القاهرة
el-Qahirastandard, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, Cairo is القاهرة (el-Qahira). In daily speech Egyptians often just say مصر (Masr), which is also the name of the whole country.
Meaning: capital city of Egypt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| القاهرة | el-Qahira | standard, Egypt |
| مصر | Masr | colloquial, Egypt |
Someone in Alexandria who says رايح مصر (rayeh Masr) may mean they are traveling to Cairo.
How do you pronounce it?
In Cairo speech the letter ق is usually a glottal stop, so the name sounds like "el-Ahira" and not "el-Qahira".
Did you know?
- The name القاهرة (el-Qahira) means "the victorious", and the city was founded in 969 by the Fatimids.
Examples in context
- أنا ساكن في القاهرةana sakin fel-QahiraI live in Cairo.
- رايح مصر بكرةrayeh Masr bokraI am going to Cairo tomorrow.
- القاهرة زحمة أويel-Qahira zahma awiCairo is very crowded.
Example conversation
Peter asks Ahmed on a train in Alexandria where he is going.
- Peterرايح فين؟rayeh feinWhere are you going?
- Ahmedرايح القاهرةrayeh el-QahiraI am going to Cairo.
- Peterولا مصر؟ هههwala Masr hahahaOr Masr? Haha.
