géeso
/kêːso/
The Navajo word for cheese is géeso.
géeso refers to the dairy product cheese.
Meaning: dairy product (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word géeso is a loanword from the Spanish word queso, meaning cheese.
How do you pronounce it?
/kêːso/
Did you know?
- While géeso is the word for cheese, Navajo has no single word for 'milk' that does not specify the animal, such as 'cow milk' or 'goat milk'.
- The linguistic journey of géeso travels from Latin 'cāseus' to Spanish 'queso' and finally into the Navajo language.
- Despite the use of géeso for commercial cheese, many Navajo families traditionally make their own cheese from sheep's milk.
Examples in context
- Géeso yitʼįʼ.It is cheese.
Example conversation
Sarah and Justin are preparing a snack together.
- SarahGéeso nilą́?Do you want some cheese?
- JustinÁáʼYes.
- SarahGéeso tʼáá ákótʼééh łíní łééʼ.This cheese is very salty.
- JustinTʼáá ákótʼééh.It really is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheese” translations and entries géeso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries géeso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
