Jezis, Gesu, Ciise: How to Say Jesus in 70 Different Languages Released
- The name “Jesus” resonates across cultures, yet its pronunciation and spelling shift dramatically from one language to another
- From “Yasūʿ” in Arabic to “Giêsu” in Vietnamese, each version reflects the linguistic soul of its region
- This global exploration reveals 70 unique ways the name “Jesus” is spoken—uniting faith through diversity
The name “Jesus” carries profound religious and cultural significance across continents, faiths, and languages. While its spiritual resonance remains constant, the way it is spoken varies widely depending on regional dialects and linguistic traditions.
From the rolling syllables of Romance languages to the tonal expressions of Asian tongues, the name adapts to the phonetic and orthographic systems of each culture.
Source: Getty Images
In a recent linguistic compilation, the name “Jesus” was documented in 70 different languages, revealing both subtle and striking differences in pronunciation and spelling.
The list spans major world languages such as Arabic, Mandarin, and Hindi, as well as lesser-known tongues like Maltese, Kyrgyz, and Basque.
Pronunciation of “Jesus” in European languages
In Europe, the name often retains a familiar structure but shifts in sound. For instance:
- In French, it is written as “Jésus” and pronounced “Zhay-zoo”.
- In German, Dutch, and Danish, it appears as “Jesus” but is pronounced “Yay-soos”.
- In Spanish and Catalan, “Jesús” is pronounced “Heh-soos” and “Zheh-soos” respectively.
- Slavic languages such as Polish (“Jezus”), Czech (“Ježíš”), and Russian (“Иисус”) offer variations like “Yeh-zoos”, “Yeh-zheesh”, and “Ee-ee-soos”.
“Jesus” in Asian and middle eastern languages
The linguistic diversity becomes even more pronounced across Asia and the Middle East:
- In Arabic, the name is written as “يسوع” (Yasūʿ) and pronounced “Ya-soo”.
- Hebrew and Hindi share the pronunciation “Yeh-shoo”, though they are written as “ישו” and “यीशु” respectively.
- Mandarin Chinese uses “耶稣” (Yēsū), pronounced “Yeh-soo”.
- In Japanese, “イエス” (Iesu) is pronounced “Ee-eh-soo”.
- Farsi, Pashto, and Kurdish all use “Isa” or “Îsa”, pronounced “Ee-sah”.
African and indigenous languages reflect unique phonetics
African languages also contribute to the global tapestry of pronunciation:
- In Swahili, “Yesu” is pronounced “Yay-soo”.
- Yoruba speakers say “Jesu”, pronounced “Jeh-soo”.
- Somali uses “Ciise”, pronounced “Ee-seh”.
Meanwhile, indigenous and regional languages like Khmer (“ព្រះយេស៊ូ”), Lao (“ພຣະເຢຊູ”), and Sinhala (“යේසුස්”) offer distinct phonetic interpretations such as “Preah Yay-soo”, “Pha-yeh-soo”, and “Yeh-soos”.
Shared name, spoken differently
Despite the linguistic diversity, the name “Jesus” remains a unifying symbol across cultures. Whether spoken as “Jézus” in Hungarian, “Giêsu” in Vietnamese, or “Iesu” in Welsh, the reverence attached to the name transcends borders.
“Jesus” is a name that holds significant religious and cultural importance across the world. The name for “Jesus” can vary slightly in pronunciation and spelling across different languages and regions.
This global linguistic snapshot not only highlights the adaptability of sacred terminology but also underscores the richness of human expression. As languages evolve and intermingle, the name “Jesus” continues to echo in countless forms—each one a testament to faith, heritage, and identity.
Here is the full list of how the name “Jesus” is expressed around the world:
1. Albanian – Jezus | Yay-zoos
2. Arabic – يسوع (Yasūʿ) | Ya-soo
3. Armenian – Հիսուս (Hisus) | Hee-soos
4. Azerbaijani – İsa | Ee-sah
5. Basque – Jesus | Hay-soos
6. Belarusian – Езус (Yezus) | Yeh-zoos
7. Bengali – যীশু (Jishu) | Jee-shoo
8. Bosnian – Isus | Ee-soos
9. Bulgarian – Исус (Isus) | Ee-soos
10. Catalan – Jesús | Zheh-soos
11. Czech – Ježíš | Yeh-zheesh
12. Danish – Jesus | Yay-soos
13. Dutch – Jezus | Yay-zus
14. English – Jesus | Jee-zus
15. Estonian – Jeesus | Yay-soos
16. Farsi (Persian) – عیسی (Isa) | Ee-sah
17. Finnish – Jeesus | Yay-soos
18. French – Jésus | Zhay-zoo
19. Georgian – იესო (Ieso) | Yee-eh-so
20. German – Jesus | Yay-soos
21. Greek – Ιησούς (Iisous) | Ee-ee-soos
22. Hebrew – ישו (Yeshu) | Yeh-shoo
23. Hindi – यीशु (Yeshu) | Yeh-shoo
24. Hungarian – Jézus | Yay-zoos
25. Icelandic – Jesús | Yeh-soos
26. Indonesian – Yesus | Yay-soos
27. Irish Gaelic – Íosa | Ee-sah
28. Italian – Gesù | Je-zoo
29. Japanese – イエス (Iesu) | Ee-eh-soo
30. Kazakh – Иса (Isa) | Ee-sah
31. Khmer – ព្រះយេស៊ូ (Preah Yesu) | Preah Yay-soo
32. Korean – 예수 (Yesu) | Yay-soo
33. Kurdish – عيسى (Îsa) | Ee-sah
34. Kyrgyz – Иса (Isa) | Ee-sah
35. Lao – ພຣະເຢຊູ (Phra Yesu) | Pha-yeh-soo
36. Latvian – Jēzus | Yeh-zoos
37. Lithuanian – Jėzus | Yeh-zoos
38. Luxembourgish – Jesus | Yay-soos
39. Macedonian – Исус (Isus) | Ee-soos
40. Malay – Yesus | Yay-soos
41. Maltese – Ġesù | Jeh-zoo
42. Mandarin Chinese – 耶稣 (Yēsū) | Yeh-soo
43. Marathi – येशू (Yeshu) | Yeh-shoo
44. Mongolian – Есүс (Yesus) | Yeh-soos
45. Nepali – येशू (Yeshu) | Yeh-shoo
46. Norwegian – Jesus | Yay-soos
47. Pashto – عیسی (Isa) | Ee-sah
48. Polish – Jezus | Yeh-zoos
49. Portuguese – Jesus | Zheh-zoos
50. Romanian – Isus | Ee-soos
51. Russian – Иисус (Iisus) | Ee-ee-soos
52. Serbian – Исус (Isus) | Ee-soos
53. Sinhala – යේසුස් (Yesus) | Yeh-soos
54. Slovak – Ježiš | Yeh-zheesh
55. Slovenian – Jezus | Yeh-zoos
56. Somali – Ciise | Ee-seh
57. Spanish – Jesús | Heh-soos
58. Swahili – Yesu | Yay-soo
59. Swedish – Jesus | Yay-soos
60. Tajik – Исо (Iso) | Ee-soh
61. Tamil – இயேசு (Iyesu) | Ee-yeh-soo
62. Telugu – యేసు (Yesu) | Yay-soo
63. Thai – พระเยซู (Phra Yesu) | Prah Yay-soo
64. Turkish – İsa | Ee-sah
65. Ukrainian – Ісус (Isus) | Ee-soos
66. Urdu – یسوع (Yasu) | Yah-soo
67. Uzbek – Iso | Ee-soh
68. Vietnamese – Giêsu | Zee-eh-soo
69. Welsh – Iesu | Yay-soo
70. Yoruba – Jesu | Jeh-soo
Source: Legit.ng
