ريس
rayyiseveryday, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, "boss" is ريس (rayyis) in everyday talk. At an office the formal word is مدير (mudir), "manager". It is also called معلم (mo'allem).
Meaning: person in charge (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ريس | rayyis | everyday, Egypt |
| مدير | mudir | formal |
| معلم | mo'allem | trade, respectful |
معلم (mo'allem) is used for a shop owner or a skilled tradesman, and it is a respectful address from customers or workers.
Which one should you use?
The word ريس (rayyis) means "captain" or "head" and workers often use it as a friendly greeting to a man, even a stranger.
Did you know?
- In Egyptian Arabic ريس (rayyis) is also used for the captain of a boat on the Nile.
Examples in context
- الريس جاي دلوقتيel-rayyis gay delwa'tiThe boss is coming now.
- المدير في اجتماعel-mudir fi igtima'The manager is in a meeting.
- إزيك يا معلمizzayyak ya mo'allemHow are you, boss?
Example conversation
Two coworkers, Sherif and Dalia, wait for their manager in a Cairo office.
- Sherifالمدير جه؟el-mudir gehHas the manager arrived?
- Daliaلأ، الريس لسه في الطريقla, el-rayyis lessa fel-taree'No, the boss is still on the way.
- Sherifطيب نبدأ الشغلtayyeb nebda' esh-shoghlOkay, let us start work.
