بنت
bentEgyptian Arabic, feminine
The English word 'girl' is translated into Arabic using several forms depending on the context. If unsure, use بنت (bent). Wiktionary also lists بِنْت (bint) and فَتَاة (fatāh).
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بنت | bent | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| بِنْت | bint | feminine | |
| فَتَاة | fatāh | feminine | |
| طِفْلة | ṭifla | feminine | |
| فتاة | fatā | /fa.taːh/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| صبيّة | ṣabiyya, ṣabiyye | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
These terms are used to describe a young female person.
Which one should you use?
بِنْت is the most common way to say 'girl' in daily conversation across many dialects. فَتَاة is a more formal or literary term for a girl or a young woman, frequently found in books or news. While the other terms refer to young females, طِفْلة specifically refers to a female child or a little girl rather than a young woman.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use the forms بنت, فتاة or صبيّة.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of بنت is بنات, which means 'girls'.
How do you pronounce it?
bent
Did you know?
- The Arabic word بنت is a cognate of the Hebrew word בת, meaning 'daughter'. Both descend from the same ancient Proto-Semitic root.
- The word صبيّة comes from the same root as صبي, which usually means 'boy'. It is essentially the feminized version of the word for a male child.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word بنت is used not just for a 'girl' but also as a common way to say 'daughter' regardless of the child's age.
Examples in context
- توم تجوز فتاة محليةTom married a local girl.This sentence shows the use of فتاة to describe a local girl.Tatoeba #4808706 by khaledp16, translation #2821499 by CK
- هل أنت مع فتاة أخرى؟Are you with another girl?This sentence uses فتاة to ask about another girl.Tatoeba #12018403 by dididodo, translation #9408841 by Amastan
- يا لها من فتاة جميلة!What a cute little girl!This sentence uses فتاة to describe a beautiful girl.Tatoeba #377049 by saeb, translation #24957 by CK
- هل تعرفين هذه البنت التي تجلس هناك؟Do you know this girl sitting over there?
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Mariam are looking at a family photo.
- أحمد Ahmedمين البنت اللي في الصورة دي؟Meen el bint elli fel soura dee?Who is the girl in this picture?
- مريم Maryamدي بنت أخويا الصغيرة.Dee bint akhouya el saghira.This is my little brother's daughter.
- أحمد Ahmedالبنت دي شبهك قوي.El bint dee shebahik awi.This girl looks a lot like you.
- مريم Maryamفعلاً، هي شقية جداً.Fe'lan, heyya shaqya geddan.True, she is very naughty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries بنت, فتاة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بنت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
