How to Say “Apple” in Different Languages

Learning the word apple in different languages can expand your everyday vocabulary. This simple fruit has a rich culture and language history across the world. For example, apple in English is apple, while French uses pomme and Spanish uses manzana. German says Apfel, while Japanese uses ringo in everyday speech.

Exploring the local word for apple also helps you understand language, pronunciation, and cultural use. Moreover, these translations can support learning any language, especially through example sentences and simplified pronunciations. Whether you are traveling, studying a language, or teaching children, familiar words build confidence. This guide explores apple vocabulary across world languages with clear meanings and practical usage.

Interesting Facts About Apple

• The scientific name of the commonly cultivated apple is Malus domestica.
• Apples can have red, green, yellow, or combinations of these skin colors.
• The English word “apple” comes through Middle English appel from Old English æppel.
• Old English æppel could refer to fruit more generally, not only the modern apple.
• The word “apple” has related forms in several Germanic languages, including German Apfel and Dutch appel.
• French uses pomme for an apple.
• Spanish uses manzana.
• Italian uses mela.
• Portuguese uses maçã.
• German uses Apfel.
• Dutch uses appel.
• Finnish uses omena.
• Swedish uses äpple.
• Danish uses æble.
• Norwegian uses eple.
• Mandarin Chinese uses 苹果 (píngguǒ).
• Japanese commonly uses りんご (ringo).
• Korean uses 사과 (sagwa).
• Hindi uses सेब (seb).
• Urdu uses سیب (seb).
• Arabic commonly uses تُفَّاحَة (tuffāḥa) for a single apple and تُفَّاح (tuffāḥ) collectively.
• Apples are often associated with teachers and education in English-speaking cultures.
• “Big Apple” is a well-known nickname for New York City.
• The expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a famous English proverb.
• Apple vocabulary differs considerably between languages, while some languages use words that are historically related.
• In some languages, the same word may have dialectal or regional alternatives.
• Pronunciation can vary between regions even when the written word remains the same.
• Some languages borrow or adapt the English word “apple,” especially in contexts involving modern products or technology.
• The fruit should not be confused with Apple, the name of the technology company.

European Languages

Europe contains hundreds of languages and many distinct language families. The word for apple shows interesting historical relationships across Germanic, Romance, Slavic, Baltic, and other languages. Some European forms look similar, such as German Apfel and Dutch appel, while others, such as Finnish omena, look completely different. The translations below focus on commonly recognized forms used for the fruit.

Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Synonyms or Related Words	Example Sentence
🇬🇧 English	United Kingdom, USA, Australia	apple	AP-uhl	fruit	I ate an apple.
🇫🇷 French	France, Belgium, Canada	pomme	pom	fruit	Je mange une pomme.
🇪🇸 Spanish	Spain, Latin America	manzana	man-SAH-nah	fruta	Como una manzana.
🇩🇪 German	Germany, Austria	Apfel	AP-fel	Obst	Ich esse einen Apfel.
🇮🇹 Italian	Italy	mela	MEH-lah	frutto	Mangio una mela.
🇵🇹 Portuguese	Portugal, Brazil	maçã	mah-SAH	fruta	Eu como uma maçã.
🇳🇱 Dutch	Netherlands, Belgium	appel	AH-pel	fruit	Ik eet een appel.
🇸🇪 Swedish	Sweden	äpple	EP-pleh	frukt	Jag äter ett äpple.
🇩🇰 Danish	Denmark	æble	EH-bleh	frugt	Jeg spiser et æble.
🇳🇴 Norwegian	Norway	eple	EH-pleh	frukt	Jeg spiser et eple.
🇫🇮 Finnish	Finland	omena	OH-meh-nah	hedelmä	Syön omenan.
🇮🇸 Icelandic	Iceland	epli	EP-li	ávöxtur	Ég borða epli.
🇮🇪 Irish	Ireland	úll	ool	torthaí	Ithim úll.
🏴 Welsh	Wales	afal	AH-val	ffrwyth	Rwy’n bwyta afal.
🇵🇱 Polish	Poland	jabłko	YAB-koh	owoc	Jem jabłko.
🇨🇿 Czech	Czech Republic	jablko	YABLK-oh	ovoce	Jím jablko.
🇸🇰 Slovak	Slovakia	jablko	YABLK-oh	ovocie	Jem jablko.
🇺🇦 Ukrainian	Ukraine	яблуко	YAB-loo-koh	фрукт	Я їм яблуко.
🇷🇺 Russian	Russia	яблоко	YAB-luh-kuh	фрукт	Я ем яблоко.
🇧🇾 Belarusian	Belarus	яблык	YAB-lik	fruit	Я ем яблык.
🇧🇬 Bulgarian	Bulgaria	ябълка	YAB-ul-kah	плод	Ям ябълка.
🇷🇸 Serbian	Serbia	jabuka / јабука	YAH-boo-kah	voće	Једем јабуку.
🇭🇷 Croatian	Croatia	jabuka	YAH-boo-kah	voće	Jedem jabuku.
🇸🇮 Slovenian	Slovenia	jabolko	YAH-bol-koh	sadje	Jem jabolko.
🇧🇦 Bosnian	Bosnia and Herzegovina	jabuka	YAH-boo-kah	voće	Jedem jabuku.
🇷🇴 Romanian	Romania	măr	muhr	fruct	Mănânc un măr.
🇬🇷 Greek	Greece	μήλο	MEE-lo	φρούτο	Τρώω ένα μήλο.
🇭🇺 Hungarian	Hungary	alma	AHL-mah	gyümölcs	Eszem egy almát.
🇪🇪 Estonian	Estonia	õun	oon	puuvili	Ma söön õuna.
🇱🇹 Lithuanian	Lithuania	obuolys	oh-boo-OH-lis	vaisius	Aš valgau obuolį.
🇱🇻 Latvian	Latvia	ābols	AH-bols	auglis	Es ēdu ābolu.
🇦🇱 Albanian	Albania, Kosovo	mollë	MOL-uh	frut	Unë ha një mollë.
🇦🇲 Armenian	Armenia	խնձոր	KHUN-dzor	միրգ	Ես խնձոր եմ ուտում։
🇬🇪 Georgian	Georgia	ვაშლი	VASH-li	ხილი	მე ვაშლს ვჭამ.
🇪🇸 Catalan	Catalonia, Spain	poma	POH-mah	fruita	Menjo una poma.
🇬🇦 Galician	Galicia, Spain	mazá	mah-SAH	froita	Como unha mazá.
🇪🇺 Basque	Basque Country	sagar	sah-GAR	fruta	Sagar bat jaten dut.
🇪🇸 Esperanto	International	pomo	POH-mo	frukto	Mi manĝas pomon.

Many of these forms are supported by established dictionary and multilingual references. For example, Cambridge lists pomme, manzana, maçã, Apfel, mela, 苹果, りんご, सेब, سیب, яблуко, and other common forms.

American English

In American English, the standard word is apple, pronounced approximately AP-uhl. The plural is apples. Americans may also use expressions such as “apple pie,” “apple tree,” “green apple,” and “red apple.”

Example: I bought a fresh apple from the market.

British English

British English also uses apple, with a pronunciation very similar to American English, although vowel sounds can vary by regional accent.

Example: She packed an apple for lunch.

Australian English

Australian English also uses apple. Antipodean pronunciation generally follows English varieties used in Australia, although individual regional accents can differ.

Example: I grabbed an apple before heading to work.

Asian Languages

Asia is home to thousands of languages, including major language families such as Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Japonic, Koreanic, Dravidian, Turkic, and Austronesian languages. Apple vocabulary is especially interesting here because some languages use native words while others have adapted forms influenced by foreign languages. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Thai, and Indonesian all have distinct ways of naming this familiar fruit.

Also Read: How to Say “Autumn” in Different Languages

Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Synonyms or Related Words	Example Sentence
🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese	China, Taiwan	苹果	píngguǒ	水果	我吃一个苹果。
🇭🇰 Cantonese	Hong Kong, Guangdong	蘋果	ping-gwoh	fruit	我食一個蘋果。
🇯🇵 Japanese	Japan	りんご / 林檎	RING-oh	果物	りんごを食べます。
🇰🇷 Korean	South Korea	사과	sah-gwah	과일	사과를 먹어요.
🇮🇳 Hindi	India	सेब	seb	फल	मैं सेब खाता हूँ।
🇵🇰 Urdu	Pakistan, India	سیب	seb	پھل	میں سیب کھاتا ہوں۔
🇮🇳 Bengali	Bangladesh, India	আপেল	AH-pel	ফল	আমি আপেল খাই।
🇮🇳 Punjabi	India, Pakistan	ਸੇਬ / سیب	seb	fruit	ਮੈਂ ਸੇਬ ਖਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ۔
🇮🇳 Gujarati	India	સફરજન	sa-far-jan	ફળ	હું સફરજન ખાઉં છું.
🇮🇳 Marathi	India	सफरचंद	sa-far-chand	फळ	मी सफरचंद खातो.
🇮🇳 Nepali	Nepal	स्याउ	syau	फल	म स्याउ खान्छु।
🇮🇳 Assamese	India	আপেল	AH-pel	ফল	মই আপেল খাওঁ।
🇮🇳 Tamil	India, Sri Lanka	ஆப்பிள்	AAP-pil	பழம்	நான் ஆப்பிள் சாப்பிடுகிறேன்.
🇮🇳 Telugu	India	ఆపిల్	AA-pil	పండు	నేను ఆపిల్ తింటాను.
🇮🇳 Kannada	India	ಸೇಬು	SAY-boo	ಹಣ್ಣು	ನಾನು ಸೇಬು ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ.
🇮🇳 Malayalam	India	ആപ്പിൾ	AAP-pil	പഴം	ഞാൻ ആപ്പിൾ കഴിക്കുന്നു.
🇹🇭 Thai	Thailand	แอปเปิล	ep-pə̂n	ผลไม้	ฉันกินแอปเปิล
🇻🇳 Vietnamese	Vietnam	quả táo	kwah TAOW	trái cây	Tôi ăn một quả táo.
🇮🇩 Indonesian	Indonesia	apel	AH-pel	buah	Saya makan apel.
🇲🇾 Malay	Malaysia, Brunei	epal	EH-pal	buah	Saya makan epal.
🇵🇭 Filipino	Philippines	mansanas	man-SAH-nas	prutas	Kumakain ako ng mansanas.
🇱🇰 Sinhala	Sri Lanka	ඇපල්	EP-al	fruit	මම ඇපල් කනවා.
🇲🇳 Mongolian	Mongolia	алим	AH-lim	жимс	Би алим иддэг.
🇰🇿 Kazakh	Kazakhstan	алма	AL-mah	жеміс	Мен алма жеймін.
🇺🇿 Uzbek	Uzbekistan	olma	OL-mah	meva	Men olma yeyman.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijani	Azerbaijan	alma	AL-mah	meyvə	Mən alma yeyirəm.
🇹🇷 Turkish	Turkey	elma	EL-mah	meyve	Bir elma yiyorum.
🇦🇫 Pashto	Afghanistan	مڼه	MAN-ah	fruit	زه یوه مڼه خورم.
🇹🇯 Tajik	Tajikistan	себ	seb	мева	Ман себ мехӯрам.
🇰🇬 Kyrgyz	Kyrgyzstan	алма	al-MAH	жемиш	Мен алма жейм.
🇦🇲 Armenian	Armenia	խնձոր	KHUN-dzor	միրգ	Ես խնձոր եմ ուտում։

Reference sources confirm, among others, Mandarin 苹果, Japanese りんご, Thai แอปเปิ้ล, Tamil ஆப்பிள், Telugu ఆపిల్, Hindi सेब, and Urdu سیب as forms used for apple.

One interesting pattern is that several South Asian languages use words that sound like adaptations of “apple,” while others have their own traditional vocabulary. Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, for example, commonly use adapted forms written in their respective scripts.

African Languages

Africa has enormous linguistic diversity, with thousands of languages spoken across the continent. Apple vocabulary can vary significantly because apples are not equally traditional or common in every region. Some languages have established native terms, while others use adapted forms borrowed through neighboring languages or international trade.

Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Synonyms or Related Words	Example Sentence
🇿🇦 Afrikaans	South Africa, Namibia	appel	AH-pel	vrug	Ek eet ‘n appel.
🇪🇹 Amharic	Ethiopia	ፖም	pom	ፍራፍሬ	ፖም እበላለሁ።
🇸🇴 Somali	Somalia	tufaax	too-FAH-akh	miro	Waxaan cunayaa tufaax.
🇸🇩 Sudanese Arabic	Sudan	تفاحة	tuffāḥa	fruit	أنا آكل تفاحة.
🇩🇿 Algerian Arabic	Algeria	تفاحة	tef-FA-ha	fruit	آكل تفاحة.
🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic	Egypt	تفاحة	tof-FA-ha	fruit	أنا باكل تفاحة.
🇲🇦 Moroccan Arabic	Morocco	تفاحة	tef-FA-ha	fruit	كنأكل تفاحة.
🇲🇬 Malagasy	Madagascar	paoma	PAW-mah	voankazo	Mihinana paoma aho.
🇸🇳 Wolof	Senegal	pomme	pom	fruit	Dama lekk pomme.
🇳🇬 Hausa	Nigeria, Niger	tuffa	TOOF-fah	‘ya’yan itace	Ina cin tuffa.
🇳🇬 Yoruba	Nigeria	àpùlù	ah-poo-loo	èso	Mo ń jẹ àpùlù.
🇳🇬 Igbo	Nigeria	apụl	AH-pool	mkpụrụ osisi	Ana m eri apụl.
🇰🇪 Swahili	East Africa	tufaha	too-FA-ha	tunda	Ninakula tufaha.
🇿🇦 Zulu	South Africa	i-apula	ee-AH-poo-lah	isithelo	Ngidla i-apula.
🇿🇦 Xhosa	South Africa	iapile	ee-AH-pee-leh	isiqhamo	Nditya iapile.
🇱🇸 Sesotho	Lesotho	apole	ah-POH-leh	tholoana	Ke ja apole.
🇧🇼 Tswana	Botswana	apole	ah-POH-leh	leungo	Ke ja apole.
🇿🇼 Shona	Zimbabwe	apuro	ah-POO-roh	muchero	Ndinodya apuro.

Wiktionary records appel in Afrikaans and ፖም (pom) in Amharic, while its multilingual entries also show numerous additional regional forms.

When using African language translations, regional variation is especially important. A word may be understood differently across neighboring countries, and some languages have multiple dialects. For practical communication, it is always useful to check the preferred local variety before using a less common translation.

Middle Eastern Languages

The Middle East includes Arabic-speaking countries as well as languages such as Persian, Hebrew, Kurdish, and Turkish. Some languages in this region have ancient vocabulary connected to fruit and agriculture, while others have developed or borrowed modern terms. Arabic itself has several regional pronunciations and forms for apple.

Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Synonyms or Related Words	Example Sentence
🇸🇦 Arabic	Saudi Arabia, Gulf	تُفَّاحَة	too-FA-ha	تُفَّاح	أنا آكل تفاحة.
🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic	Egypt	تفاحة	tof-FA-ha	تفاح	أنا باكل تفاحة.
🇱🇧 Lebanese Arabic	Lebanon	تفاحة	tef-FA-ha	تفاح	أنا عم باكل تفاحة.
🇮🇱 Hebrew	Israel	תפוח	ta-POO-akh	פרי	אני אוכל תפוח.
🇮🇷 Persian	Iran	سیب	seeb	میوه	من یک سیب می‌خورم.
🇦🇫 Dari	Afghanistan	سیب	seeb	میوه	من یک سیب می‌خورم.
🇮🇶 Kurdish Kurmanji	Iraq, Turkey, Syria	sêv	sayv	fêkî	Ez sêvek dixwim.
🇮🇶 Kurdish Sorani	Iraq	سێو	sêw	میوە	من سێو دەخۆم.
🇹🇷 Turkish	Turkey	elma	EL-mah	meyve	Bir elma yiyorum.
🇦🇲 Armenian	Armenia	խնձոր	KHUN-dzor	միրգ	Ես խնձոր եմ ուտում։
🇦🇿 Azerbaijani	Azerbaijan	alma	AL-mah	meyvə	Mən alma yeyirəm.
🇬🇪 Georgian	Georgia	ვაშლი	VASH-li	ხილი	მე ვაშლს ვჭამ.

Arabic dictionaries distinguish between the collective تُفَّاح (tuffāḥ) and the singular تُفَّاحَة (tuffāḥa). Regional Arabic varieties can also use different pronunciations.

Persian uses سیب, pronounced approximately “seeb,” while Turkish uses elma. Hebrew uses תפוח, commonly pronounced approximately “ta-POO-akh.” These differences show how neighboring languages can have completely different words for the same everyday object.

Additional Languages Around the World

The word “apple” becomes even more interesting when we look beyond the major European, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern language groups. Indigenous, constructed, Pacific, and other regional languages can have their own terms. Some forms are historically related to local vocabulary, while others reflect contact with English and neighboring languages.

Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Synonyms or Related Words	Example Sentence
🌐 Esperanto	International	pomo	POH-mo	frukto	Mi manĝas pomon.
🇫🇯 Fijian	Fiji	yapolo	yah-POH-loh	vuata	Au kana yapolo.
🇵🇭 Cebuano	Philippines	mansanas	man-SAH-nas	prutas	Nagkaon ko og mansanas.
🇼🇸 Samoan	Samoa	apu	AH-poo	fua	Ou te ‘ai se apu.
🇹🇴 Tongan	Tonga	‘apele	ah-PEH-leh	fua	‘Oku ou kai ‘apele.
🇹🇴 Tokelauan	Tokelau	apu	AH-poo	fua	E kai au i te apu.
🇵🇫 Tahitian	French Polynesia	‘āpela	AH-peh-lah	‘hotu	E ‘amu vau i te ‘āpela.
🇵🇼 Palauan	Palau	aple	AH-pleh	fruit	Ak mo aple.
🇭🇹 Haitian Creole	Haiti	pòm	pom	fwi	Mwen manje yon pòm.
🇨🇻 Cape Verdean Creole	Cape Verde	maçã	mah-SAH	fruta	N ta kome un maçã.
🇲🇹 Maltese	Malta	tuffieħa	too-fee-eh-hah	frotta	Jien niekol tuffieħa.
🇮🇱 Yiddish	Central/Eastern Europe	עפּל	EP-el	פרוכט	איך עס אַן עפּל.
🇳🇱 Frisian	Netherlands	apel	AH-pel	fruit	Ik yt in apel.
🇪🇸 Aragonese	Aragon, Spain	mazana	mah-ZAH-nah	fruta	Como una mazana.
🇮🇹 Corsican	Corsica	mela	MEH-lah	fruttu	Manghju una mela.
🇮🇹 Friulian	Italy	miluç	mee-LOOCH	fruit	O mangji un miluç.
🇷🇴 Aromanian	Balkans	mar	mar	fruit	Mang un mar.

Wiktionary also records less widespread forms such as Fijian yapolo, Tokelauan apu, and several regional European forms.

How to Pronounce “Apple” in Different Languages

Pronunciation is one of the most useful parts of learning vocabulary. You do not always need a perfect accent to communicate successfully. Start by listening carefully, then repeat the word slowly.

Here are some especially common examples:

• English: apple, approximately “AP-uhl”
• French: pomme, approximately “pom”
• Spanish: manzana, approximately “man-SAH-nah”
• German: Apfel, approximately “AP-fel”
• Italian: mela, approximately “MEH-lah”
• Portuguese: maçã, approximately “mah-SAH”
• Dutch: appel, approximately “AH-pel”
• Polish: jabłko, approximately “YAB-koh”
• Russian: яблоко, approximately “YAB-luh-kuh”
• Greek: μήλο, approximately “MEE-lo”
• Finnish: omena, approximately “OH-meh-nah”
• Turkish: elma, approximately “EL-mah”
• Arabic: tuffāḥa, approximately “too-FA-ha”
• Persian: سیب, approximately “seeb”
• Hindi: सेब, approximately “seb”
• Urdu: سیب, approximately “seb”
• Mandarin: 苹果, approximately “píng-guǒ”
• Japanese: りんご, approximately “RING-oh”
• Korean: 사과, approximately “sah-gwah”
• Vietnamese: quả táo, approximately “kwah TAOW”

The pronunciations above are simplified learning aids rather than replacements for native pronunciation or IPA. Pronunciation can also change according to accent and region.

How to Use “Apple” in Everyday Sentences

Knowing an isolated word is useful, but using it in a sentence makes it much easier to remember. Here are several simple English examples:

I ate an apple for breakfast.

She packed an apple in her lunchbox.

The apple is red and sweet.

There are three apples on the table.

He planted an apple tree in his garden.

Would you like an apple?

I bought some fresh apples from the market.

You can create similar sentences in another language by learning a few basic sentence patterns. For example, once you know the word for apple and the verb “eat,” you can practice sentences such as “I eat an apple,” “I bought an apple,” or “This apple is sweet.”

Apple Vocabulary for Travelers and Language Learners

The word “apple” can be useful when shopping at a market, ordering food, talking about meals, or teaching children. If you are traveling, learning the local word can also make simple interactions more natural.

For example, in France you might hear pomme, while in Spain you will commonly hear manzana. In Germany, the word is Apfel, and in Italy it is mela. In Japan, ringo is the familiar everyday word, while Mandarin Chinese uses píngguǒ.

It is also worth remembering that the word for the fruit is different from the name of the technology company. In many languages, Apple Inc. is referred to with a transliterated form of the brand name, while the fruit has a completely different native word.

Why Does “Apple” Look So Different Across Languages?

Languages develop through centuries of cultural contact, sound changes, borrowing, and independent development. Some words share ancient roots, while others do not.

English apple, German Apfel, and Dutch appel have recognizable similarities. These forms belong to a historical family of related Germanic words. The English word developed through Old English æppel, while related Germanic forms include German Apfel and Dutch appel.

Other languages have words that are much less similar. Finnish uses omena, Spanish uses manzana, and French uses pomme. These differences demonstrate that languages do not simply translate words by changing their sounds. Each language has its own history and vocabulary system.

This is one reason multilingual vocabulary is so interesting. A basic word like “apple” can reveal connections between languages, migration, trade, agriculture, and cultural exchange.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is “apple” in French?

“Apple” in French is pomme, pronounced approximately “pom.” You can use it in simple everyday conversations, such as “Je mange une pomme.”

What is “apple” in Spanish?

The Spanish word for apple is manzana, pronounced approximately “man-SAH-nah.” It is a common vocabulary word for the fruit.

How do you say “apple” in German?

In German, apple is Apfel, pronounced approximately “AP-fel.” The word appears in common sentences about food and daily activities.

What is “apple” in Japanese?

In Japanese, apple is りんご (ringo), commonly pronounced “RING-oh.” It is the familiar everyday word used when talking about this fruit.

How do you say “apple” in Arabic?

In Arabic, a single apple is commonly تُفَّاحَة (tuffāḥa). The collective form تُفَّاح (tuffāḥ) can refer to apples, while pronunciation varies across regions.

Conclusion

Learning apple in different languages offers a simple way to build vocabulary and explore world languages. From pomme, manzana, and Apfel to ringo, píngguǒ, and seb, each translation reflects unique language history and culture. These useful words can support pronunciation, travel, and learning any language through everyday communication.