ماعز
māʕezSouth Levantine Arabic, masculine
The English word "goat" is translated into Arabic as ماعز (māʕez). Wiktionary also lists مَاعِز (māʕiz) and عَنْزَة (ʕanza).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ماعز | māʕez | South Levantine Arabic, masculine | |
| مَاعِز | māʕiz | masculine | |
| عَنْزَة | ʕanza | feminine | |
| معزة | maʕza | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| عنزة | ʕanza | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| عتروس | ʕatrous | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| معزاية | meʕzāye | North Levantine Arabic, feminine | |
| سخل | sáḵel | /saxl/ | South Levantine Arabic, feminine |
The term refers to the animal known as a goat.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form is مَاعِز and the feminine form is عَنْزَة. In South Levantine Arabic, the masculine form ماعز is also used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use معزة or عنزة. In North Levantine Arabic, معزاية is common. In Moroccan Arabic, the word عتروس is used.
How do you pronounce it?
māʕez
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word معزة (ma'za) is used for both the animal and can also be used as a playful or sometimes derogatory nickname for a person.
- The word عنزة is closely related to ancient Akkadian terms for goats, showing that the word has been used in the Middle East for millennia.
- In many Arabic cultures, goats are not just livestock but are deeply symbolic of resilience and survival in harsh desert environments.
Examples in context
- يريد ياني شراء معزة حلوب.Yanni wants to buy a milking goat.This sentence shows the use of معزة in a sentence about buying a goat.Tatoeba #11684005 by dididodo, translation #9699393 by Amastan
- صررت معزة ياني الدلو و أسقطته.Yanni's goat kicked the bucket over.This sentence shows the use of معزة in a sentence about a goat kicking a bucket.Tatoeba #11639847 by dididodo, translation #9699377 by Amastan
- حلبت معزة.She milked a goat.This sentence shows the use of معزة in a sentence about milking a goat.Tatoeba #11672263 by dididodo, translation #2879101 by Amastan
- تَعْرِف وين أقدر أجيب معزّ؟Do you know where I can get a goat?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a small farm in the countryside.
- سارة Saraفي ماعز صغير هون؟fi ma'ez saghir hon?Is there a small goat here?
- أحمد Ahmedأي، في ماعز تحت الشجرة.ay, fi ma'ez taht al-shajara.Yes, there is a goat under the tree.
- سارة Saraالماعز شكله كتير حلو.al-ma'ez shaklu ktir helu.The goat looks very cute.
- أحمد Ahmedإي، هاد ماعز نشيط.ay, had ma'ez nashit.Yes, this is an active goat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goat” translations and entries ماعز, معزة, عنزة, سخل, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries عنزة, معزة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
