Learn Country Names in 7 Languages 🌍
Have you ever noticed that the same country can sound completely different depending on the language?
In this lesson, you can compare country names in 7 languages: Korean, French, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and Dutch.
Some names look almost identical, while others may surprise you. You can also listen to the Korean pronunciation for each country and practice saying it out loud.
Table of Contents
1. United Kingdom 🇬🇧
영국 (yeongguk) — United Kingdom
🔊 Listen: 영국
French: Royaume-Uni
Brazilian Portuguese: Reino Unido
European Portuguese: Reino Unido
Spanish: Reino Unido
Turkish: Birleşik Krallık
Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk
Language Tip: England and the United Kingdom are not exactly the same. In French, Angleterre means England, while Royaume-Uni means the United Kingdom.
2. India 🇮🇳
인도 (indo) — India
🔊 Listen: 인도
French: Inde
Brazilian Portuguese: Índia
European Portuguese: Índia
Spanish: India
Turkish: Hindistan
Dutch: India
India is a great example of how country names can change dramatically between languages. Turkish Hindistan, for example, sounds very different from Korean 인도.
3. Germany 🇩🇪
독일 (dogil) — Germany
🔊 Listen: 독일
French: Allemagne
Brazilian Portuguese: Alemanha
European Portuguese: Alemanha
Spanish: Alemania
Turkish: Almanya
Dutch: Duitsland
Germany is one of the most interesting examples when learning country names in 7 languages. English uses Germany, Korean uses 독일, French uses Allemagne, and Dutch uses Duitsland.
4. Australia 🇦🇺
호주 (hoju) — Australia
🔊 Listen: 호주
French: Australie
Brazilian Portuguese: Austrália
European Portuguese: Austrália
Spanish: Australia
Turkish: Avustralya
Dutch: Australië
Most European languages use a name similar to Australia, but Korean uses the completely different word 호주**.
5. Thailand 🇹🇭
태국 (taeguk) — Thailand
🔊 Listen: 태국
French: Thaïlande
Brazilian Portuguese: Tailândia
European Portuguese: Tailândia
Spanish: Tailandia
Turkish: Tayland
Dutch: Thailand
The pronunciation changes slightly from language to language, but you can easily see the connection between Thailand, Thaïlande, Tailandia, and Tayland.
6. Costa Rica 🇨🇷
코스타리카 (koseutarika) — Costa Rica
🔊 Listen: 코스타리카
French: Costa Rica
Brazilian Portuguese: Costa Rica
European Portuguese: Costa Rica
Spanish: Costa Rica
Turkish: Kosta Rika
Dutch: Costa Rica
This one is easy! Costa Rica stays almost exactly the same in most of these languages.
7. Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮
코트디부아르 (koteudibuaru) — Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast
🔊 Listen: 코트디부아르
French: Côte d’Ivoire
Brazilian Portuguese: Costa do Marfim
European Portuguese: Costa do Marfim
Spanish: Costa de Marfil
Turkish: Fildişi Sahili
Dutch: Ivoorkust
Côte d’Ivoire is probably one of the most interesting examples in this lesson. The country name changes significantly depending on the language.
In English, you may also hear Ivory Coast, although the country officially prefers the French name Côte d’Ivoire internationally.
Which Country Name Surprised You the Most?
Learning country names in 7 languages is a fun way to see how languages are connected—and how different they can be.
Try reading each name aloud and compare it with the Korean pronunciation. Some countries barely change at all, while others have completely different names.
Which one surprised you the most?
Leave a comment and tell us! 🌍
And if you want to learn more Korean vocabulary, pronunciation, and useful expressions, check out the other lessons on HYUZ Language.
