Corn in Different Languages: How to Say “Corn”

Corn is one of the world’s most widely grown and recognized crops. Whether you mean the golden kernels eaten as a vegetable, the crop grown for animal feed, or maize used in traditional foods, the word has fascinating equivalents across languages.

If you are searching for corn in different languages, this guide provides 70 useful translations with easy English pronunciations and short real-life examples. It is helpful for language learners, travelers, writers, students, and anyone interested in how everyday food words change around the world.

Corn in All Languages

The English word corn can refer to maize in many parts of the world. In some languages, the exact word may vary depending on whether the speaker means maize as a crop, corn on the cob, or sweet corn.

Here is a practical list of corn translations in 70 languages.

#	Language	Native word for corn	Easy English pronunciation	Example sentence	English meaning
1	Spanish	maíz	mah-EES	El maíz crece rápidamente.	The corn grows quickly.
2	French	maïs	mah-EES	Le maïs est prêt à être récolté.	The corn is ready to be harvested.
3	German	Mais	myce	Der Mais wächst auf diesem Feld.	The corn grows in this field.
4	Italian	mais	mice	Il mais cresce bene qui.	The corn grows well here.
5	Portuguese	milho	MEEL-yoo	O milho está fresco.	The corn is fresh.
6	Dutch	maïs	mice	De maïs groeit goed.	The corn is growing well.
7	Afrikaans	mielies	MEE-leece	Die mielies is vars.	The corn is fresh.
8	Swedish	majs	mice	Majsen växer snabbt.	The corn grows quickly.
9	Norwegian	mais	myce	Maisen vokser godt.	The corn grows well.
10	Danish	majs	mice	Majsen er klar.	The corn is ready.
11	Icelandic	maís	MICE	Maísinn vex vel.	The corn grows well.
12	Finnish	maissi	MYE-see	Maissi kasvaa hyvin.	The corn grows well.
13	Estonian	mais	mice	Mais kasvab siin hästi.	Corn grows well here.
14	Latvian	kukurūza	koo-koo-ROO-zah	Kukurūza aug laukā.	Corn grows in the field.
15	Lithuanian	kukurūzai	koo-koo-ROO-zai	Kukurūzai auga greitai.	Corn grows quickly.
16	Polish	kukurydza	koo-koo-RID-zah	Kukurydza rośnie wysoko.	The corn grows tall.
17	Czech	kukuřice	KOO-koo-rzhit-seh	Kukuřice roste rychle.	The corn grows quickly.
18	Slovak	kukurica	KOO-koo-rit-sah	Kukurica rastie dobre.	The corn grows well.
19	Slovenian	koruza	koh-ROO-zah	Koruza hitro raste.	The corn grows quickly.
20	Croatian	kukuruz	KOO-koo-rooz	Kukuruz je zreo.	The corn is ripe.
21	Serbian	кукуруз	KOO-koo-rooz	Kukuruz je svež.	The corn is fresh.
22	Bosnian	kukuruz	KOO-koo-rooz	Kukuruz je spreman.	The corn is ready.
23	Bulgarian	царевица	tsah-REH-vee-tsah	Царевицата расте бързо.	The corn grows quickly.
24	Macedonian	пченка	PCHEN-kah	Пченката е свежа.	The corn is fresh.
25	Romanian	porumb	poh-ROOMB	Porumbul este copt.	The corn is ripe.
26	Hungarian	kukorica	KOO-koh-ree-tsah	A kukorica gyorsan nő.	The corn grows quickly.
27	Greek	καλαμπόκι	kah-lahm-BOH-kee	Το καλαμπόκι είναι φρέσκο.	The corn is fresh.
28	Albanian	misër	MEE-suhr	Misri është i freskët.	The corn is fresh.
29	Russian	кукуруза	koo-koo-ROO-zah	Кукуруза растет быстро.	The corn grows quickly.
30	Ukrainian	кукурудза	koo-koo-ROOD-zah	Кукурудза росте швидко.	The corn grows quickly.
31	Belarusian	кукуруза	koo-koo-ROO-zah	Кукуруза добра расце.	The corn grows well.
32	Armenian	եգիպտացորեն	yeh-gip-tah-tso-REN	Եգիպտացորենը հասել է։	The corn is ripe.
33	Georgian	სიმინდი	see-MEEN-dee	სიმინდი კარგად იზრდება.	The corn grows well.
34	Turkish	mısır	muh-SUHR	Mısır tarlada büyüyor.	The corn is growing in the field.
35	Azerbaijani	qarğıdalı	gahr-guh-dah-LUH	Qarğıdalı tez böyüyür.	The corn grows quickly.
36	Persian	ذرت	zor-RET	ذرت تازه است.	The corn is fresh.
37	Arabic	ذرة	DHUR-rah	الذرة طازجة.	The corn is fresh.
38	Hebrew	תירס	tee-RESS	התירס טרי.	The corn is fresh.
39	Hindi	मक्का	MAK-kah	मक्का खेत में उगता है।	Corn grows in the field.
40	Urdu	مکئی	muh-KAI	مکئی کھیت میں اگتی ہے۔	Corn grows in the field.
41	Bengali	ভুট্টা	BHOOT-tah	ভুট্টা খুব ভালো হয়েছে।	The corn has grown very well.
42	Punjabi	ਮੱਕੀ	MAK-kee	ਮੱਕੀ ਖੇਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਉੱਗਦੀ ਹੈ।	Corn grows in the field.
43	Gujarati	મકાઈ	muh-KAI	મકાઈ ખેતરમાં ઉગે છે.	Corn grows in the field.
44	Marathi	मका	muh-KAH	मका शेतात वाढतो.	Corn grows in the field.
45	Nepali	मकै	muh-KAI	मकै खेतमा उम्रन्छ।	Corn grows in the field.
46	Sinhala	බඩ ඉරිඟු	bahd ee-RIN-goo	බඩ ඉරිඟු නැවුම් ය.	The corn is fresh.
47	Tamil	சோளம்	SOH-lum	சோளம் வயலில் வளர்கிறது.	Corn grows in the field.
48	Telugu	మొక్కజొన్న	mok-kuh-JON-nah	మొక్కజొన్న పొలంలో పెరుగుతుంది.	Corn grows in the field.
49	Kannada	ಜೋಳ	JOH-lah	ಜೋಳ ಹೊಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.	Corn grows in the field.
50	Malayalam	ചോളം	CHOH-lum	ചോളം വയലിൽ വളരുന്നു.	Corn grows in the field.
51	Odia	ମକା	muh-KAH	ମକା କ୍ଷେତରେ ବଢ଼େ।	Corn grows in the field.
52	Assamese	মাকৈ	mah-KAI	মাকৈ খেতিত গজে।	Corn grows in the field.
53	Thai	ข้าวโพด	kâao-phôht	ข้าวโพดสดมาก	The corn is very fresh.
54	Lao	ເຂົ້າໂພດ	khao-phot	ເຂົ້າໂພດສົດຫຼາຍ	The corn is very fresh.
55	Khmer	ពោត	poht	ពោតស្រស់ណាស់។	The corn is very fresh.
56	Vietnamese	ngô	ngoh	Ngô rất tươi.	The corn is very fresh.
57	Indonesian	jagung	jah-GOONG	Jagung ini segar.	This corn is fresh.
58	Malay	jagung	jah-goong	Jagung ini manis.	This corn is sweet.
59	Filipino	mais	mah-EES	Ang mais ay sariwa.	The corn is fresh.
60	Javanese	jagung	jah-GOONG	Jagung iki seger.	This corn is fresh.
61	Chinese (Mandarin)	玉米	yùmǐ	玉米很新鲜。	The corn is very fresh.
62	Japanese	とうもろこし	tōmorokoshi	とうもろこしは新鮮です。	The corn is fresh.
63	Korean	옥수수	oksusu	옥수수가 신선해요.	The corn is fresh.
64	Mongolian	эрдэнэ шиш	erdene shish	Эрдэнэ шиш шинэхэн байна.	The corn is fresh.
65	Swahili	mahindi	mah-HIN-dee	Mahindi haya ni mabichi.	This corn is fresh.
66	Zulu	ummbila	oom-BEE-lah	Umbila usha.	The corn is fresh.
67	Xhosa	umbona	oom-BOH-nah	Umbona mtsha.	The corn is fresh.
68	Yoruba	agbado	ahg-BAH-doh	Agbado náà jẹ́ tuntun.	The corn is fresh.
69	Igbo	ọka	AW-kah	Ọka a dị ọhụrụ.	This corn is fresh.
70	Hawaiian	kulina	koo-LEE-nah	He hou ka kulina.	The corn is fresh.

How to Say Corn in Different Languages

The most common translations of corn vary considerably between language families. For example, Spanish and French use forms derived from maíz, while German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, and Danish use forms related to Mais.

In South and Southeast Asia, several languages use completely different native terms. Hindi uses मक्का, Urdu uses مکئی, Bengali uses ভুট্টা, Thai uses ข้าวโพด, and Indonesian uses jagung.

East Asian languages also have distinctive words. Mandarin Chinese uses 玉米, Japanese uses とうもろこし, and Korean uses 옥수수.

These differences make food vocabulary particularly interesting for language learners because a familiar crop can have very different names depending on the region.

Corn Translations in European Languages

European languages show several interesting patterns.

Spanish and French use maíz and maïs, respectively. Portuguese uses milho, while Italian commonly uses mais. German uses Mais, as do several Scandinavian languages with closely related forms.

In Central and Eastern Europe, words such as kukurydza, kukuřice, kukurica, and kukurica-related forms are common. Romanian uses porumb, while Greek uses καλαμπόκι.

This variety demonstrates that there is no single universal word for corn, even among neighboring countries.

Corn Around the World

Corn is deeply connected with food, farming, trade, and traditional cuisine around the world.

In North and South America, maize has an especially important historical and cultural role. It is used in foods such as tortillas, tamales, cornbread, arepas, and many regional dishes.

Across Africa, corn is also an important staple. It can be ground into flour, cooked into porridge, or served as part of traditional meals.

In Asia, corn appears in soups, snacks, desserts, street foods, and fresh dishes. Sweet corn is especially popular in many modern cuisines.

Because corn is used in so many different ways, knowing its name in another language can be useful when shopping, traveling, reading recipes, or communicating about food.

Corn, Maize, and Sweet Corn: What Is the Difference?

The words corn and maize can sometimes cause confusion.

In international English, maize generally refers specifically to the crop known scientifically as Zea mays. In American English, corn is the everyday word most commonly used for maize.

The word corn can also have different meanings historically. In older British usage, it could refer more broadly to a major cereal crop. Today, when people discuss the crop commonly associated with yellow kernels, corn usually means maize.

Sweet corn is a particular type of corn harvested while the kernels are still tender and sweet. It is commonly eaten fresh, canned, or frozen.

Why Learn Corn in Different Languages?

Learning food vocabulary is one of the easiest ways to expand practical language skills.

Knowing how to say corn in different languages can help you:

• Understand food labels while traveling.
• Communicate when shopping at local markets.
• Read international recipes.
• Learn agricultural vocabulary.
• Improve everyday conversation.
• Understand cultural differences in food.
• Build a stronger multilingual vocabulary.

For students, food terms are also useful because they appear frequently in everyday conversations and written material.

Common Uses of the Word Corn

The word corn can describe several everyday situations.

You might talk about fresh corn, sweet corn, corn on the cob, corn flour, cornmeal, or a corn field.

For example, a traveler might ask about corn at a local market. A chef might look for corn while preparing a recipe. A farmer may discuss corn production or harvesting.

The exact translation can therefore depend on the context and the variety of corn being discussed.

Tips for Learning Corn Translations

A simple way to remember food vocabulary is to connect each word with an image or real-life situation.

For example, associate the Spanish maíz with a corn field, the Hindi मक्का with a traditional food market, or the Japanese とうもろこし with corn sold at a summer festival.

Writing short sentences is another effective method. Instead of memorizing only the word, practice a phrase such as “The corn is fresh” or “I bought corn today.”

This approach helps you remember both vocabulary and sentence structure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Corn in Different Languages

1. What is corn called in Spanish?

Corn is called maíz in Spanish. It is a common word used for maize and appears frequently in discussions about food, farming, and traditional dishes.

2. What is corn called in French?

Corn is called maïs in French. The word is used when referring to maize, including the crop and its uses as food.

3. What is corn called in Hindi?

Corn is commonly called मक्का (makkā) in Hindi. The term is widely used for maize and corn as an agricultural and food product.

4. What is corn called in Chinese?

In Mandarin Chinese, corn is 玉米 (yùmǐ). This is the standard everyday term for maize or corn.

5. What is corn called in Japanese?

Corn is called とうもろこし (tōmorokoshi) in Japanese. It is commonly used for the familiar edible corn sold fresh or prepared in dishes.

Conclusion

Learning corn in different languages is a simple way to explore how languages, food, farming, and culture connect. From maíz in Spanish to 玉米 in Mandarin and とうもろこし in Japanese, the same familiar crop has many different names around the world.

Whether you are learning a language, preparing for travel, studying food vocabulary, or simply exploring corn around the world, these 70 translations provide a useful starting point for understanding this globally important food and crop.