Are Peanuts translated correctly
on your allergy alert card?
For “Peanuts” in Spanish/French/Portuguese/Arabic/Chinese/English there are many regional and dialectic choices. Using the wrong translation can be fatal. Always check your allergy alert Cards with a native speaker from the region
Ever wondered how a simple word like “peanut” can spark confusion—even among countries that speak the same language? Because of the severe peanut allergies in the family, I set out on a fascinating research journey to explore how the food term peanut shifts across borders and regions
Using ChatGPT’s paid version, I launched a deep dive into how translations for “peanut” vary, and how mistranslations could potentially lead to misunderstanding—or even danger—in culinary contexts. In just 14 minutes and with input from 20 sources, ChatGPT delivered a detailed answer that would take a human hours to compile.
ChatGPT found differences in several languages: Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese .
But I wondered about the accuracy of the findings. With a solid grasp of Spanish, I found the Spanish results impressively close to accurate—with one minor hiccup: the claim that “Mexico and Central America use ‘cacahuate’” oversimplified regional nuances. From personal experience in El Salvador, particularly in San Salvador, the word maní is far more common. Curious to see if prompting ChatGPT for country-specific translations would align with my real-world observations, I decided to dig deeper with a follow up prompt specific to El Salvador.
Answer was still ‘cacahuate’
In the end, this deep dive into the humble peanut revealed more than just linguistic quirks—it highlighted the power of AI in uncovering cultural and regional nuance at lightning speed. While no tool is perfect, ChatGPT came remarkably close, offering a strong starting point for anyone navigating language differences in global communication, travel, or marketing.
What stood out most? The ability to quickly verify, compare, and even challenge assumptions based on lived experiences—like discovering maní is more prevalent than cacahuate in parts of Central America. It’s a reminder that while AI can accelerate research, human insight still plays a critical role in adding depth and context.
This research also reinforces a critical takeaway: translations—whether done by AI or printed on commercial Allergy Alert Cards—should always be reviewed by a native speaker familiar with the regional dialect.
Cards with images are a belt-and-suspenders approach that could make all the difference in a high-stakes situation.
The best designed Allergy Alert Cards are not only accurate, but also practical: avoid glossy finishes, as plain paper allows for handwritten corrections or custom notes. Better yet, when cards are printed in bulk, they can double as communication tools—allowing waiters to jot down table numbers or important reminders.
For travelers, brands, and businesses in the food and hospitality space, the message is clear: thoughtful translation, smart design, and human input can turn a simple card—or a single word—into a powerful tool for safety, clarity, and connection.
| Peanuts in (Spanish Dialect) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| Spain (European Spanish) | cacahuete | Standard in Spain |
| Mexico (Mexican Spanish) | cacahuate | Common in Mexico |
| Argentina & South America | maní | Used in Argentina, Colombia, etc. |
| Peanuts in (French Dialect) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| France (European French) | cacahuète | Common French term |
| Canada (Québec French) | arachide (formal) pinotte (informal) | Arachide is standard in Canada pinotte is colloquial Quebec slang. |
| West Africa (African French) | arachide | Standard term West African French(e.g. Senegal, Ivory Coast). |
| Peanuts in (Portuguese Dialect) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| Portugal (European Portuguese) | amendoim | Standard term in Portugal |
| Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese) | amendoim | Standard term in Brazil |
| Angola/Mozambique (Afr. Port.) | ajinguba | Regional African term equivalent to amendoim |
| Peanuts in(Portuguese Dialect) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| Portugal (European Portuguese) | amendoim | Standard term in Portugal |
| Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese) | amendoim | Standard term in Brazil |
| Angola/Mozambique (Afr. Port.) | ajinguba | Regional African term equivalent to amendoim |
| Peanuts in (Arabic) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| Egyptian Arabic | فول سوداني (fūl sūdānī) | “Sudanese bean” – common in Egypt. |
| Levantine Arabic | فستق عبيد (fustuq ‘abīd) | “Slave pistachio” – traditional term (now offensive; often avoided). |
| Gulf Arabic | فول سوداني (fūl sūdānī) | “Sudanese bean” – used in Gulf countries |
| Peanuts in (Chinese) | Term for “Peanut” | Pronunciation |
| Mandarin (Putonghua) | 花生 | huāshēng |
| Cantonese (Hong Kong) | 花生 | faa1 sang1 |
| Taiwanese Hokkien (Taiwanese) | , 土豆 | thô͘-tāu |
Note: Mandarin and Cantonese use the same Characters for words but pronunciation is different
| Peanuts in (English) | Term for “Peanut” | Notes |
| American English (US) | peanut (standard) | Also goober or goober pea (Southern US slang) |
| British English (UK) | peanut (standard) | Also monkey nut for in-shell peanuts ; groundnut in formal or historical usage. |
| Indian English (India) | groundnut | Common Indian term for peanut (British legacy) (“Peanut” is understood but less traditional.) |
Original ChatGPT Prompt: “Look into how the word for ‘peanuts’ differs across dialects or regions within the same language. This includes variations such as between European and Latin American Spanish, or French in France vs. Canada, and similar differences in other languages. Provide a summary of key regional terms and usage patterns, and sources used.
ChatGPT Response
Research completed in 14m · 20 sources
Regional Names for “Peanuts” in Different Dialects
Languages often have different words for “peanut” depending on the region or dialect. Below, we outline how the term varies in several widely spoken languages, with a brief explanation for each and a table summarizing the dialectal terms.
Spanish
Spanish has three main terms for peanuts, varying by region
linguno.com
linguno.com
:
Spain: cacahuete
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Mexico and Central America: cacahuate (spelled with an “a” instead of “e”)
South America: maní
These all mean “peanut” but are preferred in different areas. For example, in Spain one would say cacahuetes for a bowl of peanuts, while in Mexico it’s cacahuates. Much of South America (e.g. Argentina, Colombia) uses maní
linguno.com
. The variations trace back to indigenous languages: cacahuete/cacahuate come from the Nahuatl word cacahuatl, whereas maní came from a word in the Tupi-Guaraní languages
origemdapalavra.com.br
. Despite the different terms, Spanish speakers generally recognize them across regions.
Region (Spanish Dialect)
Term for “peanut”
Notes
Spain (European Spanish)
cacahuete
Standard in Spain
blog.duolingo.com
(from Nahuatl origin).
Mexico (Mexican Spanish)
cacahuate
Common in Mexico
blog.duolingo.com
(variant spelling with a).
Argentina & South America
maní
Used in Argentina, Colombia, etc.
linguno.com
(from Tupi/Guaraní).
French
In French, the word for peanut differs between Europe and other Francophone regions. In France, the everyday term is cacahuète (also spelled cacahouète)
lemorisset.com
. This word was borrowed from Spanish (ultimately from Nahuatl). In Canadian French (Québec) and francophone Africa, however, the word arachide is more commonly used
lemorisset.com
. Arachide is actually the scientific term for the peanut plant, but in those regions it refers to the peanuts themselves. Additionally, Québécois French has a familiar slang pinotte, derived from English “peanut,” for the snack or nut
lemorisset.com
. Despite these differences, all these terms mean “peanut.”
Region (French Dialect)
Term for “peanut”
Notes
France (European French)
cacahuète
Common French term for peanut
lemorisset.com
.
Canada (Québec French)
arachide (formal), pinotte (informal)
Arachide is standard in Canada
lemorisset.com
; pinotte is colloquial Quebec slang.
West Africa (African French)
arachide
Standard term in West African French
lemorisset.com
(e.g. Senegal, Ivory Coast).
Portuguese
In Portuguese, there is little variation between Portugal and Brazil for the word “peanut.” Both European and Brazilian Portuguese use amendoim to refer to peanuts
origemdapalavra.com.br
. The term amendoim comes from an Indigenous Tupi word and is used universally in Lusophone countries for the peanut. Unlike Spanish or French, you won’t find a different everyday word in Portugal versus Brazil for this item.
However, there are some regionalisms in lesser-known varieties: in Angola and Mozambique, Portuguese speakers often use jinguba (a word borrowed from Kimbundu) to mean peanut
dicionarioegramatica.wordpress.com
. In Portugal’s Alentejo region, an archaic term alcagoita was once used for peanuts, though today amendoim is standard. Overall, amendoim will be understood as “peanut” throughout Portuguese-speaking regions.
Region (Portuguese Dialect)
Term for “peanut”
Notes
Portugal (European Portuguese)
amendoim
Standard term in Portugal (same as Brazil).
Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese)
amendoim
Standard term in Brazil
origemdapalavra.com.br
.
Angola/Mozambique (Afr. Port.)
jinguba
Regional African term (from Kimbundu)
dicionarioegramatica.wordpress.com
, equivalent to amendoim.
Arabic
In Arabic, the word for peanut varies across dialects, often reflecting historical trade names. A very common term, used in Egyptian Arabic and many other dialects, is فول سوداني (fūl sūdānī)
misapise.com
, which literally means “Sudanese bean.” This term is also understood in Modern Standard Arabic and is used in the Gulf Arabic countries as well
misapise.com
. In everyday Egypt, one might simply say sūdānī (Sudanese) informally to refer to peanuts.
In the Levantine Arabic (e.g. Lebanon, Syria), a traditional word for peanut is فستق عبيد (fustuq ‘abīd), meaning “slave pistachio” – a name originating from the crop’s association with Sudan and the slave trade
misapise.com
. This term is considered derogatory now, so many speakers today avoid it. Instead, Levantine speakers may also use fūl sūdānī or say فستق سوداني (fustuq sūdānī, “Sudanese pistachio”) as a more neutral term. Despite the different words, Arabic speakers from different regions will often recognize both the fūl sūdānī type name and the fustuq (pistachio) type name for peanuts.
Dialect (Arabic)
Term for “peanut”
Literal Meaning / Note
Egyptian Arabic
فول سوداني (fūl sūdānī)
“Sudanese bean”
misapise.com
– common in Egypt.
Levantine Arabic
فستق عبيد (fustuq ‘abīd)
“Slave pistachio”
misapise.com
– traditional term (now offensive; often avoided).
Gulf Arabic
فول سوداني (fūl sūdānī)
“Sudanese bean” – used in Gulf countries
misapise.com
(also the general term in MSA).
Chinese
In Chinese, most varieties use the same written term for peanuts, but with different pronunciations. In Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), the word is 花生 (huāshēng), which literally means “flower nut” or “flower born” (because the peanut pods form from the flower and mature underground). Cantonese uses the same characters 花生, pronounced faa1 sang1 (in Yale romanization: faā sāng)
cantonese.sheik.co.uk
. Because written Chinese is shared, Mandarin and Cantonese effectively use the same word for peanut, just spoken differently.
There are some regional differences in vernacular usage. For example, in Taiwanese Hokkien (a Chinese dialect), peanuts are often called 土豆 (tǔdòu in Mandarin reading, thô͘-tāu in Hokkien), literally “earth bean.” In fact, older generations in Taiwan may even use túdòu to mean peanut when speaking Mandarin. This can cause confusion since 土豆 means “potato” in Mainland Mandarin
yellowbridge.com
. Despite such variations, 花生 (huāshēng) is the widely understood term for peanuts in both Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking regions.
Dialect (Chinese)
Term for “peanut”
Pronunciation
Mandarin (Putonghua)
花生
huāshēng
yellowbridge.com
Cantonese (Hong Kong)
花生
faa1 sang1cantonese.sheik.co.uk
English
English generally uses the word “peanut” across all dialects, but there are a few regional preferences and slang terms:
In American English (US), peanut is the standard term. Additionally, there are regional colloquialisms in the southern US such as “goober” or “goober pea” (terms derived from African languages) for peanuts
en.wikipedia.org
. These are informal and not used nationwide, but are well-known from folk culture (e.g. the song “Goober Peas”).
In British English (UK), peanut is also common, but “monkey nuts” is a familiar term specifically for peanuts in the shell
en.wikipedia.org
. For example, a Brit might refer to a bag of whole peanuts as a bag of monkey nuts. The term groundnut is also used in some contexts (more historically and in technical usage) for peanuts
en.wikipedia.org
– e.g. older British texts might refer to peanut farming as groundnut farming, and peanut oil is often called groundnut oil in the UK.
In Indian English (India), due to British influence, the word “groundnut” is very commonly used to mean peanut. Many Indians will say groundnut (or groundnut oil) where an American would say peanut (or peanut oil). In fact, in India the English word peanut isn’t as traditional, and people clearly understand groundnut as peanut
en.wikipedia.org
. (The peanut is also called moongphali in Hindi, but in English conversation groundnut is the prevalent term.) Modern urban Indians are familiar with peanut as well, but groundnut remains in wide use
netmeds.com
.
Dialect (English)
Term for “peanut”
Notes
American English (US)
peanut (standard)
Also goober or goober pea (Southern US slang)
en.wikipedia.org
.
British English (UK)
peanut (standard)
Also monkey nut for in-shell peanuts
en.wikipedia.org
; groundnut in formal or historical usage.
Indian English (India)
groundnut
Common Indian term for peanut (British legacy)
en.wikipedia.org
netmeds.com
. (“Peanut” is understood but less traditional.)
Each of these terms refers to the same snack/plant (Arachis hypogaea), but the preferred word reflects local linguistic history and usage. Despite the differences, speakers can usually switch to the more internationally known “peanut” (or an equivalent) if needed to avoid confusion across regions.
Followup Prompt: “how do you translate peanut into Spanish spoken in El Salvador”
“ChatGPT said:
In Spanish as spoken in El Salvador, the most common word for peanut is:
Cacahuate This aligns with usage in Mexico and much of Central America, where cacahuate (with an “a” at the end) is the standard term.
You might also occasionally hear:
maní – also correct and understood, but less commonly used in everyday Salvadoran Spanish.
cacahuete – the term used in Spain, but not typical in El Salvador.
So in El Salvador: “Peanut” = cacahuate
Example: Me encantan los cacahuates salados. (“I love salted peanuts.”)”
Sources: Regional vocabulary references
linguno.com
lemorisset.com
dicionarioegramatica.wordpress.com
misapise.com
en.wikipedia.org
and linguistic resources as cited above.
Citations
linguno.com
Linguno – Spanish word comparison: Cacahuete vs. maní vs. cacahuate
The words ‘cacahuete’, ‘maní’, and ‘cacahuate’ are all Spanish terms meaning ‘peanut’. The usage of these terms is mainly based on the region.
linguno.com
Linguno – Spanish word comparison: Cacahuete vs. maní vs. cacahuate
Maní
origemdapalavra.com.br
amendoim | Palavras | Origem Da Palavra
O Náhuatl cacahuatl deu também o nome ao que os espanhóis chamam de cacahuete, e que nós por aqui chamamos de amendoim. Esta palavra vem do Tupi manu-ui, com influência de amêndoa. O pessoal de fala espanhola na parte mais ao sul do nosso continente usa maní, também baseado no Tupi.
blog.duolingo.com
How Different Are Spanish Dialects Around the World?
English European Spanish avocado aguacate corn maíz peach melocotón peanut cacahuete sandwich bocadillo
lemorisset.com
Arachide / Cacahouète – Le Morisset
produit courant depuis longtemps en Amérique du Nord. En langage familier, les Québécois disent aussi pinotte (du mot anglais peanut). En France, on utilise plutôt cacahouète ou cacahuète, qui se prononce toujours kaka-ouète. Au Québec, pistache est encore parfois employé au sens d’arachide, mais y est considéré
lemorisset.com
Arachide / Cacahouète – Le Morisset
Au Québec, de même qu’en Afrique, le mot le plus couramment employé pour désigner ce fruit est arachide, qui est féminin (ex. des arachides salées). Le beurre d’arachide (qui s’écrit également beurre d’arachides avec s) est un produit courant depuis longtemps en Amérique du Nord. En langage familier, les Québécois disent aussi pinotte (du mot anglais peanut). En France, on utilise plutôt cacahouète ou cacahuète, qui se prononce toujours kaka-ouète. Au Québec, pistache est encore parfois employé au sens d’arachide, mais y est considéré comme vieilli dans ce sens.
dicionarioegramatica.wordpress.com
Português africano | DicionarioeGramatica.com
Em português africano – especificamente em Angola e em Moçambique – jinguba é o mesmo que amendoim.
misapise.com
What’s In A Name? The Peanut Story | MIŠA PIŠE
Based on the example of the Gulf countries (including Saudi Arabia), I can report the following: Peanuts are called Ful Sudani, translated to “Sudanese nuts” (or legumes for the correct term) in Arabic in the markets of these countries.
misapise.com
What’s In A Name? The Peanut Story | MIŠA PIŠE
Slave nuts.
cantonese.sheik.co.uk
花生 (faa1 sang1 | hua1 sheng1) : peanut – CantoDict
花生 (faa1 sang1 | hua1 sheng1) : peanut – CantoDict 花生 (faa1 sang1 | hua1 sheng1) : peanut – CantoDict. This term is used in both Cantonese and Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.
yellowbridge.com
peanuts 什么意思？ Mandarin Chinese-English Dictionary …
peanuts 什么意思？ Mandarin Chinese-English Dictionary … 长生果, chángshēng guǒ, peanut; groundnut (slang) ; 落花生, luòhuā shēng, peanut ; 花生, huāshēng, peanut; groundnut ; 土豆, tǔdòu, potato; (Tw) peanut …
en.wikipedia.org
Peanut – Wikipedia
The peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also known as the groundnut,[ 2 ] goober (US),[ 3 ] goober pea,[ 4 ] pindar (US)[ 3 ] or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible 214. It is widely grown in the tropics and 216 by small and large commercial producers, both as a grain legume[ 5 ] and as an oil crop.[ 6 ] Atypically among legumes, peanut pods develop underground ; this led botanist 211 to name peanuts hypogaea, which means “under the earth”.
netmeds.com
Groundnuts/Peanuts: Nutrition, Health Benefits For Heart, Diabetes And Weight Loss
Call it peanut, groundnut or a monkey nut, these small, oval shaped nuts were perhaps one of the first few domesticated grain legumes by the mankind. Not so long ago, these seeds or legumes, that are crunchy, flavourful and aromatic to the taste- thanks to its high oil content were a staple ingredient in Indian kitchens. While ground nut oil was a regular for seasoning various recipes and even for deep frying, these pale, pink coloured legumes served as an ideal mid- day snack option.
All Sources
linguno
2
blog.duolingo
5
lemorisset
french.stackexchange
m.facebook
misapise
ithacaboundlanguages
en.wikipedia
2
tripadvisor
netmeds
dicionar…wordpress
en.wiktionary
collinsdictionary
origemdapalavra.com