How to Say Celery in 70 Different Languages

Celery has a name in every language, but its pronunciation and spelling can vary across cultures. Celery in 70 Different Languages explores how people name this familiar vegetable worldwide, making food vocabulary more interesting for language learners, travelers, and curious readers.

Learning these vegetable translations helps you understand international recipes, recognize ingredients, and communicate while shopping abroad. Comparing words across languages also builds vocabulary, improves pronunciation, and reveals how regional expressions differ. Whether you are studying a foreign language or exploring global cuisine, knowing the right word makes everyday conversations easier and more meaningful.

In this guide, you will discover celery translations across European, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern languages, with native spellings, pronunciation guides, and example sentences. You will also explore regional variations, useful meanings, and practical language tips to distinguish celery stalks from celery root. Continue reading to expand your multilingual vocabulary and learn how to identify this vegetable in different countries and culinary contexts.

Interesting Facts About Celery

• Celery is both a food and a vocabulary word: Its name appears in grocery stores, recipes, restaurant menus, and discussions about ingredients.
• Similar words can occur across languages: English celery, French céleri, and Italian sedano illustrate how vegetable names can differ even between related European languages.
• Celery and celeriac are not always interchangeable: Celery is commonly grown for its stalks, while celeriac is cultivated for its enlarged edible root.
• Writing systems affect pronunciation guides: Mandarin uses Pinyin, Japanese commonly uses Hepburn-style romanization, and Korean often uses Revised Romanization.
• Food vocabulary reflects local cooking: A word for celery may appear in a traditional soup recipe in one region and a salad recipe in another.
• Borrowed words are common in food language: International trade and food culture can introduce familiar ingredient names into other languages.
• Regional usage matters: A dictionary translation may be understandable but not necessarily the most familiar term in every community.

What Does Celery Mean?

Celery is an edible plant in the carrot family, commonly recognized by its crunchy stalks, leafy tops, and fresh, slightly peppery flavor. People eat it raw, cook it in soups, add it to salads, or use it to flavor stocks and sauces.

In translation, the intended meaning is important. The ordinary word for celery may differ from the word for celery root (celeriac). When buying ingredients abroad, check whether a recipe calls for stalks or roots rather than relying on the vegetable’s name alone.

Why Can Celery Have Different Translations?

Languages develop their own words for plants, ingredients, and regional varieties. Some translations come from shared historical roots, while others reflect borrowing or local naming traditions.

The word may also vary according to region, spelling, pronunciation, and culinary context. A formal dictionary term might differ from a name commonly used in a market. In some languages, the same word can refer to celery generally, while a longer phrase specifies celery stalks or celery root.

For the tables below, the translation column gives the usual word for the vegetable itself, rather than translating the search phrase “How to Say Celery” word for word. Pronunciations are simplified reading aids, not substitutes for listening to fluent speakers.

European Languages

European languages belong to several language families, including Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages. Although some vegetable names resemble one another, pronunciation and everyday usage can differ.

The translations below refer to celery as a food ingredient, particularly its stalks.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
English	International	Celery	SEL-uh-ree	I added celery to the soup.
American English 🇺🇸	United States	Celery	SEL-uh-ree	This salad contains fresh celery.
British English 🇬🇧	United Kingdom	Celery	SEL-uh-ree	Please buy some celery.
Australian English 🇦🇺	Australia	Celery	SEL-uh-ree	We use celery in our stew.
Spanish	Spain, Latin America	Apio	AH-pyoh	Añadí apio a la sopa. — I added celery to the soup.
French	France, Belgium, Canada	Céleri	SAY-luh-ree	J’ajoute du céleri à la soupe. — I add celery to the soup.
German	Germany, Austria	Sellerie	zel-uh-REE	Ich kaufe Sellerie. — I’m buying celery.
Italian	Italy, Switzerland	Sedano	seh-DAH-noh	Aggiungo sedano alla zuppa. — I add celery to the soup.
Portuguese	Portugal, Brazil	Aipo	EYE-poo	Compro aipo fresco. — I buy fresh celery.
Dutch	Netherlands, Belgium	Bleekselderij	BLAYK-sel-duh-ray	Ik voeg bleekselderij toe. — I add celery.
Swedish	Sweden, Finland	Selleri	sel-uh-REE	Jag köper selleri. — I’m buying celery.
Norwegian	Norway	Selleri	sel-uh-REE	Jeg kjøper selleri. — I’m buying celery.
Danish	Denmark	Selleri	sel-uh-REE	Jeg køber selleri. — I’m buying celery.
Finnish	Finland	Selleri	SEL-leh-ree	Lisään selleriä keittoon. — I add celery to the soup.
Icelandic	Iceland	Sellerí	sel-eh-REE	Ég kaupi sellerí. — I’m buying celery.
Irish	Ireland	Soilire	SIL-uh-ruh	Ceannaím soilire. — I buy celery.
Welsh	Wales	Seleri	seh-LEH-ree	Rwy’n prynu seleri. — I’m buying celery.
Polish	Poland	Seler naciowy	SEH-ler nah-CHYOH-vih	Dodaję seler naciowy do zupy. — I add celery to the soup.
Czech	Czechia	Řapíkatý celer	RZHAH-pee-kah-tee TSEH-ler	Koupím řapíkatý celer. — I’ll buy celery stalks.
Slovak	Slovakia	Zeler	ZEH-ler	Kúpim zeler. — I’ll buy celery.
Ukrainian	Ukraine	Селера	seh-LEH-rah	Я додаю селеру до супу. — I add celery to the soup.
Russian	Russia and neighboring regions	Сельдерей	sel-deh-REY	Я добавляю сельдерей в суп. — I add celery to the soup.
Romanian	Romania, Moldova	Țelină	tseh-LEE-nuh	Adaug țelină în supă. — I add celery to the soup.
Hungarian	Hungary	Zeller	ZEL-ler	Zellert teszek a levesbe. — I put celery in the soup.
Greek	Greece, Cyprus	Σέλινο	SEH-lee-noh	Προσθέτω σέλινο στη σούπα. — I add celery to the soup.
Bulgarian	Bulgaria	Целина	tseh-LEE-nah	Добавям целина към супата. — I add celery to the soup.
Croatian	Croatia	Celer	TSEH-ler	Dodajem celer u juhu. — I add celery to the soup.
Serbian	Serbia, Balkans	Целер / Celer	TSEH-ler	Додајем целер у супу. — I add celery to the soup.
Slovenian	Slovenia	Zelena	zeh-LEH-nah	Dodam zeleno v juho. — I add celery to the soup.
Lithuanian	Lithuania	Salieras	sah-LYEH-rahs	Įdedu saliero į sriubą. — I add celery to the soup.
Latvian	Latvia	Selerija	seh-LEH-ree-yah	Pievienoju seleriju zupai. — I add celery to the soup.
Estonian	Estonia	Seller	SEL-ler	Lisan sellerit supile. — I add celery to the soup.

European language note: Some languages use a general word for celery, while others specify the stalk variety. For example, Polish seler naciowy specifically refers to stalk celery, distinguishing it from root celery, seler korzeniowy. The same distinction can be helpful when reading recipes in other languages.

English Varieties

American, British, and Australian English all use celery for the familiar stalk vegetable. The spelling is the same in all three varieties, and there is no major difference in the word’s meaning. Accent and pronunciation may vary slightly.

Asian Languages

Asia includes languages with different writing systems, grammatical structures, and sound patterns. Native scripts are particularly useful when shopping or reading recipes, while romanization helps learners pronounce unfamiliar words.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Mandarin Chinese	China, Taiwan, Singapore	芹菜	qíncài (cheen-tsai)	我在汤里加了芹菜。— I added celery to the soup.
Cantonese	Hong Kong, Guangdong	芹菜	kan4 coi3 (approximately)	我買咗芹菜。— I bought celery.
Japanese	Japan	セロリ	serori	スープにセロリを入れます。— I put celery in the soup.
Korean	South Korea, North Korea	셀러리	selleori	수프에 셀러리를 넣어요. — I put celery in the soup.
Hindi	India	अजवाइन की डंठल वाली सब्ज़ी / सेलेरी	ajwain ki danthal wali sabzi / seleri	मैंने सूप में सेलेरी डाली। — I added celery to the soup.
Urdu	Pakistan, India	سیلری	seleri	میں نے سوپ میں سیلری ڈالی۔ — I added celery to the soup.
Bengali	Bangladesh, India	সেলারি	selari	আমি স্যুপে সেলারি দিয়েছি। — I added celery to the soup.
Punjabi	India, Pakistan	ਸੈਲਰੀ / سیلری	selari	ਮੈਂ ਸੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੈਲਰੀ ਪਾਈ। — I added celery to the soup.
Gujarati	India	સેલરી	selari	મેં સૂપમાં સેલરી નાખી. — I added celery to the soup.
Marathi	India	सेलरी	selari	मी सूपमध्ये सेलरी घातली. — I added celery to the soup.
Tamil	India, Sri Lanka	செலரி	selari	நான் சூப்பில் செலரி சேர்த்தேன். — I added celery to the soup.
Telugu	India	సెలరీ	selari	నేను సూప్‌లో సెలరీ వేశాను. — I added celery to the soup.
Kannada	India	ಸೆಲರಿ	selari	ನಾನು ಸೂಪ್‌ಗೆ ಸೆಲರಿ ಸೇರಿಸಿದೆ. — I added celery to the soup.
Malayalam	India	സെലറി	selari	ഞാൻ സൂപ്പിൽ സെലറി ചേർത്തു. — I added celery to the soup.
Nepali	Nepal	सेलरी	selari	मैले सुपमा सेलरी राखें। — I added celery to the soup.
Sinhala	Sri Lanka	සෙලරි	selari	මම සුප් එකට සෙලරි දැම්මා. — I added celery to the soup.
Thai	Thailand	ขึ้นฉ่ายฝรั่ง	kheun-chai farang	ฉันใส่ขึ้นฉ่ายฝรั่งในซุป — I put celery in the soup.
Vietnamese	Vietnam	Cần tây	kuhn tay	Tôi cho cần tây vào súp. — I add celery to soup.
Indonesian	Indonesia	Seledri	suh-LED-ree	Saya menambahkan seledri ke sup. — I add celery to the soup.
Malay	Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore	Saderi	sah-DEH-ree	Saya menambah saderi ke dalam sup. — I add celery to the soup.
Filipino/Tagalog	Philippines	Kintsay	keen-CHAI	Naglagay ako ng kintsay sa sopas. — I put celery in the soup.
Burmese	Myanmar	တရုတ်နံနံ	approximately ya-yote nan-nan	ဟင်းချိုထဲမှာ တရုတ်နံနံ ထည့်တယ်။ — I add celery to soup.
Khmer	Cambodia	សេឡេរី	seleri	ខ្ញុំដាក់សេឡេរីក្នុងស៊ុប។ — I put celery in the soup.
Lao	Laos	ຂຶ້ນຊ່າຍຝຣັ່ງ	kheun chai farang	ຂ້ອຍໃສ່ຂຶ້ນຊ່າຍຝຣັ່ງໃນແກງ. — I add celery to the soup.
Mongolian	Mongolia	Сельдерей	sel-der-ey	Би шөлөнд сельдерей хийдэг. — I put celery in soup.
Kazakh	Kazakhstan	Балдыркөк	bal-dyr-KOK	Мен сорпаға балдыркөк қосамын. — I add celery to soup.
Uzbek	Uzbekistan	Selderey	sel-de-rey	Men sho’rvaga selderey qo’shaman. — I add celery to soup.
Turkish	Türkiye	Kereviz	keh-reh-VEEZ	Çorbaya kereviz ekliyorum. — I add celery to the soup.

Asian language note: Chinese 芹菜 (qíncài) is a general celery term, while Cantonese has its own pronunciation. Thai distinguishes Western-style celery with ขึ้นฉ่ายฝรั่ง in common usage. Hindi and some South Asian languages may use borrowed terms or descriptive wording, particularly in recipes that distinguish celery from other aromatic plants.

The Hindi expression above is descriptive rather than a universal everyday name. When buying celery in India, the borrowed term सेलेरी may be clearer.

African Languages

Africa contains hundreds of languages across several language families. Celery may be less familiar in some local food traditions than in others, so borrowed ingredient names are often useful. The examples below use recognizable terms, with regional usage varying.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Swahili	Tanzania, Kenya, East Africa	Seliri	seh-LEE-ree	Ninaongeza seliri kwenye supu. — I add celery to the soup.
Afrikaans	South Africa, Namibia	Seldery	SEL-duh-ree	Ek voeg seldery by die sop. — I add celery to the soup.
Zulu	South Africa	Isilimo esibizwa nge-celery	isi-LEE-moh	Ngifaka i-celery esobheni. — I put celery in the soup.
Xhosa	South Africa	I-celery	seh-luh-ree	Ndifaka i-celery kwisuphu. — I put celery in the soup.
Amharic	Ethiopia	ሴሌሪ	seleri	ሴሌሪ ወደ ሾርባው እጨምራለሁ። — I add celery to the soup.
Yoruba	Nigeria, West Africa	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Mo fi seleri kun ọbẹ̀. — I add celery to the soup.
Igbo	Nigeria	Celery	seh-leh-ree	A na m etinye celery na ofe. — I put celery in the soup.
Hausa	Nigeria, Niger, West Africa	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Ina ƙara seleri a cikin miya. — I add celery to the soup.
Somali	Somalia, Horn of Africa	Kabsar	kab-sar	Waxaan maraqa ku daraa kabsar. — I add celery to the soup.
Shona	Zimbabwe	Celery	seh-leh-ree	Ndinoisa celery mumuto. — I put celery in the soup.
Sesotho	Lesotho, South Africa	Celery	seh-leh-ree	Ke kenya celery sophong. — I put celery in the soup.
Setswana	Botswana, South Africa	Celery	seh-leh-ree	Ke tsenya celery mo sopping. — I put celery in the soup.
Kinyarwanda	Rwanda	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Nongeramo seleri mu isupu. — I add celery to the soup.
Malagasy	Madagascar	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Manampy seleri amin’ny lasopy aho. — I add celery to the soup.

African language note: Borrowed words can be practical when a vegetable is sold under an international name. However, spelling and local terminology may differ between communities. The Somali term kabsar can also refer to coriander in some contexts, so it should not be treated as an unambiguous equivalent for celery everywhere.

Middle Eastern Languages

Middle Eastern languages include Semitic, Iranian, and Turkic traditions. The word for celery can vary between formal writing, everyday speech, and local food markets.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic)	Middle East, North Africa	كرفس	kar-fa-s	أضيف الكرفس إلى الحساء. — I add celery to the soup.
Persian	Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan (related varieties)	کرفس	kar-afs	من به سوپ کرفس اضافه می‌کنم. — I add celery to the soup.
Hebrew	Israel	סלרי	seleri	אני מוסיף סלרי למרק. — I add celery to the soup.
Kurdish (Kurmanji)	Türkiye, Syria, Iraq	Selêrî	seh-LEH-ree	Ez selêrî li şorbeyê zêde dikim. — I add celery to the soup.
Armenian	Armenia, Armenian communities worldwide	Նեխուր	ne-KHOOR	Ես նեխուր եմ ավելացնում ապուրին։ — I add celery to the soup.

Middle Eastern language note: Arabic كرفس is widely understood as a term for celery, but local dialects and culinary contexts can influence usage. Persian کرفس is also the standard word for celery and is familiar in Iranian cooking. In Hebrew, the word סלרי is a borrowed form.

Other World Languages

The following languages extend the list to the Pacific, the Americas, and an international constructed language.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Māori	New Zealand	Herewi (loanword usage varies)	HEH-reh-wee	Ka tāpiri au i te herewi ki te hupa. — I add celery to the soup.
Samoan	Samoa, Pacific Islands	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Ou te faaopoopo le seleri i le supo. — I add celery to the soup.
Tongan	Tonga	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	ʻOku ou tānaki ʻa e seleri ki he supo. — I add celery to the soup.
Hawaiian	Hawaiʻi	Selery (borrowed usage)	seh-leh-ree	Hoʻohui au i ka selery i ka sopa. — I add celery to the soup.
Haitian Creole	Haiti	Seleri	seh-leh-ree	Mwen ajoute seleri nan soup la. — I add celery to the soup.
Esperanto	International constructed language	Celerio	tseh-LEH-ree-oh	Mi aldonas celerion al la supo. — I add celery to the soup.

Note: Borrowed vegetable names in Pacific languages may not be universally established. Māori and Hawaiian culinary vocabulary can vary by speaker and context, so confirm a local term when accuracy is important for educational or published material.

Quick Reference: Celery in Different Languages

Use this compact list to find the translation quickly.

Language	Translation
English	Celery
Spanish	Apio
French	Céleri
German	Sellerie
Italian	Sedano
Portuguese	Aipo
Dutch	Bleekselderij
Swedish	Selleri
Norwegian	Selleri
Danish	Selleri
Finnish	Selleri
Icelandic	Sellerí
Irish	Soilire
Welsh	Seleri
Polish	Seler naciowy
Czech	Řapíkatý celer
Slovak	Zeler
Ukrainian	Селера
Russian	Сельдерей
Romanian	Țelină
Hungarian	Zeller
Greek	Σέλινο
Bulgarian	Целина
Croatian	Celer
Serbian	Целер
Slovenian	Zelena
Lithuanian	Salieras
Latvian	Selerija
Estonian	Seller
Mandarin Chinese	芹菜
Cantonese	芹菜
Japanese	セロリ
Korean	셀러리
Hindi	सेलेरी
Urdu	سیلری
Bengali	সেলারি
Punjabi	ਸੈਲਰੀ
Gujarati	સેલરી
Marathi	सेलरी
Tamil	செலரி
Telugu	సెలరీ
Kannada	ಸೆಲರಿ
Malayalam	സെലറി
Nepali	सेलरी
Sinhala	සෙලරි
Thai	ขึ้นฉ่ายฝรั่ง
Vietnamese	Cần tây
Indonesian	Seledri
Malay	Saderi
Filipino/Tagalog	Kintsay
Burmese	တရုတ်နံနံ
Khmer	សេឡេរី
Lao	ຂຶ້ນຊ່າຍຝຣັ່ງ
Mongolian	Сельдерей
Kazakh	Балдыркөк
Uzbek	Selderey
Turkish	Kereviz
Swahili	Seliri
Afrikaans	Seldery
Zulu	I-celery
Xhosa	I-celery
Amharic	ሴሌሪ
Yoruba	Seleri
Igbo	Celery
Hausa	Seleri
Somali	Kabsar
Shona	Celery
Sesotho	Celery
Setswana	Celery
Kinyarwanda	Seleri
Malagasy	Seleri
Arabic	كرفس
Persian	کرفس
Hebrew	סלרי
Kurdish	Selêrî
Armenian	Նեխուր
Māori	Herewi
Samoan	Seleri
Tongan	Seleri
Hawaiian	Selery
Haitian Creole	Seleri
Esperanto	Celerio

How to Choose the Right Translation

The best translation depends on where you are using the word. When shopping, choose the term recognized by local sellers. When following a recipe, check whether it calls for celery stalks, leaves, or celeriac root.

For travel, keep both the native spelling and a pronunciation guide handy. If you are writing a menu or educational resource, verify the term with a reliable dictionary or a fluent speaker familiar with the relevant region.

Common Mistakes When Translating Celery

• Confusing celery with celeriac: The stalk vegetable and its edible root may have different names.
• Relying on spelling alone: Similar-looking words can have different pronunciations.
• Ignoring regional usage: A term used in one country may not be the most familiar choice elsewhere.
• Assuming borrowed words are universal: Some communities use a borrowed name, while others prefer a local term.
• Using uncertain translations without checking: This is especially important when publishing ingredient lists or translating recipes.

Why Learn Celery in Different Languages?

Learning food vocabulary makes everyday communication easier. You can recognize ingredients on grocery labels, ask questions in markets, understand international recipes, and discuss meals with people from different backgrounds.

It also introduces useful patterns in pronunciation, writing systems, and word formation. Comparing terms such as céleri, sedano, and selleri can help learners notice connections between languages, while words that look very different demonstrate the variety of ways languages name familiar things.

FAQs:

1. How do you say celery in different languages?

Celery has different names around the world. Examples include apio in Spanish, céleri in French, sedano in Italian, 芹菜 (qíncài) in Mandarin Chinese, and کرفس (karafs) in Persian.

2. What is the Spanish word for celery?

The Spanish word is apio. You may see it in recipes, supermarkets, and ingredient lists across Spain and Latin America.

3. What is celery called in French?

Celery is called céleri in French. For the root variety, the more specific term céleri-rave is commonly used.

4. Is celery the same as celeriac?

No. They are related forms of the same species, but celery is usually grown for its stalks, whereas celeriac is grown for its enlarged root.

5. Can celery translations change by country?

Yes. Regional vocabulary, borrowing, and local food traditions can influence the name used. The general term may be understood widely, but a more specific term can be helpful.

6. How can I pronounce celery in another language?

Start with the pronunciation guide in the relevant table. For greater accuracy, listen to recordings from fluent speakers, especially for tonal languages or sounds that do not occur in English.

7. Do all languages have a traditional word for celery?

Not necessarily. Where celery is a less familiar ingredient, speakers may use a borrowed word, an adapted spelling, or a descriptive phrase.

8. What is celery called in Mandarin Chinese?

Celery is 芹菜, written in Pinyin as qíncài. The two syllables have different tones, which matter for accurate Mandarin pronunciation.

9. What is the difference between celery and parsley?

They are different plants, although both have green leaves and can appear in similar dishes. Their names are not interchangeable, and recipes may use them for different purposes.

10. Why are pronunciation guides sometimes different?

Guides may use different romanization systems or simplify unfamiliar sounds for English readers. Accents and regional speech can also influence pronunciation.

11. Can I use these translations when shopping abroad?

Yes, as a starting point. Show the native-script word when possible, and clarify whether you need celery stalks, leaves, or celeriac root.

12. Why is learning vegetable names useful for language learners?

Food words are practical vocabulary for restaurants, shopping, travel, and cooking. They also provide a simple way to practice reading, pronunciation, and everyday conversation.

Conclusion:

Celery in 70 Different Languages helps you explore global vocabulary, discover useful translations, and understand how different cultures name this familiar vegetable. These words make learning languages more enjoyable and practical.

By exploring these translations, you can improve your multilingual vocabulary, recognize ingredients in international recipes, and communicate more confidently while traveling. Keep practicing pronunciation and spelling to remember each word and appreciate the fascinating connections between language, food, and culture.