لحم خنزير
lahm khinzir
The English phrase ham is translated into Arabic as لحم خنزير (lahm khinzir).
The term refers to the thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat (noun).
Meaning: thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the word for meat (lahm) and the word for pig (khinzir).
Which one should you use?
While لحم (lahm) means meat in general, لحم خنزير (lahm khinzir) specifically refers to pork or ham.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term basturma is commonly used to refer to cured meat, similar to ham or beef pastrami. In Morocco and Algeria, kadid or gueddid is used to describe cured meat, often salted or air-dried.
How do you pronounce it?
lahm khinzir
Did you know?
- The word لحم (lahm) is a distant relative of the Hebrew word for 'bread', לֶחֶם (leḥem). Both words evolved from an ancient root that simply meant 'food'.
- Because pork is forbidden in Islam, the phrase لحم خنزير (lahm khinzir) is rarely seen on menus or in shops across the Arab world.
Examples in context
- خبزَت لحم خنزير.She baked a ham.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use لحم خنزير in a sentence.Tatoeba #3897024 by eeyinn, translation #2230206 by Hybrid
- هل يتوفر هنا لحم بديل للخنزير؟Do you have a substitute meat for pork here?
- أنا لا آكل لحم خنزير.Ana la akulu lahm khinzir.I do not eat ham.
- هل هذا الطبق يحتوي على لحم خنزير؟Hal hadha al-tabaq yahtawi 'ala lahm khinzir?Does this dish contain ham?
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- ليلى Laylaهل يوجد لحم خنزير في هذا الساندويتش؟Hal yujad lahm khinzir fi hadha al-sandwich?Is there ham in this sandwich?
- يوسف Youssefلا، هذا الساندويتش ليس فيه لحم خنزير.La, hadha al-sandwich laysa fihi lahm khinzir.No, this sandwich does not have ham in it.
- ليلى Laylaحسناً، سأطلبه إذاً.Hasanan, sa-atlubuhu idhan.Okay, I will order it then.
- يوسف Youssefاختيار جيد يا ليلى.Ikhtiyar jayyid ya Layla.A good choice, Layla.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خنزير, لحم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
