Water in Different Languages: How to Say “Water”

Water is one of the most essential words in every language. Whether you are traveling, learning a new language, ordering a drink, or simply exploring how people communicate around the world, knowing how to say “water” can be surprisingly useful.

In this guide, you’ll discover water in different languages, including the native word, an easy English pronunciation, and a short example sentence. The table covers 70 languages from different regions, making it a useful reference for anyone searching for water translations or wondering how to say water in different languages.

Water in All Languages

The word for water varies widely across languages, although some words share historical roots. Here are 70 common translations with practical examples.

#	Language	Native word for “Water”	Easy English pronunciation	Example sentence	English meaning
1	English	water	WAW-ter	I need some water.	I need some water.
2	Spanish	agua	AH-gwah	Necesito agua.	I need water.
3	French	eau	OH	Je veux de l’eau.	I want some water.
4	German	Wasser	VAH-ser	Ich brauche Wasser.	I need water.
5	Italian	acqua	AH-kwah	Vorrei dell’acqua.	I would like some water.
6	Portuguese	água	AH-gwah	Eu quero água.	I want water.
7	Dutch	water	WAH-ter	Ik wil water.	I want water.
8	Swedish	vatten	VAHT-ten	Jag behöver vatten.	I need water.
9	Norwegian	vann	VAHN	Jeg trenger vann.	I need water.
10	Danish	vand	VAN	Jeg vil have vand.	I want water.
11	Finnish	vesi	VEH-see	Tarvitsen vettä.	I need water.
12	Icelandic	vatn	VAHTN	Ég þarf vatn.	I need water.
13	Irish	uisce	ISH-kuh	Ba mhaith liom uisce.	I would like water.
14	Welsh	dŵr	DOOR	Dw i eisiau dŵr.	I want water.
15	Scottish Gaelic	uisge	OOSH-kuh	Tha mi ag iarraidh uisge.	I want water.
16	Latin	aqua	AH-kwah	Aqua clara est.	The water is clear.
17	Greek	νερό	neh-ROH	Θέλω νερό.	I want water.
18	Russian	вода	vah-DAH	Мне нужна вода.	I need water.
19	Ukrainian	вода	voh-DAH	Мені потрібна вода.	I need water.
20	Polish	woda	VOH-dah	Potrzebuję wody.	I need water.
21	Czech	voda	VOH-dah	Potřebuji vodu.	I need water.
22	Slovak	voda	VOH-dah	Potrebujem vodu.	I need water.
23	Slovenian	voda	VOH-dah	Potrebujem vodo.	I need water.
24	Croatian	voda	VOH-dah	Trebam vodu.	I need water.
25	Serbian	вода	VOH-dah	Треба ми вода.	I need water.
26	Bulgarian	вода	voh-DAH	Искам вода.	I want water.
27	Macedonian	вода	VOH-dah	Сакам вода.	I want water.
28	Romanian	apă	AH-puh	Am nevoie de apă.	I need water.
29	Hungarian	víz	VEES	Vizet kérek.	I would like water.
30	Albanian	ujë	OO-yeh	Dua ujë.	I want water.
31	Lithuanian	vanduo	vahn-DOO-oh	Man reikia vandens.	I need water.
32	Latvian	ūdens	OO-dens	Man vajag ūdeni.	I need water.
33	Estonian	vesi	VEH-see	Ma vajan vett.	I need water.
34	Maltese	ilma	EEL-mah	Irrid l-ilma.	I want the water.
35	Turkish	su	SOO	Su istiyorum.	I want water.
36	Azerbaijani	su	SOO	Mənə su lazımdır.	I need water.
37	Uzbek	suv	SOOV	Menga suv kerak.	I need water.
38	Kazakh	су	SOO	Маған су керек.	I need water.
39	Kyrgyz	суу	SOO	Мага суу керек.	I need water.
40	Mongolian	ус	OOS	Надад ус хэрэгтэй.	I need water.
41	Georgian	წყალი	TSQAH-lee	წყალი მინდა.	I want water.
42	Armenian	ջուր	JOOR	Ջուր եմ ուզում։	I want water.
43	Persian	آب	AAB	آب می‌خواهم.	I want water.
44	Arabic	ماء	MAA	أريد ماء.	I want water.
45	Hebrew	מים	MAH-yim	אני רוצה מים.	I want water.
46	Hindi	पानी	PAA-nee	मुझे पानी चाहिए।	I need water.
47	Urdu	پانی	PAA-nee	مجھے پانی چاہیے۔	I need water.
48	Bengali	পানি	PAA-nee	আমার পানি চাই।	I want water.
49	Punjabi	ਪਾਣੀ	PAA-nee	ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪਾਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।	I need water.
50	Gujarati	પાણી	PAA-nee	મને પાણી જોઈએ.	I need water.
51	Marathi	पाणी	PAA-nee	मला पाणी हवे आहे.	I need water.
52	Nepali	पानी	PAA-nee	मलाई पानी चाहिन्छ।	I need water.
53	Sinhala	වතුර	VAH-toor	මට වතුර ඕනේ.	I want water.
54	Tamil	தண்ணீர்	TAN-neer	எனக்கு தண்ணீர் வேண்டும்.	I need water.
55	Telugu	నీరు	NEE-roo	నాకు నీరు కావాలి.	I need water.
56	Kannada	ನೀರು	NEE-roo	ನನಗೆ ನೀರು ಬೇಕು.	I need water.
57	Malayalam	വെള്ളം	VEL-lam	എനിക്ക് വെള്ളം വേണം.	I need water.
58	Chinese (Mandarin)	水	shuǐ	我需要水。	I need water.
59	Japanese	水	mizu	水が必要です。	I need water.
60	Korean	물	mul	물이 필요해요.	I need water.
61	Vietnamese	nước	nuh-uk	Tôi cần nước.	I need water.
62	Thai	น้ำ	náam	ฉันต้องการน้ำ	I need water.
63	Indonesian	air	AH-eer	Saya membutuhkan air.	I need water.
64	Malay	air	AH-yer	Saya perlukan air.	I need water.
65	Filipino	tubig	TOO-big	Kailangan ko ng tubig.	I need water.
66	Swahili	maji	MAH-jee	Ninahitaji maji.	I need water.
67	Zulu	amanzi	ah-MAHN-zee	Ngidinga amanzi.	I need water.
68	Xhosa	amanzi	ah-MAHN-zee	Ndifuna amanzi.	I want water.
69	Afrikaans	water	VAH-ter	Ek het water nodig.	I need water.
70	Somali	biyo	BEE-yoh	Waxaan rabaa biyo.	I want water.

How to Say Water in Different Languages

The most useful way to learn a new word is to see it in context. For example, Spanish agua, French eau, German Wasser, Italian acqua, Arabic ماء, Hindi पानी, Chinese 水, and Japanese 水 are all common ways to express “water.”

Some languages have words that look or sound similar because they are historically related. Others have completely different forms. This makes water an interesting example of how vocabulary develops across language families.

Water Translations Around the World

The translations above represent several major language families and geographic regions, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

A few especially interesting examples include:

• Spanish: agua
• French: eau
• German: Wasser
• Italian: acqua
• Turkish: su
• Arabic: ماء
• Hindi: पानी
• Chinese: 水
• Japanese: 水
• Korean: 물
• Swahili: maji
• Indonesian: air

Although the meaning is the same, pronunciation, writing systems, and grammatical usage can differ considerably.

Why Learn the Word “Water” in Other Languages?

Knowing the word for water can be especially useful when traveling. It is a basic word you may need at restaurants, hotels, airports, shops, or while asking for help.

It is also a simple starting point for language learners. Once you know water, you can build useful phrases such as “I need water,” “cold water,” “bottled water,” or “Can I have some water?”

Common Patterns in Water Translations

Several languages use words with related historical origins. For example, aqua in Latin is connected to words found in several modern languages, including Italian acqua and Spanish agua.

Germanic languages also show similarities. English water, Dutch water, German Wasser, Swedish vatten, and Danish vand are examples of how related languages can preserve or transform older vocabulary.

Meanwhile, languages from completely different families may have very different words. Japanese 水 (mizu), Korean 물 (mul), Arabic ماء (māʾ), and Swahili maji demonstrate this diversity.

Water in Different Writing Systems

One fascinating part of learning water translations is seeing how the word is written.

For example:

• Hindi: पानी
• Urdu: پانی
• Punjabi: ਪਾਣੀ
• Arabic: ماء
• Hebrew: מים
• Greek: νερό
• Russian: вода
• Chinese: 水
• Japanese: 水
• Korean: 물
• Thai: น้ำ

Learning both the native spelling and pronunciation can make vocabulary easier to recognize when reading or traveling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Water in Different Languages

1. How do you say water in different languages?

“Water” has different forms across languages. Examples include agua in Spanish, eau in French, Wasser in German, acqua in Italian, su in Turkish, paani in Hindi and Urdu, mizu in Japanese, and maji in Swahili.

2. What is the most common word for water?

There is no single universal word for water. Different languages use different terms based on their linguistic history. However, many widely spoken languages have short, frequently used words for this essential concept.

3. How do you say water in Spanish?

In Spanish, water is agua. A simple example is “Necesito agua,” which means “I need water.”

4. How do you say water in Japanese?

In Japanese, water is 水, written as mizu in standard romanization. The word is commonly used when talking about drinking water and water in general.

5. How do you say water in Arabic?

In Arabic, water is ماء (māʾ). It is a basic everyday word used in conversations about drinking, cooking, weather, and many other situations.

Conclusion

Learning how to say water in different languages is a simple but useful way to explore global vocabulary. From agua and eau to 水, 물, पानी, and maji, the word takes many fascinating forms around the world.

Whether you are traveling, studying languages, or researching water in all languages, this 70-language list provides a practical starting point for understanding how people around the world name one of life’s most essential resources.