لحية
liḥya/liħ.ja/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The English word beard is لحية (liḥya) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists لِحْيَة (liḥya) and ذَقْن (ḏaqn).
Meaning: facial hair (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| لحية | liḥya | /liħ.ja/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| لِحْيَة | liḥya | feminine | |
| ذَقْن | ḏaqn | masculine | |
| دقن | daʔn | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| دَقِن | daʔin | South Levantine Arabic, feminine |
لحية is used across different countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Which one should you use?
In Standard Arabic, ذَقْن refers to the chin itself, whereas لِحْيَة refers to the hair growing on it. In some Egyptian Arabic contexts, the feminine form دقن is used, whereas in South Levantine Arabic, the form دَقِن is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
لحية and دقن are forms used in Egyptian Arabic. دَقِن is used in South Levantine Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'his beard' in Standard Arabic, you add the possessive suffix -hu to the end of the word, resulting in لِحْيَتُه.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of liḥya is /liħ.ja/ and is composed of 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the word for 'chin' (ذَقْن) with the word for 'beard' (لِحْيَة) because they are anatomically related.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the verb used for growing a لحية is رَبَّى, which is the same verb used for raising children or nurturing pets.
- In certain regional idioms, touching or pulling someone's لحية is considered a grave insult and a direct challenge to their honor.
- In certain historical contexts, the length and shape of a لِحْيَة could even indicate a specific person's sect or school of thought within Islamic jurisprudence.
Examples in context
- لديه لحية صغيرة.He has a small beard.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of لحية.Tatoeba #13134838 by LdjuherTaqvaylit, translation #13237749 by atitarev
- هو عنده لحية طويلة.howa ando lihya tawila.He has a long beard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beard” translations and entries لحية, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
