ولد
waladstandard, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, "boy" is ولد (walad). In everyday speech Egyptians shorten it to واد (wad).
Meaning: young male (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ولد | walad | standard, Egypt |
| واد | wad | colloquial, Egypt |
A friend may call a male friend يا واد (ya wad), which is casual and friendly, but it can sound rude from a stranger.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural is ولاد (wlad), which also means "children" or "sons".
Did you know?
- The word واد (wad) is shortened from ولد (walad), and the same shortening is heard in many Egyptian films.
Examples in context
- الولد ده ابنيel-walad da ibniThis boy is my son.
- يا واد، تعالى هناya wad, ta'ala henaHey boy, come here.
- الولاد بيلعبوا كورةel-wlad biyel'abu koraThe boys are playing football.
Example conversation
Samir talks to his neighbor Fatma about a boy in the street in Cairo.
- Fatmaمين الولد ده؟min el-walad daWho is this boy?
- Samirده ابني الصغيرda ibni es-soghayyarHe is my young son.
- Fatmaما شاء الله، كبرmasha'allah, kebirGod bless him, he has grown.
