Multilingual Queries - SPARQLqueries

A Truly Multilingual Knowledge Base

Wikidata is one of the most multilingual databases in the world. Every entity can have labels, descriptions, and aliases in hundreds of languages. This makes it invaluable for cross-cultural research, language learning applications, and building multilingual software.

Multilingual queries enable you to:

Retrieve labels — Get names in any supported language
Use fallback chains — Gracefully handle missing translations
Compare languages — Find terms across language families
Work with scripts — Query in Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, CJK, and more
Access lexemes — Explore words, forms, and senses

Multilingual Topics

🏷️

Label Service

Master the Wikidata label service. Automatically retrieve labels in your preferred languages.

Beginner Essential

Learn Labels

🌍

Language Tags

Understand BCP 47 language tags and how to filter, compare, and work with specific languages.

Intermediate Standards

Explore Tags

✍️

Scripts & Writing

Query across writing systems: Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and more.

Intermediate Unicode

Work with Scripts

🔄

Translations

Find translations and equivalents across languages. Compare how concepts are named worldwide.

Intermediate Cross-language

Find Translations

📖

Lexicographical Data

Explore Wikidata's lexemes: words, forms, senses, and linguistic relationships.

Advanced Linguistics

Explore Lexemes

Multilingual Queries by Domain

Programming: Language Names Worldwide

Programming Language Names in Multiple Languages

Run ↗

SELECT ?lang ?enLabel ?frLabel ?zhLabel
       ?jaLabel ?arLabel ?ruLabel
WHERE {
  ?lang wdt:P31 wd:Q9143 .

  # Get labels in specific languages
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?enLabel . FILTER(LANG(?enLabel) = "en") }
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?frLabel . FILTER(LANG(?frLabel) = "fr") }
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?zhLabel . FILTER(LANG(?zhLabel) = "zh") }
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?jaLabel . FILTER(LANG(?jaLabel) = "ja") }
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?arLabel . FILTER(LANG(?arLabel) = "ar") }
  OPTIONAL { ?lang rdfs:label ?ruLabel . FILTER(LANG(?ruLabel) = "ru") }
}
LIMIT 20

Multilingual Languages: English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian

Cultural Heritage: Art Terms Across Cultures

Art Movement Names in Original Languages

Run ↗

SELECT ?movement ?movementLabel ?country ?countryLabel
       ?nativeLabel (LANG(?nativeLabel) AS ?nativeLang)
WHERE {
  ?movement wdt:P31 wd:Q968159 .  # art movement
  ?movement wdt:P495 ?country .    # country of origin
  ?country wdt:P37 ?officialLang . # official language
  ?officialLang wdt:P424 ?langCode . # Wikimedia language code

  # Get label in country's official language
  ?movement rdfs:label ?nativeLabel .
  FILTER(LANG(?nativeLabel) = ?langCode)

  SERVICE wikibase:label {
    bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "en" .
  }
}
LIMIT 30

Multilingual Domain: Cultural Heritage | Feature: Native language labels

Urban: City Names in Local Scripts

Capital Cities in Native Scripts

Run ↗

SELECT ?city ?cityLabel ?country ?countryLabel
       ?nativeName (LANG(?nativeName) AS ?script)
WHERE {
  ?country wdt:P31 wd:Q6256 ;     # is a country
           wdt:P36 ?city ;         # has capital
           wdt:P37 ?officialLang . # official language
  ?officialLang wdt:P424 ?langCode .

  ?city rdfs:label ?nativeName .
  FILTER(LANG(?nativeName) = ?langCode)

  SERVICE wikibase:label {
    bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "en" .
  }
}
ORDER BY ?countryLabel
LIMIT 50

Multilingual Domain: Urban | Feature: Multiple scripts

The Wikidata Label Service

The easiest way to get labels is using the Wikidata label service. It automatically retrieves labels, descriptions, and aliases for your query variables.

Label Service with Fallback Chain

SERVICE wikibase:label {
  bd:serviceParam wikibase:language "[AUTO_LANGUAGE],en,fr,de,es" .
}
# [AUTO_LANGUAGE] = user's browser language
# Fallback: en → fr → de → es

Multilingual Best practice: Always include fallback languages

Language Codes

Code	Language	Script
`en`	English	Latin
`fr`	French	Latin
`zh`	Chinese	Han (Simplified)
`zh-hant`	Chinese (Traditional)	Han (Traditional)
`ja`	Japanese	Han, Hiragana, Katakana
`ar`	Arabic	Arabic
`ru`	Russian	Cyrillic
`hi`	Hindi	Devanagari
`he`	Hebrew	Hebrew
`ko`	Korean	Hangul

Continue Learning

🗺️

← Geospatial

Query locations, distances, and maps.

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🧩

Patterns →

Reusable SPARQL query patterns.

Continue