The hippopotamus, often affectionately referred to as the “hippo,” is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal found in sub-Saharan Africa. The word for “hippopotamus” varies greatly across languages, each capturing the essence of this remarkable animal in unique phonetic and cultural ways. Here is an interesting list of how to say “hippopotamus” in 70 different languages:
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – Hipopotam | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tahm
- Arabic (Standard) (🇸🇦) – فرس النهر (Faras al-Nahr) | Pronunciation: Fah-ras al-Nahr
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – Գետաձի (Getadzi) | Pronunciation: Geh-tah-dzi
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – Su kəməri | Pronunciation: Soo keh-meh-ree
- Basque (🇪🇸) – Hipopotamo | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tah-mo
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – Бегемот (Behemot) | Pronunciation: Beh-heh-mot
- Bengali (🇧🇩) – জলহস্তী (Jolhōstī) | Pronunciation: Jol-ho-stee
- Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Nilski konj | Pronunciation: Neel-ski kon-y
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Хипопотам (Khipopotam) | Pronunciation: Khee-po-po-tahm
- Catalan (🇪🇸 – Catalonia) – Hipopòtam | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tahm
- Czech (🇨🇿) – Hroch | Pronunciation: Hroh-kh
- Danish (🇩🇰) – Flodhest | Pronunciation: Flod-hest
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – Nijlpaard | Pronunciation: Nile-pard
- English (🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧) – Hippopotamus | Pronunciation: Hip-po-pot-a-mus
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – Jõehobu | Pronunciation: Yuh-hoh-boo
- Farsi (Persian) (🇮🇷) – اسب آبی (Asb-e Abi) | Pronunciation: Asb-eh Ah-bee
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – Virtahepo | Pronunciation: Veer-ta-heh-po
- French (🇫🇷) – Hippopotame | Pronunciation: Ee-po-po-tahm
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – ჰიპოპოტამუსი (Hipopotamusi) | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tah-moo-see
- German (🇩🇪) – Nilpferd | Pronunciation: Neel-fayrd
- Greek (🇬🇷) – Ιπποπόταμος (Ippopótamos) | Pronunciation: Ee-po-po-ta-mos
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – היפופוטם (Hipopotam) | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tahm
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – दरियाई घोड़ा (Dariyāī Ghoṛā) | Pronunciation: Da-ree-yai Gho-ra
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Víziló | Pronunciation: Vee-zi-lo
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Flóðhestur | Pronunciation: Floth-hes-tur
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Kuda Nil | Pronunciation: Koo-dah Neel
- Irish Gaelic (🇮🇪) – Hipeapotam | Pronunciation: Hi-pe-ah-po-tam
- Italian (🇮🇹) – Ippopotamo | Pronunciation: Ee-po-po-ta-mo
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – カバ (Kaba) | Pronunciation: Kah-bah
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Су жылқысы (Su zhylkysy) | Pronunciation: Soo zhil-kih-sih
- Khmer (Cambodian) (🇰🇭) – គោភូមិ (Ko poom) | Pronunciation: Koh poom
- Korean (🇰🇷) – 하마 (Hama) | Pronunciation: Ha-mah
- Kurdish (🇮🇶 / 🇸🇾 / 🇹🇷 / 🇮🇷) – Hesûk | Pronunciation: Heh-sook
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – Суу арстаны (Suu arstany) | Pronunciation: Soo ar-stah-nih
- Lao (🇱🇦) – ສຸນັກນ້ໍາ (Sunaknám) | Pronunciation: Soo-nak-nahm
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – Nīlzirgs | Pronunciation: Neel-zeergs
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Begemotas | Pronunciation: Beh-geh-mo-tas
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – Flossendéier | Pronunciation: Floss-en-day-er
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – Нилски коњ (Nilski konj) | Pronunciation: Neel-ski kon-y
- Malay (🇲🇾 / 🇮🇩) – Kuda Nil | Pronunciation: Koo-dah Neel
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – Ippopotamu | Pronunciation: Ee-po-po-ta-moo
- Mandarin Chinese (🇨🇳) – 河马 (Hémǎ) | Pronunciation: Huh-mah
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – दरियाई घोडा (Dariyāī Ghōḍā) | Pronunciation: Da-ree-yai Gho-rah
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Усны адуу (Usny aduu) | Pronunciation: Oos-nih ah-doo
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – दरियाई घोडा (Dariyāī Ghōḍā) | Pronunciation: Da-ree-yai Gho-rah
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Flodhest | Pronunciation: Flod-hest
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – د نيل اس (Da Neel As) | Pronunciation: Dah Neel Ah-s
- Polish (🇵🇱) – Hipopotam | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tam
- Portuguese (🇵🇹 / 🇧🇷) – Hipopótamo | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tah-mo
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – Hipopotam | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tam
- Russian (🇷🇺) – Бегемот (Begemot) | Pronunciation: Be-geh-mot
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – Нилски коњ (Nilski konj) | Pronunciation: Neel-ski kon-y
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – දියඇටුකුස්සා (Diyætukussā) | Pronunciation: Di-yae-tu-kus-sah
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – Hroch | Pronunciation: Hroh-kh
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Povodni konj | Pronunciation: Po-vohd-nee kon-y
- Somali (🇸🇴) – Doolli | Pronunciation: Doh-lee
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Hipopótamo | Pronunciation: Ee-po-po-tah-mo
- Swahili (🇰🇪 / 🇹🇿) – Kifaru | Pronunciation: Kee-fah-roo
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – Flodhäst | Pronunciation: Flod-hest
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – Гавҳар (Gavhar) | Pronunciation: Gav-har
- Tamil (🇮🇳) – நீர் குதிரை (Nīr Kutirai) | Pronunciation: Neer Koo-ti-rai
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – నీటి గుర్రం (Nīti Gurram) | Pronunciation: Nee-tee Goo-ram
- Thai (🇹🇭) – ฮิปโป (Hippo) | Pronunciation: Hip-po
- Turkish (🇹🇷) – Su aygırı | Pronunciation: Soo ay-guh-ree
- Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Бегемот (Behemot) | Pronunciation: Beh-heh-mot
- Urdu (🇵🇰) – دریائی گھوڑا (Dariyai Ghoṛa) | Pronunciation: Da-ree-yai Gho-ra
- Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Gippopotam | Pronunciation: Gih-po-po-tam
- Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Hà mã | Pronunciation: Ha mah
- Welsh (🇬🇧 – Wales) – Hippopotamws | Pronunciation: Hee-po-po-tam-woos
- Zulu (🇿🇦) – Imvubu | Pronunciation: Im-voo-boo