مَلْفُوف
malfūfmasculine
The English word cabbage can be translated into Arabic as مَلْفُوف (malfūf) or كُرُنْب.
Meaning: leaves of this plant eaten as a vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مَلْفُوف | malfūf | masculine |
| كُرُنْب | kurunb | masculine |
Both words refer to the leaves of the cabbage plant eaten as a vegetable.
What does it mean word for word?
The term مَلْفُوف is a passive participle that literally means 'something that has been rolled or wrapped', which describes how the plant's leaves are layered.
Which one should you use?
كُرُنْب is the standard term used in Modern Standard Arabic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, the informal word for cabbage is ملفوف. The term كُرُنْب is more common in Egyptian and other dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both مَلْفُوف and كُرُنْب are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
malfūf
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, ملفوف is used to describe any food that is rolled or wrapped, such as grape leaves stuffed with rice.
- In traditional folk medicine in some Arab regions, cabbage leaves were historically used as a poultice to reduce inflammation.
- The root of مَلْفُوف is the same as the verb used for wrapping a gift or wrapping a bandage.
Examples in context
- يمكنك إضافة الملفوف إلى السلطة.You can add cabbage to the salad.
- لدي وصفة شهية للحساء بالملفوف.I have a delicious recipe for cabbage soup.
- أحضرت طبقًا من الملفوف المحشي.I brought a dish of stuffed cabbage.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are planning their grocery shopping.
- زياد Ziadهل نحتاج إلى مَلْفُوف اليوم؟hal naḥtāju ilā malfūf al-yawm?Do we need cabbage today?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، نحتاج مَلْفُوف لصنع السلطة.na‘am, naḥtāju malfūf li-ṣun‘ al-salata.Yes, we need cabbage to make a salad.
- زياد Ziadسأشتري مَلْفُوف كبير من المتجر.sa-ashtarī malfūf kabīr min al-matjar.I will buy a large cabbage from the store.
- ليلى Laylaرائع، شكراً لك يا زياد.rā’i‘, shukran laka yā Ziyād.Great, thank you, Ziad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cabbage” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
