Standard Lemma guide

kefir

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kəˈfɪə(ɹ)/
  • /ˈkiːfə(ɹ)/
  • /ˈkɛfə(ɹ)/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A fermented milk drink from the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, similar to yogurt but more liquid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative form of kafir.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian кефи́р (kefír); see that entry for more.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kefiri — fermented milk
  • Arabic: كِيفِير (kifīr) — fermented milk
  • Armenian: կեֆիր (kefir) — fermented milk
  • Belarusian: кефі́р (kjefír) — fermented milk
  • Bulgarian: кефи́р (kefír) — fermented milk
  • Catalan: quefir — fermented milk
  • Chinese Mandarin: 克非爾 /克非尔 (kèfēi'ěr) — fermented milk
  • Czech: kefír — fermented milk
  • Danish: kefir — fermented milk
  • Esperanto: kefiro — fermented milk
  • Estonian: keefir — fermented milk
  • Estonian: kefiir — fermented milk
  • Finnish: kefiiri — fermented milk
  • French: kéfir — fermented milk
  • Galician: kefir — fermented milk
  • Georgian: კეფირი (ḳepiri) — fermented milk
  • German: Kefir — fermented milk
  • Greek: κεφίρ (kefír) — fermented milk
  • Hebrew: קפיר — fermented milk
  • Hindi: केफिर (kephir) — fermented milk
  • Hungarian: kefir — fermented milk
  • Istriot: kèifîr — fermented milk
  • Italian: kefir — fermented milk
  • Japanese: ケフィア (kefia) — fermented milk
  • Kalmyk: тарг (targ) — fermented milk
  • Karachay-Balkar: гыпы айран (gıpı ayran) — fermented milk
  • Korean: 케피르 (kepireu) — fermented milk
  • Macedonian: кефи́р (kefír) — fermented milk
  • Mingrelian: ქიფური (kipuri) — fermented milk
  • Nogai: кефир (kefir) — fermented milk
  • Ossetian: къӕпы (k’æpy) — fermented milk
  • Persian: کفیر (kafir) — fermented milk
  • Persian: دوغ کفیر (duġ-e kafir) — fermented milk
  • Polish: kefir — fermented milk
  • Portuguese: quefir — fermented milk
  • Portuguese: kefir — fermented milk
  • Russian: кефи́р (kefír) — fermented milk
  • Serbo-Croatian: кефир — fermented milk
  • Serbo-Croatian: kefir — fermented milk
  • Slovak: kefír — fermented milk
  • Slovene: kefir — fermented milk
  • Spanish: kéfir — fermented milk
  • Swedish: kefir — fermented milk
  • Thai: คีเฟอร์ (kii-fə̂ə) — fermented milk
  • Turkish: kefir — fermented milk
  • Ukrainian: кефі́р (kefír) — fermented milk
  • Veps: kefir — fermented milk
  • Vietnamese: rượu kêfia — fermented milk