Palindromes

Palindromes – words and sentences that read the same backwards – have been popular since ancient times. The Germans have even come up with a palindromic word –Eibohphobie –that means a fear of palindromes.

* The concept and original examples on this page were provided by Adam Jacot de Bono.

Albanian

  • Seç i numëronin orë mu Niçes.
    They were counting Nietzsche's hours.
  • Na u rrit Emi, qimet i rruan.
    Emi has grown, shaves hair.

Azerbaijan

  • Ey Babək, kəbab ye!
    Hey Babekh, eat kebab!

Bosnian

  • Mače jede ječam.
    The kitten is eating barley.
  • Udovica baci vodu.
    The widow tossed the water.
  • Anja sebe sanja.
    Anja dreams of herself.
  • Idu ljudi.
    The people go.

Bulgarian

  • Бял хляб (Bjal hljab).
    White bread.

Catalan

  • Català a l'atac!
    Catalan attacks!
  • No sap pas on.
    S/He does not know where.

Croatian

  • Ana voli Milovana.
    Ana loves Milovan.
  • Potop.
    Flood.
  • Ratar.
    Farmer.
  • Maja sa Nedom ode na sajam.
     Maja went with Neda to the fair.
  • Oni vole belo vino.
    The love white wine.

Czech

  • Jelenovi pivo nelej.
    Do not pour beer to a deer.
  • Kuna nese nanuk.
    A marten is carrying ice cream.
  • Kobyla má malý bok.
    The horse has a small hip.

Danish

  • Selmas lakserøde garagedøre skal samles.
    Selma’s salmon red garage doors must be assembled.

Dutch

  • Koortsmeetsysteemstrook.
    Thermometer (for measuring fevers).
  • Baas neem een Saab!
    Boss, buy a Saab!
  • "De mooie zeeman nam Anna mee'", zei oom Ed.
    "The beautiful sailor took Anna along", said uncle Ed. 
  • En er is ananas, Irene.
    And there is pineapple, Irene. 
  • koos u de garage dus ook?
    So you did choose the garage too? 

English

  • Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?
  • Able was I ere I saw Elba.
  • Never odd or even.
  • Was it a car or a cat I saw?
  • Do geese see God?
  • A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.
  • Go hang a salami, I’m a lasagna hog.
  • Murder for a jar of red rum.
  • Rats live on no evil star.
  • Rise to vote, sir.
  • Madam, I'm Adam.
  • Neil, an alien?
  • Dennis sinned.
  • Race car.
  • A nut for a jar of tuna.

Estonian

  • Kuulilennuteetunneliluuk.
    The hatch of the tunnel of the bullet's flight path (trajectory).
  • Aias sadas saia.
    It was raining bread in the garden.

Finnish

  • Neulo taas niin saat oluen.
    Knit again, so that you will get a beer.
  • Saippuakivikauppias.
     A soapstone seller.
  • Saippuakuppinippukauppias.
    A soap cup trader.
  • Solutomaattimittaamotulos.
    The result from a measurement laboratory for tomatoes.
  • Innostunut sonni.
    Enthusiastic bull.
  • Aa, viinaa sitruksilla, kallis kurtisaani ivaa.
    Oh, there's booze with citrus, says a pricey courtesan scornfully. 

French

  • Et la marine va, papa, venir à Malte.
     And the Navy, Dad, will come to Malta.
  • Esope reste ici et se repose.
    Aesop remains here and rests.
  • Tu l'as trop écrasé, César, ce Port Salut!
    You mashed it too much, Cesar, this Port Salut (a kind of french cheese)!
  • Eh ca va la vache!
    Eh, how are you, the cow!
  • Elu par cette crapule.
    Elected by this villain.

Galician

  • E se acaso rosa caesE, Aire só seríA.
    If the rose was fallen, it just would be air (it's a double palindrome).

German

  • Eibohphobie.
    Fear of palindromes.
  • Trug Tim eine so helle Hose nie mit Gurt?
    Has Tim never worn such light-coloured pants with a belt?
  • Sei fein, nie fies.
    Be fine/nice, never be nasty.
  • Erika feuert nur untreue Fakire.
    Erika only fires unfaithful fakirs.
  • O Genie, der Herr ehre dein Ego!
    O genius, the Lord shall honour your ego!

Greek

  • Nipson anomemata me monan opsin.
    Wash off my sins, not only my face (written on the edge of a well or a font in Constantinople, where ps is ψ).
  • Σοφά ται και μη, γη μια και τάφος.
    It makes no difference if you speak wisely or not, we walk on one earth and in the same earth we will be buried.
  • Νόμον, ο κοινός, έχε σον οικονόμον.
    Have the law of the state, law at your home.

Hungarian

  • Géza, kék az ég.
    Géza, the sky is blue.
  • Indul a görög aludni.
    The Greek goes to sleep.
  • Tele mezítelennel e tíz emelet. 
    These ten floors are full of nudes. 
  • Evett e kis konok, siket teve?
    Has this stubborn, deaf camel eaten? 
  • Aludna ma a mandula.
    The almond would sleep today. 
  • A cápa ette apáca.
    The nun eaten by a shark.
  • Derék magyar agyam kéred?
    Do you want my excellent Hungarian brain? 
  • Tekerek icipici kereket.
    I'm spinning a little wheel.
  • Az nem menza.
    That's not a canteen. 

Italian

  • O mordo tua nuora o aro un autodromo.
     Either I bite your daughter-in-law or I plough a racetrack.
  • I topi non avevano nipoti.
    The mice had no grandchildren.
  • Angolo bar a Bologna.
    Coffee corner in Bologna.
  • Irene cerca sacre ceneri.
    Irene is looking for sacred ashes.
  • Ed Irene se ne ride.
    And Irene laughs to herself about it. 
  • E' rotto, dottore.
    It is broken, doctor.
  • E le tazzine igienizzatele!
    And sanitize the coffee cups! 
  • Angela lava la legna.
    Angela washes wood. 

Irish

  • A Nóinín, níl an rí anocht ar Ráth Conair, ná linn in Iona.
    Daisy, the king is neither on Conair's fort tonight, nor with us in Iona.
  • A dyma'r addewid diweddar am y da.
    And this is the latest promise for the good.

Latin

  • In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.
    We enter the circle after dark and are consumed by fire.
  • Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor.
    In Rome love will come to you suddenly.

Latvian

  • Sapals arī tad ēda tīras lapas.
    Even then the chub ate pure leaves.

Lithuanian

  • Sedek užu kedes.
    Sit behind the chair.

Maltese

  • Seraq tut qares.
    He stole sour black mulberries.
    Seraq tut qares
  • Qalet illi telaq.
    She said he left. 

Norwegian

  • Regninger.
    Bills.
  • Agnes i senga.
    Agnes in bed.
  • Grav ned den varg.
    Dig down that wolf.

Polish

  • Ada, panna pocalowana, wola: co pan napada?
    Ada, a kissed girl, exclaims: why are you attacking me, Sir?
  • Moze jutro ta dama da tortu jezom.
    Maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs.
  • Kobyla ma maly bok.
    The mare has a small side.
  • Elf ukladal kufle.
    An elf arranged mugs.
  • Ikar łapał raki.
    Icarus caught crayfishes.
  • Igor łamał rogi. 
    Igor broke antkers. 

Portuguese

  • Socorram-me, subi no ônibus em Marrocos.
    Help me, I took a bus in Morocco.
  • A base do teto desaba.
    The base of the ceiling collapses.
  • O lobo ama o bolo.
    The wolf loves the cake.
  • Ame o poema.
    Love the poem.
  • A mala nada na lama.
    The suitcase swims in the mud.
  • A torre da derrota.
    The tower of defeat. 

Romanian

  • Elevele.
    The students (feminine).
  • Atașata.
    The attached (feminine).
  • Ele fac cafele.
    They (feminine) make coffee.
  • Ene purta patru pene.
    Ene was wearing four feathers.
  • Ai rămas acasă, Maria?
    • Did you stay at home, Maria?
  • O ramă maro.
    • A brown frame.
  • El o să facă fasole.
    • He is going to cook beans.
  • Aerisirea.
    • Ventilation.

Russian

  • А роза упала на лапу Азора (A roza upala na lapu Azora).
    A rose fell on Azor's paw.

Serbian

  • Ana voli Milovana.
    Ana is in love with Milovan.
  • Sir ima miris.
    Cheese has a smell.
  • Саво, дечак, сада скаче до вас. 
    Savo, the boy, is jumping to you now.
  • А мене ту ни минуте нема. 
    And there is not a minute for me. 
  • Ана набра пар банана. Ана вода Радована 
    Ana collects a pair of bananas.

Slovak

  • Matej je tam.
    Matej is there.
  • Na rabína gáni baran.
    A mutton gazes on a rabbi.
  • V elipse spí lev.
    A lyon sleeps in an ellipse.
  • Jeleňovi pivo nelej.
    Don't serve beer to a deer.
  • Kobyla má malý bok.
    The mare has a small hip.

Slovene

  • V elipsi spi lev.
    In an ellipse there sleeps a lion.
  • Perica reže raci rep.
    A washerwoman is cutting a duck's tail.
  • Maks, ali ti laskam?
    Max, am I flattering you? 

Spanish

  • Dábale arroz a la zorra el abad.
    The abbot gave rice to the vixen.
  • Ligar es ser ágil.
    Flirting is agile.
  • Ana lleva avellana.
    Ana takes a nut.
  • Reconocer.
    Recognise.
  • Luz azul.
    Blue light.
  • Sobornos son robos.
    Bribes are robberies.
  • Amor a Roma.
    Love to Rome.
  • Somos o no somos.
    Either we are, or we are not.
  • Ojo rojo.
    Red eye.
  • Yo hago yoga hoy.
    I do yoga today.
  • ¿Acaso hubo búhos acá? 
    Were there owls here? 

Swedish

  • Ni talar bra latin.
    You speak good latin.
  • Agnes i senga.
    Agnes in bed.
  • Naturrutan.
    Nature box.
  • Retsyster.
    A sister who is a teaser.

Turkish

  • Ilaç iç, Ali.
    Drink the medicine, Ali.
  • Anastas, mum satsana?

    Anastas, why don't you sell candles?

  • At, sahibi gibi hasta.
    Horse is ill like its owner.


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