Despicable Me: The Language The Minions Speak, Explained (& What's Next For The Yellow Henchmen)
The Minions have become pop culture icons since they first appeared in Despicable Me in 2010, and it's fascinating to consider how the characters have become so beloved despite not having distinct personalities. Sure, a few standout Minions are given names and loose personality traits throughout the franchise, but the Minions are celebrated as a group, which goes against some traditional cartoon ideals, where characters are given personalities that are just as animated as the medium itself. In contrast, the Minions are little yellow blobs that speak an imaginary language in service of a Gru, a supervillain turned loving dad.
The yellow henchmen have been featured in all of the Despicable Me films and their two spin-off films, plus a collection of shorts. But their popularity has to come from more than just their cute, colorful designs. They speak a distinct language that creatives behind the Despicable Me franchise say has more meaning than simply emulating speaking patterns made by babies and toddlers. Maybe the Minions are more complex than viewers could ever comprehend.
The Despicable Me Minions Speak Minionese
It's Surprisingly Eclectic
The language the Minions speak, often dubbed Minionese, combines multiple real-life languages with gibberish and funny sounds. In terms of actual languages, Minionese borrows words from English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and a few others, so viewers all over the world no doubt understand some of the words coming out of the Minions' mouths. Minionese is meant to sound like how babies and toddlers speak, with most of their language emphasizing hard consonants like "P" and "B" sounds.
However, the language was created with a bigger idea in mind than just appealing to children. Minions creator Pierre Coffin, who directed the first three Despicable Me films, says the language is "more based on sounds and rhythms than the literal meanings of words." (via Bustle). Coffin provides the voices for a variety of Minions on-screen. It's also worth noting that the Minions aren't the only animated characters with their own language, as the Atlanteans from Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire speak a unique language created by Marc Okrand, the man behindStar Trek's famous Klingon.
Minionese Is Also Known As Bananaese
The Fruit Is A Staple For Minions
The Minions' use of the word "banana" not only serves as a clever reference to their yellow appearance but also reflects a sense of globalization, making the Minions easy for audiences, especially kids, to latch onto, regardless of their native language. Coffin wanted to keep the word "banana" an essential part of the Minion's language because he wanted people all across the globe, regardless of language, to understand that one word in Minionese. "Gelato" is another word peppered in the Minion language to bring universal appeal to the characters.
Banana, an unforgettable 2010 short film featuring the Minions, affirms their love for the yellow fruit and its significance in their language. Also, the choice to have the Minions speak Minionese or Bananaese allows the henchmen's words to be felt rather than understood (via Buzzfeed News), which is an interesting idea that challenges the confines of traditional communication.
What's Next For The Minions In The Despicable Me Franchise
The Yellow Henchmen Aren't Leaving Hollywood Anytime Soon
Despicable Me 4 was released in Summer 2024 and grossed nearly a billion dollars against a budget of $100 million (via Box Office Mojo), proving that the franchise is still highly lucrative, even after four films and three spin-offs featuring the Minions. One of the driving forces behind the Despicable Me films, Chris Renaud, discussed the franchise's future, emphasizing that another film could certainly happen, but only if a story presents itself. Renaud said, "If we come up with a good story, and it feels like we can cover some fresh territory, then certainly it’s possible." (via Variety)
It's worth noting that following the success of the franchise, Minions 3's release date is set for July 1, 2026, and it's likely that Despicable Me 5 will be coming to theaters in a few years. Considering just how much money the franchise has made, the Minions and Minionese will not be going anywhere anytime soon.
People Have Figured Out Some Words In Minionese
Learning Minionese Is A Lot Of Fun
With the immense popularity of the Despicable Me franchise and Minions as a whole, it was only a matter of time before fans of the series learned at least a bit of Minionese from their favorite yellow guys, similar to fans of fantasy or sci-fi properties, like Star Trek and Klingon.
Given that Minionese is often a mix of numerous languages, it can be easy to identify patterns in their speech, while other words like "bello" for "hello" are easy to associate. The onomatopoeia "Bee do bee do bee do!"for the sound of a siren is straightforward, while "Hana dul sae!" draws from Korean to count "1, 2, 3!"
Tomedes has a great resource that goes into more detail about specific words in Minionese, making it perfect for those hoping to add a little bit of "Banana!" into their lives. Even just being exposed to the Minionese language through only the films makes it simple to start picking up words and phrases that the Minions say all the time, recognizing the speech patterns and the context of the situation. Minionese is a lot of fun, and the Despicable Me franchise giving Minions a distinct, quirky language was one of the franchise's best decisions.
- Movie(s)
- Despicable Me 2, Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me 4, Despicable Me, Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Minions 3
- Created by
- Sergio Pablos
- First Film
- Despicable Me
- Latest Film
- Despicable Me 4
- Upcoming Films
- Minions 3
- Cast
- Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Russell Brand
