“copy” in Arabic dialects
verb
How do you say copy across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare copy (verb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “copy” mean?
verb
- Copy down as is“The students were made to copy the alphabet over and over”
- Reproduce someone's behavior or looks“The mime imitated the passers-by”
- Reproduce or make an exact copy of“replicate the cell”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (copy) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | يِنْقِل | yenʾel |
| Levantine Arabic | نَسَخ | nasakh |
| Gulf Arabic | ينسخ | yinsakh |
| Iraqi Arabic | يستنسخ | yistansikh |
| Maghrebi Arabic | نْقَل | nqal |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يِنْقِل | yenʾel | to copy text, to transfer |
| يِصَوَّر | yeṣawwar | to photocopy |
| يِقَلِّد | yeʾalled | to imitate, to mimic |
| يِغِشّ | yegheshsh | to cheat by copying (e.g., on a test) |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| نَسَخ | nasakh | to make a copy, to duplicate |
| قَلَّد | qallad | to imitate, to mimic |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| ينسخ | yinsakh | to make a duplicate of something |
| يغش | yghishsh | to cheat by copying |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يستنسخ | yistansikh | to make a copy or duplicate |
| يقلّد | yiqallid | to copy or imitate someone |
| يغش | yighush | to copy or cheat on a test |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| نْقَل | nqal | to copy (e.g., text, or cheating in an exam) |
| قَلَّد | qallad | to imitate, to mimic someone |
| نْسَخ | nsakh | to transcribe, to make a copy |
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