Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| موز | mōz | /mawz/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine, plural |
| مَوْزَة | mawza | feminine | |
| مَوْز | mawz | collective, masculine | |
| موزة | mōza | /maw.za/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| بنان | banān | /ba.naːn/ | Moroccan Arabic, masculine |
| بنانة | banāna | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
موز is the term used for the fruit in a general or mass sense, such as when referring to bananas as a type of food or a quantity of them.
Which one should you use?
In Modern Standard Arabic, مَوْز (mawz) is the collective noun used for the mass or plural concept of bananas, while مَوْزَة (mawza) is used to refer to a single unit. In Egyptian Arabic, the pronunciation shifts to mōz for the plural/mass and mōza for a single banana.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic (spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine), موزة is used to describe a banana. In Egyptian Arabic, mōza refers to a single banana and mōz is used for the plural or mass. In Moroccan Arabic, you can use the masculine بنان or the feminine بنانة.
How does it change in a sentence?
مَوْزَة (mawza) is the feminine singular form used to refer to one single banana. مَوْز (mawz) is a masculine collective noun used to refer to bananas in general or a quantity of bananas.
How do you pronounce it?
mōz (/mawz/)
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for a single banana, موزة (mawza), has evolved into a slang term used to describe an attractive woman.
- In Classical Arabic, the word بنان (banan) actually refers to the fingertips or the tips of the fingers rather than the fruit.
- The Arabic word موز traveled a vast distance, originating from Proto-Trans-New Guinea before passing through Dravidian and Persian languages.
Examples in context
- لماذا اشتريت موزة واحدة فقط؟Why did you buy only one banana?This sentence shows how to use موزة to refer to a single banana.Tatoeba #1578411 by Amastan, translation #1572803 by fanty
- أنا بحب أكل موز كتير.ana baheb akol mowz keteer.I love eating bananas a lot.
- في موز كتير في الثلاجة.fee mowz keteer fel talaga.There are many bananas in the fridge.
Example conversation
Layla and Youssef are at the grocery store.
- ليلى Laylaيوسف، هل نحتاج موز؟Youssef, hal nehtag moz?Youssef, do we need bananas?
- يوسف Youssefأيوه، اشتري كيلو موز.Aywa, eshtiri kilo moz.Yes, buy a kilo of bananas.
- ليلى Laylaالموز هنا شكله حلو.El-moz henna shaklo helw.The bananas here look good.
- يوسف Youssefتمام، خدي الموز في الشنطة.Tamam, khodi el-moz fel shanta.Okay, put the bananas in the bag.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banana” translations and entries موز, موزة, بنان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries موز, موزة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
