Appetizers are the tasty starters that open a meal and start conversations. Whether you want to read a menu abroad, order politely, or impress friends with foodie vocabulary, this guide shows how to say appetizer in different languages, gives correct native phrases, easy pronunciations, and a short real-life example for each.
Use this to learn appetizer translations, see appetizer around the world, and know how to say appetizer in all languages (70 popular languages included).
| Language | Native phrase (pronunciation) | Example sentence — English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Appetizer (AP-uh-tai-zer) | The appetizer was delicious. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Spanish | aperitivo (ah-peh-ree-TEE-vo) | Sirvieron un aperitivo antes de la cena. — They served an appetizer before dinner. |
| French | hors d’œuvre (or DUH-vr) | Ils ont pris des hors d’œuvre. — They had appetizers. |
| German | Vorspeise (FOR-shpy-ze) | Die Vorspeise war leicht. — The appetizer was light. |
| Italian | antipasto (ahn-tee-PAH-stoh) | L’antipasto era buono. — The appetizer was good. |
| Portuguese | aperitivo (ah-peh-ree-TEE-vo) | Serviram um aperitivo. — They served an appetizer. |
| Dutch | voorgerecht (vohr-guh-RECHT) | Het voorgerecht was warm. — The appetizer was warm. |
| Russian | закуска (zah-KOOS-kah) | На столе была закуска. — There was an appetizer on the table. |
| Ukrainian | закуска (zah-KOOS-kah) | Ми замовили закуску. — We ordered an appetizer. |
| Polish | przystawka (pshys-TAV-kah) | Przystawka była smaczna. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Czech | předkrm (PŘED-krm) | Předkrm byl servírovaný. — The appetizer was served. |
| Slovak | predjedlo (pred-YED-lo) | Predjedlo chutilo výborne. — The appetizer tasted great. |
| Hungarian | előétel (EH-loh-ay-tel) | Az előétel friss volt. — The appetizer was fresh. |
| Romanian | aperitiv (ah-peh-ree-TIV) | Au servit un aperitiv. — They served an appetizer. |
| Bulgarian | предястие (preh-DYAS-tee-eh) | Предястието беше вкусно. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Serbian | предјело / predjelo (preh-DYEH-lo) | Предјело је било укусно. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Croatian | predjelo (pred-YEH-lo) | Predjelo je bilo slano. — The appetizer was salty. |
| Bosnian | predjelo (pred-YEH-lo) | Predjelo je posluženo rano. — The appetizer was served early. |
| Slovenian | predjed (pred-YED) | Predjed je bil okusen. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Greek | ορεκτικό (oh-rek-TEE-koh) | Το ορεκτικό ήταν νόστιμο. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Turkish | meze (MEH-zeh) | Meze tabağı çok lezzetliydi. — The appetizer plate was very tasty. |
| Arabic (MSA) | مقبلات (muqabbalāt) | قدّموا مقبلات قبل العشاء. — They served appetizers before dinner. |
| Persian (Farsi) | پیشغذا (pish-gha-zā) | آنها پیشغذا آوردند. — They brought an appetizer. |
| Hindi | स्टार्टर / starter (STAR-ter) | स्टार्टर बहुत स्वादिष्ट था. — The starter was very tasty. |
| Bengali | অ্যাপেটাইজার / appetizer (a-pe-ti-zar) | অ্যাপেটাইজারটা চপচপে ছিল. — The appetizer was crispy. |
| Punjabi | ਸਟਾਰਟਰ / starter (STAR-ter) | ਸਟਾਰਟਰ ਵਧੀਆ ਸੀ. — The starter was good. |
| Urdu | اسٹارٹر / starter (STAR-ter) | اسٹارٹر بہت لذیذ تھا. — The starter was very delicious. |
| Tamil | முன் உணவு (mun ūṉavu) (moon oo-NAH-voo) | முன் உணவு சிறந்தது. — The appetizer was excellent. |
| Telugu | ముందస్తు వంటకం / mundastu vanṭakaṁ (mun-DAS-too vun-DAH-kum) | ముందస్తు వంటకం రుచిగా ఉంది. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Kannada | ಸ್ಟಾರ್ಟರ್ / starter (STAR-ter) | ಸ್ಟಾರ್ಟರ್ ಸವಿಯಾಯಿತು. — The starter was enjoyed. |
| Malayalam | ആമുഖഭക്ഷണം (āmuḵhabhakṣaṇaṁ) (ah-moo-kha-bha-ksha-nam) | ആമുഖഭക്ഷണം രുചികരം ആയിരുന്നു. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Marathi | स्टार्टर / starter (STAR-ter) | स्टार्टर खूप छान होतं. — The starter was very nice. |
| Gujarati | સ્ટાર્ટર / starter (STAR-ter) | સ્ટાર્ટર સ્વાદિષ્ટ હતું. — The starter was delicious. |
| Sinhala | ආරම්භක ආහාරය (ārambhaka āhāraya) (ah-ram-bha-ka aa-haa-ra-ya) | ආරම්භක ආහාරය රසවත් විය. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Thai | อาหารเรียกน้ำย่อย (ahan riak nám yói) (ah-hahn ree-ak nahm yoi) | อาหารเรียกน้ำย่อย อร่อยมาก. — The appetizer was very tasty. |
| Vietnamese | món khai vị (mon khai vee) | Món khai vị rất ngon. — The appetizer is very good. |
| Indonesian | makanan pembuka (mah-KAH-nahn pem-BOO-kah) | Makanan pembuka disajikan. — The appetizer was served. |
| Malay | pembuka selera (pem-BOO-kah seh-LEH-rah) | Pembuka selera sedap. — The appetizer is delicious. |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pampagana (pam-pa-GAH-nah) | May pampagana bago ulam. — There is an appetizer before the main dish. |
| Mandarin Chinese | 开胃菜 (kāiwèi cài) (kai-way-tseye) | 开胃菜很好吃。 — The appetizer is delicious. |
| Cantonese | 開胃菜 (hoi mei choi) (hoi may choy) | 開胃菜好味道。 — The appetizer tastes good. |
| Japanese | 前菜 (前菜, zensai) (zen-sigh) | 前菜が運ばれた。 — The appetizer was brought. |
| Korean | 전채 요리 / 애피타이저 (jeonchae / aepitaijeo) (jun-chae / ae-pi-tai-jo) | 전채가 맛있었어요. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Hebrew | מנות פתיחה (manot pticha) (mah-not ptee-kha) | מנות פתיחה היו מושלמות. — The appetizers were perfect. |
| Swahili | vitafunwa (vee-ta-FUN-wa) | Vitafunwa vilikuwa safi. — The appetizers were nice. |
| Zulu | isidlo sokuqala (isi-dlo su-ka-RI-sa) | Isidlo sokuqala sasihle. — The appetizer was nice. |
| Xhosa | isidlo sokuqala (isi-dlo su-ka-RI-sa) | Isidlo sokuqala sasimnandi. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Afrikaans | voorgereg (voor-guh-RECH) | Die voorgereg was smaaklik. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Lithuanian | užkandis (ooz-KAHN-dis) | Užkandis buvo skanus. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Latvian | uzkoda (uz-KOH-dah) | Uzkoda bija laba. — The appetizer was good. |
| Estonian | eelroog (AYL-roog) | Eelroog oli värske. — The appetizer was fresh. |
| Finnish | alkupala (al-ku-PAH-la) | Alkupala oli herkullinen. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Swedish | förrätt (fur-RET) | Förrätten var lätt. — The appetizer was light. |
| Norwegian | forrett (foh-RET) | Forretten kom først. — The appetizer arrived first. |
| Danish | forret (foh-RET) | Forretten var varm. — The appetizer was warm. |
| Icelandic | forréttur (for-RET-tur) | Forrétturinn var góður. — The appetizer was good. |
| Albanian | paragjellë (para-GYEL-luh) | Paragjella ishte e mirë. — The appetizer was good. |
| Catalan | entrant / aperitiu (en-TRANT / ah-peh-REE-ti-oo) | Van servir un entrant. — They served an appetizer. |
| Basque | aperitibo (a-pe-ri-TEE-bo) | Aperitiboak zaporezkoak ziren. — The appetizers were flavorful. |
| Galician | aperitivo (ah-peh-ree-TEE-vo) | O aperitivo foi delicioso. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Irish (Gaeilge) | réamhbhia (ray-uv-VEE-uh) | Bhí an réamhbhia blasta. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Scottish Gaelic | toiseach (starter) (TOH-shakh) | Bha an toiseach blasta. — The starter was tasty. |
| Welsh | byrbryd (BUR-brid) | Yr byrbryd oedd blasus. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Maltese | antipast / antipasto (an-tee-PAH-sto) | L-antipast kien frisk. — The appetizer was fresh. |
| Armenian | նախուտեստ (nakhutest) (na-khu-TEST) | Նախուտեստը համեղ էր. — The appetizer was delicious. |
| Georgian | აპერიტივი / aperitivi (a-pe-ri-TEE-vi) | აპერიტივი კარგი იყო. — The appetizer was good. |
| Azerbaijani | qəlyanaltı (geh-lyah-nal-tuh) | Qəlyanaltı çox dadlı idi. — The appetizer was very tasty. |
| Kazakh | тағам алдындағы (tağam aldıñğı) (ta-gham al-din-guh) | Тағам алдындағы дәмді болды. — The appetizer was tasty. |
| Uzbek | aperitiv / zakuska (ah-peh-ree-TEEV / zah-KOOS-kah) | Aperitiv juda mazali edi. — The appetizer was very tasty. |
| Kyrgyz | закуска / aperitiv (zah-KOOS-kah / ah-peh-ree-TEEV) | Закуска даамдуу болду. — The appetizer was tasty. |
Why learn how to say “appetizer” in all languages?
Learning how to ask for or recognize the word for appetizer helps you:
- Read menus faster when traveling.
- Order politely in restaurants.
- Show cultural appreciation at meals.
This list gives appetizer translations, short examples, and pronunciations so you can use phrases confidently.
Regional variations & tips
- Some languages use loanwords (e.g., starter, aperitivo) while others have native terms (e.g., 前菜 in Japanese).
- On many menus, appetizer might appear as starter, entrante, meze, or entrée depending on local usage.
- If unsure, point to a dish and say the native phrase — gestures plus a phrase often works fine.
How to use these phrases when traveling
- Practice the pronunciation aloud once or twice before ordering.
- Use the short example sentences as templates: swap the food or the context (e.g., “Do you have appetizers?”).
- When on a menu, look for the “starters/forrett/aperitivo/前菜” section to find appetizers quickly.
Conclusion
This compact guide shows 70 ways to say appetizer in different languages with native phrases, easy pronunciations, and short example sentences to help you order, read menus, and talk about starters worldwide. Use it as a quick reference for travel, food writing, or culinary curiosity.
FAQs
Q1: What’s the difference between “appetizer” and “starter”?
A1: They are synonyms. “Appetizer” (US) and “starter” (UK) both refer to a small dish served before the main course.
Q2: Which term should I look for on menus abroad?
A2: Look for local equivalents from this list — common menu headings include starters, appetizers, antipasti, hors d’œuvre, meze, or the local-language words shown above.
Q3: Are “appetizer” and “entrée” the same?
A3: Not always. In the U.S. “entrée” usually means main course; in some countries (e.g., France historically) “entrée” can mean a starter. Check the regional menu style.
Q4: How can I practice pronunciation quickly?
A4: Say the phrase aloud 3 times, use the short example sentence, and repeat. Pair the phrase with a gesture toward food to aid memory.
Q5: Can I use the English word “appetizer” in other countries?
A5: Often yes—many menus borrow English terms—but using the local word from this list is friendlier and may help avoid confusion.
