Narnia in the world: languages and translations

• Over 120 million copies sold in 70 countries (HarperCollins, 2026).
• Each language has its own titles and names: Cair Paravel was long called "Feeneden" in German.
• In French too, the names vary depending on the translations.

In brief

Narnia has grown over time. For a long time, it was said that more than 100 million copies were sold in 47 languages, a figure still cited by encyclopedias. In October 2026, publisher HarperCollins announced over 120 million copies sold in 70 countries, and editions in more than sixty languages. There are also editions in braille. The Chronicles are, by far, Lewis's best-selling book.

Did you know

In December 2005, just before the release of the film, the old website amused itself by writing the title of the first volume in about fifteen languages (see the text below). Here is a revised and completed version:

• Language — Series title — Title of the first book
• English — The Chronicles of Narnia — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• French — Le Monde de Narnia / Les Chroniques de Narnia — Le Lion, la Sorcière blanche et l'Armoire magique
• German — Die Chroniken von Narnia — Der König von Narnia
• Spanish — Las crónicas de Narnia — El león, la bruja y el armario
• Italian — Le cronache di Narnia — Il leone, la strega e l'armadio
• Portuguese — As Crónicas de Nárnia (Brazil: Crônicas) — O Leão, a Feiticeira e o Guarda-Roupa
• Polish — Opowieści z Narnii — Lew, czarownica i stara szafa
• Russian — Хроники Нарнии — Лев, колдунья и платяной шкаф
• Danish — Narnia — Løven, heksen og garderobeskabet
• Norwegian — Narnia — Løven, heksa og klesskapet
• Swedish — Berättelsen om Narnia — Häxan och lejonet
• Finnish — Narnian tarinat — Velho ja leijona
• Japanese — ナルニア国ものがたり (Narunia-koku monogatari) — ライオンと魔女 (Le Lion et la Sorcière)
• Korean — 나니아 연대기 (Nania yeondaegi)
• Chinese — 纳尼亚传奇 (Nàníyà chuánqí)

We can see that several languages shorten the title: in Swedish and Finnish, the wardrobe disappears and only "the witch and the lion" remains. In German, the first book was long called Der König von Narnia.

The story

Aslan

Shift

Puzzle

Reepicheep

Mr Tumnus

Cair Paravel

White Witch

Turkish Delight

Digory Kirke

Polly Plummer

Peter

Susan

Edmund

Lucy

Going further

Les traductions ne sont jamais neutres. In 2018, a thesis defended at the University of Montpellier 3 by Paola Artero studied the French translations of the Chronicles. She focused on the ideological choices of the translators and how they render, or soften, the religious dimension of the text. It's a fascinating read for anyone looking to compare the editions.

On screen

The films added another form of translation: dubbing. In January 2006, the old website compared the voices of Aslan, the Pevensie children, the White Witch, and Maugrim in English, French, German, and Italian (see the second text below). The French voice of Aslan had sparked a lot of discussion among readers at the time.

The story

In the book

In the books

In the book

The Magician's Nephew

In the books

Prince Caspian

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Last Battle

Trivia

Narnia is the name of a real Italian town. Lewis had noticed the name in an atlas when he was a teenager. The town of Narni has since embraced its literary cousin.

See also

• French editions of Narnia
• The name « Narnia » and the town of Narni
• Narnia on screen, radio and stage
• The seven Chronicles of Narnia