change considerably. Japanese uses katakana for the borrowed culinary word, while Korean also uses a localized form. In Mandarin, the established term is different from the English loanword.

What Does Caramel Mean?

Caramel is produced when sugar is heated and undergoes caramelization. This process creates a characteristic brown color and a sweet, toasted flavor.

Depending on how it is prepared, caramel can be soft, chewy, liquid, or hard. It is commonly used in candies, cakes, puddings, cookies, ice cream, coffee drinks, and dessert sauces.

The term can therefore refer to both the ingredient and the flavor associated with it.

Caramel in Food and Desserts

Caramel is especially popular in desserts. Some familiar examples include caramel ice cream, caramel pudding, caramel apples, caramel candies, caramel sauce, and caramel-filled chocolates.

It is also frequently combined with ingredients such as chocolate, vanilla, coffee, sea salt, nuts, apples, and cream.

When ordering food in another country, knowing the local word for caramel can make it easier to understand menus and identify dessert flavors.

Why Are Caramel Words Similar in Many Languages?

The similarity comes largely from the international spread of culinary vocabulary. Many languages adopted words related to caramel and adapted them to their own spelling systems and pronunciation patterns.

That is why forms such as caramel, karamel, caramelo, caramello, and karamell appear across different language families.

However, similar spelling does not always mean identical pronunciation. Local pronunciation rules can significantly change the way the word sounds.

Caramel in All Languages: Quick Learning Tips

If you want to memorize caramel in different languages, group similar words together.

For example:

• caramel — French, Romanian, Vietnamese
• karamel — Dutch, Turkish, Azerbaijani
• karamell — German, Swedish, Norwegian, Hungarian
• caramelo — Spanish, Portuguese, Esperanto
• caramello — Italian
• karamela — Slovenian, Malagasy
• 焦糖 — Mandarin Chinese
• キャラメル — Japanese
• 캐러멜 — Korean

Learning these patterns can help you recognize related food vocabulary even when you encounter a language you have never studied before.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you say caramel in different languages?

Caramel has many similar forms around the world. Examples include caramel in French, caramelo in Spanish, caramello in Italian, karamel in Turkish, karamell in German, 焦糖 in Mandarin Chinese, キャラメル in Japanese, and 캐러멜 in Korean.

2. What is caramel called in Spanish?

Caramel is caramelo in Spanish. It can refer to caramel candy and, depending on context, caramel as a sweet ingredient or flavor.

3. What is caramel called in French?

Caramel is caramel in French. The word is pronounced differently from English because French pronunciation rules apply.

4. What is caramel called in Japanese?

Caramel is commonly written キャラメル in Japanese. This is a katakana representation of the international word.

5. What is caramel called in Mandarin Chinese?

Caramel is commonly called 焦糖 (jiāo táng) in Mandarin Chinese. It is a standard culinary expression associated with caramelized sugar.

Conclusion

Learning caramel in different languages is a simple and enjoyable way to explore international food vocabulary. Many languages use words that closely resemble caramel, while others have their own traditional or adapted expressions.

From European forms such as caramelo, caramello, and karamell to Asian terms such as 焦糖, キャラメル, and 캐러멜, these 70 translations show how one familiar sweet flavor can be expressed around the world.

Use this list of caramel translations as a quick reference for language learning, travel, cooking, food writing, or discovering how people talk about sweet flavors around the world.