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:
“Husband,
who am I to reject the naming of foods
in a time of famine?”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“O what venerable and reverend creatures did the aged seem! Immortal Cherubims! And young men glittering and sparkling Angels, and maids strange seraphic pieces of life and beauty! Boys and girls tumbling in the street, and playing, were moving jewels. I knew not that they were born or should die; but all things abided eternally as they were in their proper places.”
—Thomas Traherne (1636–1674)
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)