What Language Did The Buddha Speak? (Explained!)

Buddha is believed to have spoken a language called Magadhi Prakrit. This was an ancient Indian vernacular spoken in what is now eastern India, Bangladesh and Nepal. We don’t know for certain what language the Buddha spoke, as we have no direct writings from his time, but this is the most likely answer.

Buddha’s very historicity is not even completely certain, so we can never say with complete certainty what language he would have spoken.

There were many dialects and varieties of Indian languages in northern India and Nepal where Buddha spent most of his life.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What language did Gautama Buddha speak?

Again, just to reiterate, the short answer is we don’t know for sure.

Buddha is traditionally said to have lived between 563 and 483 BC, though scholarship could suggest a later date.

Scholars do generally agree he was a historical person, but we have scant contemporary evidence other than a few inscriptions.

Based on geographical information about where the Buddha lived, the most likely answer is that the historical Buddha spoke Magadhi Prakrit.

This was a vernacular of Middle Indo-Aryan descent which had replaced the earlier Vedic Sanskrit widely used across the region.

Magadhi Prakrit was spoken in the east of the Indian subcontinent, in modern day India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

It was later used as one of the main written languages, one of the three Dramatic Prakrits.

These were the standard forms of these Prakrit dialects which were used for literature and drama in India much later on.

The usage of these languages is almost always accompanied by Sanskrit translations.

According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lumbini, modern day Nepal, to parents of the Shakya clan.

The people of this clan would have spoken varieties of the Prakrits, as well as the Munda languages.

That same Buddhist tradition, then, holds that Buddha was born into royalty, and would almost certainly have more than one of the local dialects spoke in that region.

There is naturally some disconnect between the image of Buddha as a historical figure and the image in Buddhist religious tradition.

Historical scholars of the period hold that Magadhi Prakrit is the most likely language he would have been raised speaking.

But Buddhists mostly do not believe that this is the language by which his teachings were spread.

What language did the Buddha teach in?

Buddha is said to have traveled a great deal throughout his life, so he probably taught in a variety of languages.

Again, though, Buddhist tradition generally holds that his teachings were usually done in Pali. Pali was another Middle Indo-Aryan language, particularly a liturgical language.

It is the language of the Pali Canon, which is a collection of scriptures in the tradition of the Theravada Buddhists.

This particular sect of Buddhists is important because it is the oldest extant early Buddhist canon. It is mostly derived from the Tamrashatiya, one of the earliest schools of Buddhism.

Most of Buddhist tradition, then, points to Buddha having taught in Pali.

However, even the earliest of the Pali Canon that survives to us today was not written until at least four centuries after the Buddha’s death.

Pali certainly was closely related to Magadhi, and it was in some ways the language of ordinary people across India.

So, Buddha may well have taught in this language.

Given the linguistic diversity of the areas over which he is supposed to have taught, though, he likely taught in at least a couple of languages—so how many languages could he speak?

Did Buddha speak other languages?

Again, the short answer is we don’t know for sure.

It certainly seems an entirely reasonable position to assume he could speak at least a couple of different languages.

As I’ve said, there were a great many languages spoken in the area where he lived, and he was widely traveled.

Historians largely agree he spoke some version of Magadhi, but Buddhist tradition holds that he at least knew Pali and taught in it, too.

However, Sri Lankan commentators after Buddha’s death referred to the language of Magadhi as Pali.

So, it can all get more than a little muddled.

He certainly did not speak Sanksrit, although the languages he did speak were very closely related.

In terms of our best historical conclusions, he spoke at least three varieties of Magadhi dialects.

What language do Buddhist monks speak?

Modern Buddhist monks are spread to virtually every corner of the world.

There’s not always necessarily a tradition of speaking in a sacred language, in the way that some Christian churches use Latin.

So, by and large, most Buddhist monks just speak their native language!

Having said that, some of the more ancient schools do indeed use Pali.

Whether they teach in it or just read it, there certainly is a tradition of maintaining the language of the Buddha himself.

Modern Buddhist monks may also know Sanskrit, since, though Buddha himself did not know Sanskrit, many of his teachings were later recorded in Sanskrit.

There can be little doubt that, if Gautama Buddha as we think of him truly existed, he was an extremely learned man.

This would, especially in the region he lived in, mean knowing a variety of different languages and dialects.

As best we can tell, though, his native language was Magadhi Prakrit, though it may have been Pali.

This was certainly the language he spread his teachings in.

More in Languages

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!