Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| خالة | khala | mother's sister, or a general respectful address to an older woman |
| عمة | amma | father's sister |
An aunt on the father's side is عمة (amma). Egyptians also use خالة loosely to address any older woman politely, even one who is not actually related, similar to how 'auntie' is used in some English-speaking communities.
What does it mean word for word?
خالة comes from خال, 'maternal uncle', and عمة comes from عم, 'paternal uncle', so Egyptian Arabic marks which side of the family an aunt belongs to, unlike English.
Which one should you use?
Use خالة for your mother's sister and عمة for your father's sister. As a polite address to a stranger, خالة is far more common than عمة.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are warm, family terms. As a polite address to an unrelated older woman, خالة is casual but respectful, never rude.
How does it change in a sentence?
خالة and عمة do not change with the gender of the speaker, only with which side of the family the aunt is on.
How do you pronounce it?
خالة has a long first vowel, KHA-la, with the throaty kh sound at the start.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Mixing up خالة and عمة is a common slip for learners, since English uses one word, 'aunt', for both sides of the family.
When do people say it?
Calling an older woman خالة on the street, in a shop or on public transport is a common, friendly way to show respect without using her name.
Did you know?
- Egyptian Arabic, like most Arabic dialects, always marks whether an aunt or uncle is on the mother's or father's side, a distinction English does not make.
- Addressing an older unrelated woman as خالة is common across Egypt, especially from children or younger service workers, as a sign of respect.
Examples in context
- خالتي جاية تزورنا بكرة.khalti gaya tezoorna bokra.My aunt (mother's sister) is coming to visit us tomorrow.
- عمتي بتسكن في المنصورة.ammeti betiskon fil-mansoora.My aunt (father's sister) lives in Mansoura.
- لو سمحتي يا خالة، الأتوبيس ده رايح فين؟law samahti ya khala, el-otobees da rayeh fein?Excuse me, ma'am, where is this bus going?
Example conversation
Nadia asks her mother Samira about her aunt's visit.
- Nadiaخالتي سلمى جاية إمتى؟khalti Salma gaya emta?When is aunt Salma coming?
- Samiraبعد العصر يا حبيبتي.ba'd el-asr ya habibti.After the afternoon, my dear.
- Nadiaوعمتي هالة كمان؟w ammeti Hala kaman?And aunt Hala too?
- Samiraلأ، هي مشغولة النهاردة.la, heya mashghoola en-naharda.No, she's busy today.
