المختار
el-mukhtarstandard, Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, "the chosen one" is المختار (el-mukhtar) for a man and المختارة (el-mukhtara) for a woman. It is also called المصطفى (el-mustafa).
Meaning: person selected for a special role (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| المختار | el-mukhtar | standard, Egypt |
| المصطفى | el-mustafa | literary, religious |
المصطفى (el-mustafa) also means "the chosen one", and it is a title for the Prophet Muhammad as well as a common first name.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both words sound literary, and in everyday speech Egyptians would more likely say اللي اتختار (elli etkhtar), "the one who was chosen".
Did you know?
- The name مصطفى (Mustafa), one of the most common Egyptian names, comes from the same word as المصطفى and means "chosen".
Examples in context
- هو المختار للمهمةhuwwa el-mukhtar lel-mohimmaHe is the chosen one for the task.
- هي المختارةheyya el-mukhtaraShe is the chosen one.
- اللي اتختار فرحانelli etkhtar farhanThe one who was chosen is happy.
Example conversation
Two students, Rana and Kareem, talk about who gets the lead role in a school play in Cairo.
- Ranaمين اللي اتختار للدور؟min elli etkhtar lel-dorWho was chosen for the role?
- Kareemسلمى هي المختارةsalma heyya el-mukhtaraSalma is the chosen one.
- Ranaمبروك لهاmabruk lahaCongratulations to her.
