The butterfly, a symbol of transformation, beauty, and freedom, is one of the most cherished creatures across cultures.
This blog post explores how to say “butterfly” in 70 different languages, complete with pronunciation guides and example sentences to help you use the word meaningfully around the world.
🌍 70 Ways to Say “Butterfly” Around the World
- Arabic – فراشة (farāsha)
Example: رأيت فراشة جميلة في الحديقة. (I saw a beautiful butterfly in the garden.) - Spanish – mariposa (mah-ree-POH-sah)
Example: La mariposa voló entre las flores. (The butterfly flew among the flowers.) - French – papillon (pah-pee-YON)
Example: Un papillon coloré est sur la fleur. (A colorful butterfly is on the flower.) - German – Schmetterling (SHMEH-ter-ling)
Example: Der Schmetterling tanzt in der Luft. (The butterfly dances in the air.) - Italian – farfalla (far-FAHL-lah)
Example: La farfalla si è posata sul fiore. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Portuguese – borboleta (bohr-boh-LEH-tah)
Example: A borboleta é muito bonita. (The butterfly is very beautiful.) - Russian – бабочка (BAB-och-ka)
Example: Я видел красивую бабочку. (I saw a beautiful butterfly.) - Mandarin Chinese – 蝴蝶 (húdié)
Example: 花园里有很多蝴蝶。(There are many butterflies in the garden.) - Japanese – 蝶 (chō)
Example: 蝶が空を舞っている。(The butterfly is dancing in the sky.) - Korean – 나비 (nabi)
Example: 나비가 꽃 위에 앉았어요. (The butterfly sat on a flower.) - Hindi – तितली (titlī)
Example: तितली बहुत सुंदर है। (The butterfly is very beautiful.) - Greek – πεταλούδα (petaloúda)
Example: Η πεταλούδα πέταξε μακριά. (The butterfly flew away.) - Turkish – kelebek (keh-leh-BEK)
Example: Bahçede bir kelebek var. (There is a butterfly in the garden.) - Hebrew – פרפר (parpar)
Example: הפרפר עף מעל הפרח. (The butterfly flies over the flower.) - Swahili – kipepeo (kee-peh-PEH-oh)
Example: Kipepeo ameruka bustanini. (The butterfly flew in the garden.) - Polish – motyl (MOH-til)
Example: Motyl usiadł na kwiatku. (The butterfly sat on the flower.) - Dutch – vlinder (FLIN-der)
Example: De vlinder vliegt in de tuin. (The butterfly flies in the garden.) - Swedish – fjäril (FYAH-reel)
Example: En fjäril flög förbi. (A butterfly flew by.) - Danish – sommerfugl (SOM-er-fool)
Example: Sommerfuglen er smuk. (The butterfly is beautiful.) - Norwegian – sommerfugl (SOM-er-fool)
Example: En sommerfugl satte seg på blomsten. (A butterfly sat on the flower.) - Finnish – perhonen (PER-ho-nen)
Example: Perhonen leijaili kukkien yllä. (The butterfly hovered over the flowers.) - Czech – motýl (MOH-teel)
Example: Motýl letěl nad loukou. (The butterfly flew over the meadow.) - Hungarian – pillangó (PEEL-lahn-goh)
Example: A pillangó egy virágra szállt. (The butterfly landed on a flower.) - Romanian – fluture (FLOO-teh-reh)
Example: Fluturele zboară peste flori. (The butterfly flies over the flowers.) - Ukrainian – метелик (meh-TEL-yk)
Example: Метелик сидів на квітці. (The butterfly sat on the flower.) - Bulgarian – пеперуда (peh-peh-ROO-da)
Example: Пеперудата беше много красива. (The butterfly was very beautiful.) - Thai – ผีเสื้อ (phǐi-sʉ̂a)
Example: ผีเสื้อบินอยู่ในสวน (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Vietnamese – bướm (boo-uhm)
Example: Con bướm đang bay. (The butterfly is flying.) - Indonesian – kupu-kupu (KOO-poo KOO-poo)
Example: Kupu-kupu hinggap di bunga. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Filipino – paruparo (pah-roo-PAH-roh)
Example: May paruparo sa hardin. (There is a butterfly in the garden.) - Malay – rama-rama (rah-mah RAH-mah)
Example: Rama-rama terbang di taman. (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Bengali – প্রজাপতি (projāpoti)
Example: একটি প্রজাপতি ফুলে বসেছে। (A butterfly sat on the flower.) - Tamil – வண்டி (vaṇṭi)
Example: வண்டி பூவின் மீது அமர்ந்தது. (The butterfly sat on the flower.) - Telugu – సీతాకోకచిలుక (sītākōkaciluka)
Example: సీతాకోకచిలుక చాలా అందంగా ఉంది. (The butterfly is very beautiful.) - Marathi – फुलपाखरू (phulapākhru)
Example: फुलपाखरू फुलांवर बसले. (The butterfly sat on the flowers.) - Urdu – تتلی (titli)
Example: تتلی پھولوں کے گرد اڑ رہی ہے۔ (The butterfly is flying around the flowers.) - Persian – پروانه (parvāneh)
Example: پروانه روی گل نشسته است. (The butterfly is sitting on the flower.) - Pashto – پتنګ (patang)
Example: پتنګ په ګل ناست و. (The butterfly sat on the flower.) - Kurdish (Kurmanji) – kevokê pênûsê (keh-voh-KAY peh-NOO-seh)
Example: Kevokê pênûsê li ser gulê bû. (The butterfly was on the flower.) - Azerbaijani – kəpənək (keh-peh-NEK)
Example: Kəpənək çiçəyə qondu. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Kazakh – көбелек (kó-be-lek)
Example: Көбелек гүлге қонды. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Uzbek – kapalak (kah-pah-LAK)
Example: Kapalak gulga qo‘ndi. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Armenian – թիթեռ (tit’er)
Example: Թիթեռը նստել է ծաղկի վրա։ (The butterfly is sitting on the flower.) - Georgian – პეპელა (pepela)
Example: პეპელა ყვავილზე იჯდა. (The butterfly sat on the flower.) - Lao – ຜີເສື້ອ (phi seu)
Example: ຜີເສື້ອບິນຢູ່ໃນສວນ. (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Khmer – អណ្តើក (an-daek)
Example: អណ្តើកកំពុងហោះ។ (The butterfly is flying.) - Sinhala – සමනලයා (samanalaya)
Example: සමනලයා මල් උයනේ පියාඹයි. (The butterfly flies in the flower garden.) - Nepali – पुतली (putalī)
Example: पुतली बगैचामा उड्दै छ। (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Mongolian – эрвээхэй (erbeehei)
Example: Эрвээхэй цэцэг дээр буулаа. (The butterfly landed on the flower.) - Zulu – uvemvane (oo-vehm-VAH-neh)
Example: Uvemvane lundiza esivandeni. (The butterfly flies in the garden.)
- Xhosa – uvemvane (oo-vehm-VAH-neh)
Example: Uvemvane lundiza phezu kweentyatyambo. (The butterfly flies above the flowers.) - Sesotho – serurubele (seh-roo-roo-BEH-leh)
Example: Serurubele se fofela holim’a lipalesa. (The butterfly flies over the flowers.) - Hausa – kararrakiya (kah-rah-rah-KEE-yah)
Example: Kararrakiya na shawagi a cikin lambu. (The butterfly is fluttering in the garden.) - Igbo – nnụnụ-ebe (nn-oo-NOO eh-beh)
Example: Nnụnụ-ebe na efe n’elu ifuru. (The butterfly is flying over the flower.) - Yoruba – labalábá (lah-bah-lah-BAH)
Example: Labalábá ń fò lórí odòdó. (The butterfly is flying over the flower.) - Maori – pūrerehua (poo-reh-reh-HOO-ah)
Example: Kua rere te pūrerehua ki ngā putiputi. (The butterfly flew to the flowers.) - Samoan – pepe (PEH-peh)
Example: O le pepe o lo’o lele i le togala’au. (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Tongan – pepe (PEH-peh)
Example: ‘Oku lele ‘a e pepe ‘i he ngoue. (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Hawaiian – pulelehua (poo-leh-leh-HOO-ah)
Example: Ua lele ka pulelehua ma luna o ka pua. (The butterfly flew over the flower.) - Fijian – vodre (VOH-dreh)
Example: Sa vuka tiko na vodre ena were. (The butterfly is flying in the garden.) - Cree – pîsimwêw (pee-sim-WEH-oo)
Example: Pîsimwêw kî-wâpamêw mîna. (I saw the butterfly again.) - Inuktitut – ᑐᒥᒃᑐᑦ (tumikutut)
Example: ᑐᒥᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐸᖕᒫᓂᒃ. (The butterfly is also a flying insect.) - Cherokee – ᏧᏍᏆᏂᎨ (tsusquanige)
Example: ᏧᏍᏆᏂᎨ ᎤᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎤᏍᏗ. (The butterfly is very colorful.) - Nahuatl – papalotl (pah-pah-LOH-tl)
Example: In papalotl tlatlauhqui. (The butterfly is red.) - Quechua – pillpintu (peel-peen-TOO)
Example: Pillpintu k’anchayniyuqmi. (The butterfly is colorful.) - Aymara – maripusa (mah-ree-POO-sah)
Example: Maripusa ch’uxña t’ula taypita jalaña. (The green butterfly flies through the bushes.) - Twi (Akan) – afideɛ (ah-fee-DEH-eh)
Example: Afideɛ no hyɛ fɛ paa. (The butterfly is very beautiful.) - Zulu (variant) – isivemvane (ee-see-vehm-VAH-neh)
Example: Isivemvane sibhakabhaka phezulu. (The butterfly flutters above.) - Esperanto – papilio (pah-PEE-lee-oh)
Example: La papilio flugas super la floroj. (The butterfly flies over the flowers.) - Latin – papilio (pah-PEE-lee-oh)
Example: Papilio super florem volat. (The butterfly flies over the flower
🌟 Final Thought:
The butterfly, with its delicate wings and vibrant colors, is more than just a beautiful insect — it’s a universal symbol of transformation, hope, and freedom. 🌈 From “Mariposa” in Spanish to “Papillon” in French, every language captures the grace of this magical creature in its own poetic way. 🌺 No matter where you are in the world, the butterfly flutters as a reminder to embrace change, let go of the past, and soar boldly into new beginnings. 🌟🦋💫
