طَائِر
ṭāʔirmasculine
The English word "bird" is translated into Arabic as طَائِر (ṭāʔir). Wiktionary also lists عُصْفُور (ʕuṣfūr) and عصفورة (ʕaṣfūra).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| طَائِر | ṭāʔir | masculine |
| عُصْفُور | ʕuṣfūr | masculine |
| عصفورة | ʕaṣfūra | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| عَصْفور | ʕaṣfūr | Hijazi Arabic, masculine |
| برطال | bɘrṭāl | Moroccan Arabic |
The term for bird depends on whether you are referring to any flying creature or a specific type of small songbird.
What does it mean word for word?
The word طَائِر is an active participle that literally means "one that flies".
Which one should you use?
طَائِر is a general term used for any bird, whereas عُصْفُور specifically refers to a sparrow or a small songbird.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, عصفورة is commonly used to refer to a small bird. In Hijazi Arabic, the word is pronounced as عَصْفور, with a short 'a' sound in the first syllable. In Moroccan Arabic, the word برطال is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The broken plural for the general term طَائِر is طُيُور.
How do you pronounce it?
ṭāʔir
Did you know?
- In Egyptian Arabic, عصفورة can be used colloquially to describe someone who 'sings' or leaks secrets to an authority.
- In many Arabic dialects, if you call someone a عُصْفُور, you are not calling them an animal, but are instead using a term of endearment for a small child.
- While طَائِر is the standard term for a bird, it is also the exact same word used for any 'flying' object, such as an 'airplane' or even a 'projectile'.
Examples in context
- هَذَا طَائِرٌ جَمِيلٌ.hādhā ṭā'irun jamīl.This is a beautiful bird.
- أَرَى طَائِرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ.arā ṭā'iran fī as-samā'.I see a bird in the sky.
Example conversation
Sara and Ziad are sitting in a garden looking at the sky.
- سارة Saraانْظُرْ يَا زِيَاد، هُنَاكَ طَائِرٌ!unẓur yā ziyād, hunāka ṭā'ir!Look Ziad, there is a bird!
- زياد Ziadأَيْنَ؟ أَنَا لَا أَرَى شَيْئًا.ayna? ana lā arā shay'an.Where? I don't see anything.
- سارة Saraبِجَانِبِ الشَّجَرَةِ، ذَلِكَ الطَّائِرُ.bijānibi ash-shajarati, dhālika al-ṭā'iru.Beside the tree, that bird.
- زياد Ziadآه، رَأَيْتُهُ الآنَ!āh, ra'aytuhu al-ān!Ah, I see it now!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bird” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
