“cry” in Arabic dialects
nounverb
How do you say cry across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare cry (noun, verb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “cry” mean?
noun
- A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition“the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience”
- A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)“a cry of rage”
- A slogan used to rally support for a cause“a cry to arms”
verb
- Utter a sudden loud cry“she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle”
- Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain“She cried bitterly when she heard the news of his death”
- Utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy“`I won!' he exclaimed”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (cry) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | عياط | ʿiyāṭ |
| Levantine Arabic | بكي | biki |
| Gulf Arabic | بكي | bichi |
| Iraqi Arabic | بچي | bachi |
| Maghrebi Arabic | بكية | bekya |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| عياط | ʿiyāṭ | an act of weeping or sobbing |
| صرخة | ṣarkha | a loud, inarticulate shout or scream |
| يعيّط | yeʿayyaṭ | to weep, shed tears |
| يصرّخ | yeṣarrakh | to shout, yell |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بكي | biki | the act of weeping |
| صرخة | ṣarkha | a loud shout or scream |
| يبكي | yibki | to weep, shed tears |
| يصرّخ | yṣarrikh | to shout, yell |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بكي | bichi | weeping, crying |
| صياح | ṣiyāḥ | crying, wailing, shouting |
| صرخة | ṣarkha | a shout or scream |
| يبكي | yibchi | to weep, to shed tears |
| يصيح | yṣīḥ | to cry loudly, to wail |
| يصرخ | yiṣrakh | to shout or cry out |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بچي | bachi | an act of weeping, crying |
| صرخة | ṣarkha | a shout, a scream |
| يبچي | yibchi | to weep, shed tears |
| يصيح | yṣīḥ | to shout, yell |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بكية | bekya | an act of crying, a weep |
| غوتة | ghawta | a shout, a cry |
| صيحة | ṣayḥa | a scream, a cry |
| بكى | bka | to cry, to weep tears |
| عيّط | ʿayyaṭ | to shout, to cry out, to call out |
| غوّت | ghuwwat | to scream, to yell, to cry out loud |
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