سپی
spay/spaɪ/masculine
The word for dog in Pashto is سپی (spay). Wiktionary also lists سپۍ (spëy).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Pashto | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| سپی | spay | /spaɪ/ /spe(ː)/ |
masculine |
| سپۍ | spëy |
The word refers to the animal (noun) dog.
Which one should you use?
The form سپی is used when referring to a masculine dog, while the form سپۍ is used for a feminine dog.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form سپی is the masculine version of the word for dog. The form سپۍ is the feminine version of the word for dog.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is spay. The IPA is /spaɪ/.
Did you know?
- The Pashto word سپی shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'dog' through the ancient Proto-Indo-European root *ḱwṓ.
- Calling someone a سپی in a heated argument is a severe insult in Pashto, far more offensive than calling someone a 'dog' in many Western contexts.
- In Pashto culture, while the animal سپی is traditionally viewed with suspicion, the term is used in several idioms to describe someone's loyalty or a fierce protector.
Examples in context
- دا یو سپی دی.da yo spi day.This is a dog.
- هغه یو لوی سپی دی.hagha yo loy spi day.That is a big dog.
Example conversation
Omar and Maryam are talking about a pet.
- عمر Omarمریم، دا سپی څوک دی؟Maryam, da spi tsok day?Maryam, whose dog is this?
- مریم Maryamدا زما سپی دی.Da zama spi day.This is my dog.
- عمر Omarتاسو ته سپی خوښ دی؟Taso ta spi khwaksh day?Do you like dogs?
- مریم Maryamهو، زه سپی ډېر خوښوم.Ho, za spi der khwakshom.Yes, I like dogs very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries سپی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سپی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
