بنت
bentEgyptian Arabic, feminine
The English phrase "girl" is translated into Arabic as بنت (bent). Wiktionary also lists بِنْت (bint) and فَتَاة (fatāh).
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بنت | bent | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| بِنْت | bint | feminine | |
| فَتَاة | fatāh | feminine | |
| طِفْلة | ṭifla | feminine | |
| فتاة | fatā | /fa.taːh/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| صبيّة | ṣabiyya, ṣabiyye | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
While بنت is the most common way to refer to a girl of any age, other terms specify a female child or a young woman.
Which one should you use?
The standard word for girl is بِنْت, but this term also commonly means "daughter" in many Arabic dialects. For a more specific term for a female child or toddler, use طِفْلة. If you want to refer to a young woman or a maiden in a more formal way, use فَتَاة.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may encounter the variations بنت (bent), فتاة (fatā) or صبيّة (ṣabiyya/ṣabiyye).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of بِنْت is بَنَات (banāt).
How do you pronounce it?
bent
Did you know?
- The Arabic word بنت is a cognate with the Hebrew word בת (bat), as both descend from an ancient Proto-Semitic root.
- The term صبيّة used in dialects like Egyptian can sometimes carry a more poetic or nostalgic connotation of 'maidenhood' compared to the literal 'girl'.
- In formal Arabic literature and poetry, فتاة (fatā) is often used to evoke a sense of nobility, purity or youthfulness beyond a simple description of gender.
Examples in context
- توم تجوز فتاة محليةTom married a local girl.This sentence shows the use of فتاة.Tatoeba #4808706 by khaledp16, translation #2821499 by CK
- هل أنت مع فتاة أخرى؟Are you with another girl?Tatoeba #12018403 by dididodo, translation #9408841 by Amastan
- يا لها من فتاة جميلة!What a cute little girl!Tatoeba #377049 by saeb, translation #24957 by CK
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are looking at a photo of their niece.
- نور Nourالبنت دي جميلة أوي.el bint di gamila awy.This girl is very beautiful.
- زياد Ziadفعلاً، هي بنت شطورة.fe'lan, heyya bint shatoura.Truly, she is a clever girl.
- نور Nourعندك حق يا زياد.andak haq ya ziad.You are right, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadهي كبرت بسرعة.heyya kebret be sor'a.She grew up quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries بنت, فتاة, 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.
