هدية
hedeya/ha.dij.ja/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The English word 'gift' is translated to Arabic as هدية (hedeya). Wiktionary also lists هَدِيَّة (hadiyya) and كادو (kādu).
Meaning: something given to another voluntarily, without charge (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| هدية | hedeya | /ha.dij.ja/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| هَدِيَّة | hadiyya | feminine | |
| كادو | kādu | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
A gift is something given to another voluntarily and without charge. To describe a surprise gift, you can use the phrase هدية مفاجأة.
Which one should you use?
While the standard term is هَدِيَّة, the masculine form كادو is frequently used in colloquial Egyptian speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may hear the masculine form كادو used in colloquial speech.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun هَدِيَّة is feminine. Its plural form is هدايا. The related verb أَهْدَى means 'to present' or 'to give as a gift'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is hedeya. The IPA is /ha.dij.ja/ and it has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some regional dialects, the act of giving a gift is accompanied by specific polite phrases that effectively 'refuse' the gift first to show humility before accepting it.
- The colloquial term كادو is actually a loanword from the French word 'cadeau'.
- In some regions, there is a cultural distinction between a هدية, which is a voluntary gift, and a نقوط, which is a customary monetary gift given at weddings.
Examples in context
- هو أرسل لي هدية.He sent me a gift.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone sent a gift using هدية.Tatoeba #11974708 by dididodo, translation #8175894 by Amastan
- أبحث عن هدية لأبي.I'm looking for a gift for my father.This sentence is useful for expressing a search for a gift for a father using هدية.Tatoeba #666323 by Samer, translation #319395 by CK
- أرسل سامي هدية لليلى.Sami sent Layla a gift.This sentence is useful for showing the act of sending a gift to someone using هدية.Tatoeba #6324257 by OsoHombre, translation #6319695 by OsoHombre
- أختي أعطتني هدية جميلةMy sister gave me a beautiful gift
- اشتريت له هدية مفاجأةI bought him a surprise gift
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed gives Nour a present for her birthday.
- أحمد Ahmedكل سنة وأنتِ طيبة، دي هدية بسيطة.Kol sana w enty tayyeba, di hedya basita.Happy birthday, this is a simple gift.
- نور Nourشكراً يا أحمد! إيه الهدية الجميلة دي؟Shokran ya Ahmed! Eh el hedya el gamila di?Thank you, Ahmed! What is this beautiful gift?
- أحمد Ahmedدي هدية عشان بحبك جداً.Di hedya ashan bahibik giddan.This is a gift because I love you very much.
- نور Nourتسلم إيدك على الهدية دي.Teslam eedak ala el hedya di.Thank you for this gift.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gift” translations and entries هدية, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
