Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أخ | ʔaḵḵ | /ʔax/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| أَخ | ʔaḵ | masculine | |
| شَقِيق | šaqīq | masculine | |
| إخوات | ʔixwāt | Egyptian Arabic, plural | |
| أخو | ʔuḵu | Gulf Arabic, masculine | |
| خي | ḵayy | North Levantine Arabic, masculine |
The term أخ is the general word for a male sibling. In many Arabic-speaking contexts, the phrase يا أخي (ya akhi) is used frequently as a common filler or an exclamation to address someone, even if they are not your biological brother.
Which one should you use?
While أخ is the general term for any brother, شَقِيق is used specifically to refer to a full brother who shares both parents.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use أخ or the plural form إخوات. In Gulf Arabic, the masculine form أخو is used. In North Levantine Arabic, the masculine form خي is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my brother', you add the possessive suffix 'ي' (-ī) to the end of أخ to form أخي.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʔax/.
When do people say it?
Adding 'ya' before 'akhi' to form يا أخي is a respectful way to address someone as 'brother'. Additionally, the phrase يا أخي is often used as a colloquial exclamation to address people regardless of biological relation.
Did you know?
- While أخ is used for siblings, the word شقيق literally translates to 'one who shares a cleft' or 'split', referring to the shared womb.
- Arabic has distinct words for a brother from the same father but different mother and vice versa, though أخ covers both.
- If you use يا أخي with a specific tone, it can shift from a friendly greeting to a way of expressing frustration, similar to saying 'listen, man' in English.
Examples in context
- جون في عمر أخي.John is as old as my brother.This sentence is useful for showing the use of أخ in a comparison.Tatoeba #370699 by saeb, translation #52583 by CN
- أخ زيري مع ريمة.Ziri's brother is with Rima.This sentence is useful for showing the use of أخ to indicate possession.Tatoeba #11499418 by Amastan, translation #11050379 by Amastan
- أخي صغير لكنه قوي.My brother is small but strong.This sentence is useful for showing the use of أخ to describe a person's characteristics.Tatoeba #493404 by saeb, translation #278567 by CK
- 97 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Omar are talking about their family at a cafe.
- سارة Saraعندك أخ؟andak akh?Do you have a brother?
- عمر Omarأيوه، عندي أخ واحد.aywa, andi akh wahed.Yes, I have one brother.
- سارة Saraأخوك ده عايش هنا؟akhuk dah ayish hina?Does your brother live here?
- عمر Omarلأ، أخويا في القاهرة.la', akhoya fil qahira.No, my brother is in Cairo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries أخ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
