Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| طَاوِلَة | ṭāwila | feminine |
| نَرْد | nard | masculine |
| لُعْبَةُ طَاوِلَة | luʕbatu ṭāwila | feminine |
| طَاوِلَةُ زَهْر | ṭāwilatu zahr | feminine |
The term for backgammon varies depending on whether you are referring to the board, the dice or the game as a whole. While طَاوِلَة is the most common shorthand, you can also use لُعْبَةُ طَاوِلَة to explicitly mean 'the game of backgammon'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase طَاوِلَةُ زَهْر literally means 'table of dice'.
Which one should you use?
طَاوِلَة literally means 'table', but in the context of games, it serves as the common shorthand for backgammon. In contrast, نَرْد refers specifically to the dice or the game itself, derived from the Persian word for the game, whereas طَاوِلَة refers to the board. If you want to be explicit about the activity, use لُعْبَةُ طَاوِلَة to say 'the game of backgammon'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Lebanese Arabic, the term Tric Trac is used for backgammon.
How does it change in a sentence?
طَاوِلَة and لُعْبَةُ طَاوِلَة are feminine, while نَرْد is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
ṭāwila
Did you know?
- The Lebanese term Tric Trac is not Arabic in origin but is a French onomatopoeia imitating the sound of the dice hitting the board.
- The term طَاوِلَةُ زَهْر uses the word زَهْر, which literally means 'flower', to refer to the dice.
- Although backgammon is ubiquitous in the Arab world, the use of نَرْد in some strictly religious contexts was historically debated because any game involving dice was seen as a game of chance.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “backgammon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
