حَبْهَان
ḥabhānmasculine, plural
Cardamom in Arabic is حَبْهَان (ḥabhān), هَال or هَيْل.
Meaning: its seed or seed capsule (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| حَبْهَان | ḥabhān | masculine, plural |
| هَال | hāl | masculine |
| هَيْل | hayl | masculine, plural |
These terms refer to the cardamom seed or seed capsule.
Which one should you use?
هَيْل is the most common and standard way to refer to cardamom in Modern Standard Arabic and many dialects. هَال is a common dialectal variation used in many spoken Arabic varieties, particularly in the Gulf and Levant. حَبْهَان is a specific dialectal term often used in certain regions of the Arabian Peninsula.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term for cardamom is Hayl. In Gulf Arabic, cardamom is called Hail. In Iraq, the term used for cardamom is Hil.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms provided for cardamom are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥabhān
Did you know?
- In the Gulf region, هَيْل is so culturally significant that it appears in poetic verses as a metaphor for the welcoming aroma of guests.
- While هَيْل is the spice, the word حَبْهَان is derived from the root حَبّ meaning 'seed' or 'grain', literally describing the plant by its physical form.
- The scent of هَيْل in a cup of coffee is sometimes viewed as a direct measurement of the host's generosity.
Examples in context
- أضف حَبْهَان إلى القهوة.Adf habhān ilā al-qahwa.Add cardamom to the coffee.
- اشتريت حَبْهَان من السوق.Ishtaraytu habhān min al-sūq.I bought cardamom from the market.
Example conversation
In a kitchen while preparing traditional coffee.
- عمر Omarيا نور، هل لدينا حَبْهَان؟Yā Nūr, hal ladaynā habhān?Nour, do we have cardamom?
- نور Nourنعم، هو موجود في الخزانة.Na'am, huwa mawjūd fī al-khizāna.Yes, it is in the cupboard.
- عمر Omarممتاز، القهوة تحتاج حَبْهَان.Mumtāz, al-qahwa tahtāj habhān.Excellent, the coffee needs cardamom.
- نور Nourسأحضره لك الآن يا عمر.Sa-uḥḍiruhu lak al-ān yā 'Umar.I will bring it to you now, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cardamom” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
