مكنسة كهربائية
miknasa kahraba'iyya
The English phrase "hoover" is translated into Arabic as مكنسة كهربائية (miknasa kahraba'iyya).
The term refers to a vacuum cleaner, the appliance used to remove dust and dirt from floors.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two parts: مكنسة, which literally means "broom"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase مكنسة كهربائية is a noun phrase consisting of a noun and an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
miknasa kahraba'iyya
Did you know?
- The word كهربائية for 'electric' shares the same root as the word for 'amber'. This is because ancient people observed that amber produces static electricity when rubbed.
- The word مكنسة for 'broom' is thought by some linguists to be a 'faux-Arabic' word, meaning it might actually have been borrowed from Classical Syriac rather than being purely Semitic in origin.
- While English speakers often use 'hoover' as a verb meaning 'to vacuum', an Arabic speaker would rarely use the noun مكنسة كهربائية as a verb and would instead use a phrase meaning 'to use the vacuum'.
Examples in context
- اشتريت مكنسة كهربائية جديدة اليوم.Ishtaraytu miknasat kahraba'iyya jadida al-yawm.I bought a new vacuum cleaner today.
- أحتاج إلى مكنسة كهربائية قوية.Ahtaju ila miknasat kahraba'iyya qawiyya.I need a powerful vacuum cleaner.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مكنسة, مكنسة كهربائية, CC BY-SA 4.0.
