خفاش
ḵúffāš/xuf.faːʃ/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
In Arabic, the word for bat is خفاش (ḵúffāš). Wiktionary also lists خُفْدُود (ḵufdūd) and خَنْفُوش (ḵanfūš).
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| خفاش | ḵúffāš | /xuf.faːʃ/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| خُفْدُود | ḵufdūd | ||
| خَنْفُوش | ḵanfūš | ||
| وَطْوَاط | waṭwāṭ | masculine | |
| خُفَّاش | ḵuffāš | masculine | |
| وطواط | wúṭwāṭ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| طير الليل | ṭīr el-līl, ṭayr el-layl | Moroccan Arabic | |
| سحت الليل | saḥt el-līl, saḥt el-layl | Moroccan Arabic |
The term refers to the small flying mammal.
Which one should you use?
While خُفَّاش is the standard term used in Modern Standard Arabic, وَطْوَاط is a common synonym used in many dialects. Other less common forms include خُفْدُود and خَنْفُوش.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moroccan Arabic, a common way to refer to a bat is طير الليل (literally 'the bird of the night') or سحت الليل. In Egyptian Arabic, you can use خفاش or وطواط.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms وَطْوَاط, خُفَّاش, خفاش and وطواط are all masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /xuf.faːʃ/. The syllables are 2.
Did you know?
- The Moroccan expression سحت الليل uses a word that can imply something 'forbidden' or 'ill-gotten' in other contexts, giving the creature a somewhat sinister connotation.
- In some regional contexts, calling someone a خفاش can be a slang way to describe someone who stays up all night, similar to the English 'night owl'.
- The term خفاش is often used in Arabic idioms to describe a person who avoids the light or prefers secrecy and darkness.
Examples in context
- قمت برؤية الخفاش في الكهف.I saw the bat in the cave.
- أنا شفت خفاش في الجنينة.ana shoft khofash fel geneena.I saw a bat in the garden.
- هو ده خفاش ولا عصفور؟howa da khofash wala asfour?Is that a bat or a bird?
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are looking at a dark forest at night.
- عمر Omarبصي يا نور، في خفاش فوق الشجرة!bossi ya nour, fe khofash faw' el shagara!Look Nour, there is a bat above the tree!
- نور Nourيا خبر! هو خايف مننا؟ya khabar! howa khayef menena?Oh my! Is it afraid of us?
- عمر Omarلا، هو بيطير بعيد عننا.la, howa beyteer ba'eed anna.No, it is flying away from us.
- نور Nourفعلاً، هو سريع جداً.fe'lan, howa saree' geddan.True, it is very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations and entries خفاش, وطواط, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
