اِبْنَة
ibnafeminine
The English word "daughter" is expressed in Arabic as اِبْنَة (ibna). If unsure, use اِبْنَة. Wiktionary also lists بِنْت (bint) and بنت (bent).
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| اِبْنَة | ibna | feminine |
| بِنْت | bint | feminine |
| بنت | bent | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
The terms used for daughter describe a female offspring. Depending on the context, the word for daughter can also mean "girl".
Which one should you use?
اِبْنَة is the formal term for daughter. In contrast, بِنْت is more common in everyday speech and can mean either "daughter" or "girl".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moroccan Arabic, the word is often pronounced as بنت (bent).
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession, you can add suffixes to the word.
How do you pronounce it?
ibna
When do people say it?
When speaking affectionately to a daughter in an informal setting, it is common to use terms of endearment like يا بنتي (O my daughter) or يا حبيبتي (O my beloved).
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, calling a woman يا بنتي (O my daughter) is a common way for elders to show warmth and respect, even if they are not related.
- The word بنت is a linguistic relative of the Hebrew word בת, meaning they share the same ancient Semitic roots.
- While اِبْنَة is the grammatically formal way to say daughter, using it in a casual conversation might make you sound like you are reading from a classical poem.
Examples in context
- لدى ياني بنت في الجزائر.Yanni has a daughter in Algeria.This sentence demonstrates the use of بنت to state someone has a daughter in Algeria.Tatoeba #11636609 by dididodo, translation #9687429 by Amastan
- بنته متحمسة للذهاب معه إلى أي مكان.His daughter is eager to go with him anywhere.This sentence shows how to use بنت to describe a daughter's eagerness.Tatoeba #1595379 by Amastan, translation #287602 by CM
- هي بنته.That's his daughter.This sentence uses بنت to identify someone as a person's daughter.Tatoeba #11609268 by dididodo, translation #8319170 by Amastan
- أنتِ ابنة مثالية.You are a perfect daughter.
- هذه هي ابنتي.This is my daughter.
- يا بنتي، أنتِ مدهشة!Oh my daughter, you are amazing!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariam and Ahmed are talking about their families.
- مريم Maryamهل لديك أطفال يا أحمد؟Hal ladayka atfal ya Ahmed?Do you have children, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، لدي اِبْنَة واحدة فقط.Na'am, ladayya ibnah wahidah faqat.Yes, I have only one daughter.
- مريم Maryamكم عمر اِبْنَتِك الآن؟Kam 'umru ibnatika al-an?How old is your daughter now?
- أحمد Ahmedعمرها خمس سنوات.'Umruha khams sanawat.She is five years old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations and entries بنت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بنت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
