“thin” in Arabic dialects
adjective
How do you say thin across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare thin (adjective) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “thin” mean?
adjective
- Of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section“thin wire”
- Lacking excess flesh; ; -Shakespeare“you can't be too rich or too thin”
- Very narrow“a thin line across the page”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (thin) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | رفيع | rofayyaʿ |
| Levantine Arabic | رفيع | rfīʿ |
| Gulf Arabic | نَحِيف | naḥīf |
| Iraqi Arabic | ضعيف | ḍaʿīf |
| Maghrebi Arabic | رقيق | rqiq |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| رفيع | rofayyaʿ | thin, slender (people, objects) |
| نحيف | naḥīf | slim, skinny (people) |
| خفيف | khafīf | light, not dense (fabric, liquid) |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| رفيع | rfīʿ | thin, slender (for people and objects) |
| نحيف | nḥīf | thin, slim (for people) |
| رقيق | raʾīʾ | thin, delicate (for sheets, paper, glass) |
| ضعيف | ḍaʿīf | thin, skinny (literally 'weak') |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| نَحِيف | naḥīf | thin, slender (for people) |
| ضَعِيف | ḍaʿīf | thin, weak (for people) |
| رِقِيق | rigīg | thin, delicate (for objects like paper) |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| ضعيف | ḍaʿīf | thin, skinny (for people) |
| نحيف | naḥīf | thin, slim (for people) |
| خفيف | khafīf | thin, light (for fabric, materials) |
| رفيع | rafīʿ | thin, slender (for objects, e.g. a pencil) |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| رقيق | rqiq | not thick (for objects/people) |
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