عصفور
asfoureveryday, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, a small bird is عصفور (asfour). The general word for birds is طير (teir).
Meaning: flying animal with feathers (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عصفور | asfour | everyday, Egypt |
| طير | teir | general |
The plural of عصفور is عصافير (asafir). طير is used for birds as a group, for example الطيور (et-teyur), "the birds".
When do people say it?
Egyptians often use عصفور (asfour) as a pet name for a small and sweet person.
Did you know?
- The Arabic word for sparrow is also عصفور (asfour), the same word as the general "small bird".
Examples in context
- في عصفور على الشباكfi asfour ala el-shibbakThere is a bird on the window.
- بحب أسمع العصافير الصبحbaheb asma el-asafir es-subhI like hearing the birds in the morning.
- الطيور بتطير بعيدet-teyur bet-teir ba'idThe birds fly far.
Example conversation
Yara and her grandfather sit on the balcony in Tanta.
- Yaraتيتو، في عصفور هناteto, fi asfour henaGrandpa, there is a bird here.
- Geddده عصفور صغيرda asfour soghayyarThat is a small bird.
- Yaraعايزة أطعمهayza ato'muI want to feed him.
