بيرة
bīra/biː.ra/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
beer in Arabic is translated as بيرة (bīra). Wiktionary also lists بِيرَة (bīra) and جِعَة (jiʕa).
Meaning: alcoholic drink made of malt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بيرة | bīra | /biː.ra/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| بِيرَة | bīra | feminine | |
| جِعَة | jiʕa | feminine | |
| مِزْر | mizr | masculine |
The term refers to an alcoholic drink made of malt.
Which one should you use?
بِيرَة is the most common way to say beer in everyday spoken Arabic across many dialects. In contrast, جِعَة is the formal, literary term used in Modern Standard Arabic, though it is rarely used in casual conversation. The form مِزْر is a masculine noun for beer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form بيرة is used in Egyptian Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the common word بِيرَة is بِيرَات.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /biː.ra/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, you will find بيرة that contains no alcohol at all, as non-alcoholic malt beverages are marketed using the same name.
- While بيرة is the standard word for beer, some Arabic speakers use the term مشروب ('drink') as a euphemism to avoid mentioning alcohol in conservative social settings.
- The formal term جِعَة shares a linguistic root with words relating to 'squeezing' or 'pressing', reflecting the process of extracting liquid from grains.
Examples in context
- أنا أُريد بيرة.I want a beer.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire for بيرة.Tatoeba #1935714 by Asma, translation #1935359 by Spamster
- في بيرة في التلاجة؟fi bira fil tallaga?Is there beer in the fridge?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking at a restaurant.
- نور Nourعايزة أطلب بيرة.'ayza atlub bira.I want to order a beer.
- أحمد Ahmedطب أجيب لك واحدة؟tab agib lik wahda?Should I get you one?
- نور Nourأيوه يا أحمد، شكراً.aywa ya Ahmed, shukran.Yes, Ahmed, thank you.
- أحمد Ahmedمن عيوني.min 'uyuni.With pleasure.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beer” translations and entries بيرة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
