The Complete Guide to Huttese
"Koona t'chuta, Solo?" Greedo asks in the Mos Eisley cantina. "Going somewhere, Solo?" Moments later, the most debated shot in Star Wars history happens. Those words are Huttese — the language of Jabba the Hutt and the galaxy's criminal underworld.
Here's everything you need to know about Huttese.
What Is Huttese?
Huttese is a fictional language spoken by the Hutts and many smugglers, bounty hunters, and residents of the Outer Rim in Star Wars. It was created by sound designer Ben Burtt, who drew on sounds from real languages, including Quechua.
The Counterintuitive Truth: Huttese Is a Business Language
Huttese sounds like the language of gangsters. But in-universe, its real role is trade. In the lawless Outer Rim, everyone doing business with Hutt crime families needs some Huttese.
That makes it a lingua franca — a common language between groups with different native languages, like English in international business today. We call this underworld commerce language: a trade tongue born in places governments don't control.
Famous Huttese Words and Phrases
| Huttese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Chuba! | You! |
| Bantha poodoo | Bantha fodder (an insult) |
| Poodoo | Fodder, or something worse |
| Koona t'chuta? | Going somewhere? |
| E chu ta | A rude insult |
| Boska! | Let's go! / Get going! |
| Sleemo | Slimeball |
| H'chu apenkee | Hello / greetings |
Try building your own in the Huttese Translator.
Where Huttese Appears
A New Hope (1977)
Greedo speaks Huttese in the cantina scene before confronting Han Solo.
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Jabba speaks Huttese throughout his palace scenes. Bib Fortuna and others speak it too.
The Phantom Menace (1999)
Watto and Sebulba use Huttese on Tatooine, especially around the podrace.
Disney+ Series
The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett bring Huttese back in Tatooine scenes.
Where Huttese Came From
Ben Burtt created Huttese for the original trilogy. He listened to recordings of real languages and was drawn to Quechua, an Indigenous language of the Andes spoken by millions of people today.
Burtt used Quechua-inspired sounds and rhythms, mixed with invented words. That's why Huttese sounds natural and human, despite being spoken by giant slug-like gangsters.
Pronunciation Tips
- Speak slowly and heavily — like Jabba.
- Roll sounds deep in the throat.
- Emphasise the first syllable of words.
- Add a laugh. Hutts love to gloat.
Can You Actually Learn Huttese?
Partly. Huttese has:
- A collection of known words and phrases from films, games, and reference books
- Fan dictionaries compiling vocabulary
But it doesn't have a full official grammar like Klingon or Mando'a. Most fan use combines known phrases with invented words.
We call this phrasebook fluency: being able to use a language's most famous expressions without full grammatical command.
For a fully developed Star Wars language, try Mando'a.
Huttese vs Other Star Wars Languages
| Language | Development | Try It |
|---|---|---|
| Huttese | Phrases and vocabulary | Huttese |
| Mando'a | Full grammar and vocabulary | Mandalorian |
| Jawaese | Sound-based | Jawaese |
| Ewokese | Sound-based | Ewokese |
| Aqualish | Limited | Aqualish |
Huttese Insults for Every Occasion
- "Bantha poodoo!" — when someone's plan is worthless
- "Sleemo!" — for a sneaky friend
- "Chuba!" — when pointing someone out dramatically
Use them responsibly. Or like a Hutt.
What Linguists Say
Linguists have noted that Huttese's resemblance to Quechua is a reminder of how often Hollywood has used real languages for alien voices. Modern productions tend to prefer fully invented languages to avoid stereotyping real cultures. Still, Huttese remains a beloved classic, and Burtt's work is widely admired as creative sound design.
Where Huttese Is Heading
Tatooine keeps returning in Star Wars series, and so does Huttese. We predict Lucasfilm will eventually publish an official Huttese phrasebook, following fan demand — giving the galaxy's favourite gangster language the reference guide it has never officially had.