Naming The Pieces in Various Languages
Here are names for all the pieces as well as the words for chess, check, and checkmate in several languages:
| Language | King | Queen | Rook | Bishop | Knight | Pawn | Chess | Check | Checkmate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| figurine | ♔ ♚ | ♕ ♛ | ♖ ♜ | ♗ ♝ | ♘ ♞ | ♙ ♟ | ... | + | # |
| Afrikaans | K Koning | D Dame (lady) | T Toring (tower) | L Loper (runner) | R Ruiter (rider) | (P) Pion | Skaak | Skaak | Skaakmat |
| Albanian | M Mbreti | Msh Mbretëresha (queen) | Ku Kulla (tower) | O Oficeri (officer) | Ka Kali (horse) | (U) Ushtari (soldier) | Shahu | Shah | Shah mat |
| Arabic | م مَلِك | و وزير | ر رخ/طابية | ف فيل | ح حصان | ب بيدق/عسكري | شطرنج | كِش مَلِك | كِش مات |
| Bengali | R Rājā রাজা |
M Montri মন্ত্রী |
N Noukā নৌকা |
G Gôjo গজ |
Gh ghodā ঘোড়া |
(B) Bore বড়ে |
দাবা(Dābā) |
Kisti কিস্তি |
Kistimāt কিস্তিমাত |
| Belarusian | К кароль | Вз візыр | Лд ладзьдзя | А афіцэр | В вершнік | (Л) латнік | Шахматы | Шах | Мат |
| Bulgarian | Ц цар (king) | Д дама (lady) | Т топ (cannon) | О офицер (officer) | К кон (horse) | (П) пешка | Шахмат/Шах | Шах | (Шах и) мат |
| Catalan | R rei | D dama/reina (lady/queen) | T torre (tower) | A alfil | C cavall (horse) | (P) peó | Escacs | Escac/Xec | Escac i mat |
| Chinese | K 王 (Wáng, king) |
Q 后 (Hòu, queen) |
R 車 (Chē, chariot) |
B 象 (Xiàng, elephant) |
N 馬 (Mǎ, horse) |
(P) 兵 (Bīng, soldier) |
國際象棋 (Guójì Xiàngqí) |
將軍 (Jiāngjūn, general) |
將死 (Jiāngsǐ, checkmate) |
| Croatian | K kralj | D dama/kraljica | T top/kula | L lovac/laufer | S skakač/konj | (P) pješak | Šah | Šah | Šah mat |
| Czech | K král | D dáma | V věž | S střelec | J jezdec | (P) pěšec | Šachy | Šach | Mat |
| Danish | K konge (king) | D dronning (queen) | T tårn (tower) | L løber (runner) | S springer (jumper) | (B) bonde (peasant) | Skak | Skak | Skakmat |
| Dutch | K koning (king) | D dame/koningin (lady/queen) | T toren/kasteel (tower/castle) | L loper/raadsheer (runner/counsellor) | P paard (horse) | (pi) pion | Schaken | Schaak | Mat/Schaakmat |
| English | K king | Q queen | R rook | B bishop | N/Kt knight | (P) pawn | Chess | Check | Checkmate |
| Esperanto | R reĝo (king) | D damo (lady) | T turo (tower) | K kuriero (courier) | Ĉ ĉevalo (horse) | (P) peono | Ŝako | Ŝak | Ŝakmato |
| Estonian | K kuningas (king) | L lipp | V vanker | O oda | R ratsu | (E) ettur | Male | Tuli | Matt |
| Finnish | K kuningas (king) | D daami/kuningatar (lady/queen) | T torni (tower) | L lähetti (messenger) | R ratsu (horse) | (S) sotilas (soldier) | Shakki | Shakki | Matti/Shakkimatti |
| French | R roi (king) | D dame (lady) | T tour (tower) | F fou (jester) | C cavalier (rider) | (P) pion | Échecs | Échec | Échec et mat |
| German | K König (king) | D Dame (lady) | T Turm (tower) | L Läufer (runner) | S Springer (jumper) | (B) Bauer (farmer) | Schach | Schach | Schachmatt |
| Greek | Ρ βασιλιάς | Β βασίλισσα | Π πύργος | Α αξιωματικός | Ι ίππος | (Σ) πιόνι | Σκάκι | Σαχ | Mάτ |
| Hebrew | מ מלך | מה מלכה | צ צריח | ר רץ | פ פרש | רגלי | שחמט | שח | מט |
| Hindi | R राजा rājā |
V वज़ीर vajīr |
H हाथी hāthī |
O ऊँठ ūṁṭ |
G घोड़ा ghoṛā |
(P) प्यादा pyādā |
शतरंज Shatranj |
शाह shāh |
शाहमात shāhmāt |
| Hungarian | K király (king) | V vezér (chief) | B bástya (bastion) | F futó (runner) | H huszár (hussar) | (Gy) gyalog (ca. foot soldier) | Sakk | Sakk | Matt |
| Icelandic | K kóngur (king) | D drottning (queen) | H hrókur | B biskup (bishop) | R riddari (knight) | (P) peð | Skák | Skák | Skák og mát |
| Indonesian | R raja (king) | M menteri (minister/vizier) | B benteng (castle/fortress) | G gajah (elephant) | K kuda (horse) | (P) pion | Catur | Skak | Skak mati |
| Irish | R rí (king) | B banríon (womanking?) | C caiseal (bulwark) | E easpag (lock) | D ridire (knight) | (F) fichillín/ceithearnach | Ficheall | Sáinn | Marbhsháinn |
| Italian | R re (king) | D regina (queen) | T torre (tower) | A alfiere | C cavallo (horse) | (P) pedone | Scacchi | Scacco | Scacco matto |
| Japanese | K キング (kingu) | Q クイーン (kuīn) | R ルーク (rūku) | B ビショップ (bishoppu) | N ナイト (naito) | (P) ポーン (pōn) | チェス (chesu) | 王手/ チェック (chekku) |
詰み/ チェックメイト (chekkumeito) |
| Korean | K 킹 | Q 퀸 | R 룩 | B 비숍 | N 나이트 | (P) 폰 | 체스 | 체크 | 체크메이트 |
| Latin | R rex | G regina | T turris | E episcopus | Q eques | (P) pedes | Scacci | Scaccus | Mattus |
| Latvian | K karalis | D dāma | T tornis | L laidnis | Z zirgs | (B) bandinieks | Šahs | Šahs | Šahs un mats |
| Lithuanian | K karalius | V valdovė | B bokštas | R rikis | Ž žirgas | (P) pėstininkas | Šachmatai | Šach | Matas |
| Luxembourgish | K kinnek | D damm | T tuerm (tower) | L leefer (runner) | P päerd (horse) | (B) bauer (farmer) | Schach | Schach | Schachmatt |
| Mongolian | Н ноён (lord) | Б бэрс (ferz) | т тэрэг (chariot) | Т тэмээ (camel) | М морь (rider) | (Х) хүү (paige) | Шатар | шаг, дуг, цод | мад |
| Norwegian | K konge | D dronning | T tårn | L løper | S springer | (B) bonde | Sjakk | Sjakk | Sjakkmatt |
| Persian | ش شاه | و وزیر | ق/ر قلعه/رخ | ف فیل | ا اسب | س سرباز | شطرنج | کیش | کیشمات |
| Polish | K król | H hetman | W wieża | G goniec | S skoczek | (P) pion | szachy | szach | mat (szach-mat / szach i mat) |
| Portuguese | R rei (king) | D dama/rainha (lady/queen) | T torre (tower) | B bispo (bishop) | C cavalo (horse) | (P) peão | Xadrez | Xeque | Xeque-mate |
| Romanian | R rege | D regină | T turn | N nebun | C cal | (P) pion | Şah | Şah | Mat |
| Russian | Кр король | Ф ферзь | Л ладья | С слон | К конь | (П) пешка | Шахматы | Шах | Мат |
| Serbian | К краљ / kralj | Д дама / dama | Т топ / top | Л ловац / lovac | С скакач / skakač | (П) пешак / pešak | Шах / Šah | Шах / Šah | Мат / Mat |
| Sicilian | R re | D riggina | T turru | A alferu | S scecchu | (P) pidinu | Scacchi | ||
| Slovak | K kráľ | D dáma | V veža | S strelec | J jazdec | (P) pešiak | Šach | Šach | Mat/Šachmat |
| Slovene | K kralj | D dama | T trdnjava | L lovec | S skakač | (P) kmet | Šah | Šah | Mat/Šahmat |
| Spanish | R rey (king) | D dama/reina (lady/queen) | T torre (tower) | A alfil (elephant, in Arabic) | C caballo (horse) | (P) peón | Ajedrez | Jaque | Jaque mate |
| Swedish | K kung | D dam/drottning (lady/queen) | T torn (tower) | L löpare (runner) | S springare/häst (horse) | (B) bonde (peasant) | Schack | Schack | Schack matt |
| Tamil | K Raja | Q Rani | R yanai / kOttai | B Mandhiri / thEr | N/Kt Kudhirai | (P) Sepoi | Sadhurangam | Check | Checkmate |
| Telugu | రాజు rāju |
మంత్రి maṃtri |
ఏనుగు ēnugu |
శకటు śakaţu |
గుర్రం gurraṃ |
బంటు baṃţu |
చదరంగం cadaraṃgaṃ |
దాడి dāḍi |
కట్టు kaţţu |
| Thai | ข ขุน (khun, king) |
ต เม็ด (ตรี/มนตรี) (met (trī/montrī), counselor) |
ร เรือ (reūa, ship) |
ค โคน (khōn, elephant) |
ม ม้า (mā, horse) |
(บ) เบี้ย (bīa, menial) |
หมากรุก (mākruk) |
รุก (ruk, invade) |
จน (jon, checkmate) |
| Turkish | Ş/K şah/kral | V vezir | K kale | F fil | A at | (P) er/piyon | Satranç | Şah | Mat |
| Ukrainian | Kр король | Ф ферзь | T тура | C слон | K кінь | (П) пішак | Шахи | Шах | Мат |
| Urdu | Badshah | Wazir | Qila | Haathi | Ghora | Piada | Shatranj | Sheh | Shehmaat |
| Vietnamese | V Vua | H Hậu | X Xe | T Tượng | M Mã | _ Tốt | Cờ vua | Chiếu | Chiếu bí |
| Welsh | T teyrn/brenin | B brenhines | C castell | E esgob | M marchog | (G) gwerinwr | Gwyddbwyll | Siach | Siachmat |
Read more about this topic: Algebraic Notation (chess)
Famous quotes containing the words naming, pieces and/or languages:
“The night is itself sleep
And what goes on in it, the naming of the wind,
Our notes to each other, always repeated, always the same.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“I am grown old and my memory is not as active as it used to be. When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now, and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this, but we all have to do it.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)