رَبَّة مَنْزِل
rabbat manzilfeminine
The English phrase housewife is expressed in Arabic as رَبَّة مَنْزِل (rabbat manzil). Wiktionary also lists رَبَّة بَيْت (rabbat bayt) and رَبَّة أُسْرَة (rabbat ʔusra).
Meaning: female head of household (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| رَبَّة مَنْزِل | rabbat manzil | feminine |
| رَبَّة بَيْت | rabbat bayt | feminine |
| رَبَّة أُسْرَة | rabbat ʔusra | feminine |
The term is used to describe a female head of household.
What does it mean word for word?
The word رَبَّة (rabbat) literally means 'mistress', 'lady' or 'head of' a specific domain.
Which one should you use?
While رَبَّة مَنْزِل (rabbat manzil) and رَبَّة بَيْت (rabbat bayt) are both common, رَبَّة مَنْزِل is slightly more formal and focuses on the residence or estate. In contrast, رَبَّة بَيْت (rabbat bayt) is the most common everyday way to say housewife.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, the informal term ست البيت (translated as 'lady of the house') is used to refer to a housewife.
How do you pronounce it?
rabbat manzil
Did you know?
- In classical Arabic, the word رَبَّة (rabbat) was used to describe the female deity or presiding spirit of a specific place or domain.
- The word رَبَّة (rabbat) is the feminine form of رَب (rabb), which is the same word used for 'Lord' or 'God' in a religious context. This gives the term a sense of authority and absolute ownership over the household.
- In some formal contexts, a woman may be called رَبَّة مَنْزِل even if she is the sole owner of the property and has no husband, as the term denotes authority over the domain.
Examples in context
- هِيَ رَبَّة مَنْزِل مُجْتَهِدَة.hiya rabbat manzilin mujtahida.She is a hardworking housewife.
- أُمِّي رَبَّة مَنْزِل لَيْسَت مُوَظَّفَة.ummi rabbat manzilin laysat muwazzafa.My mother is a housewife, not an employee.
- هَلْ أَنْتِ رَبَّة مَنْزِل؟hal anti rabbat manzilin?Are you a housewife?
Example conversation
Omar is asking Layla about her mother's daily routine.
- عمر Omarماذا تفعل والدتك في يومها العادي؟Maadha taf'alu waalidatuka fee yawmiha al-'aadi?What does your mother do on a typical day?
- ليلى Laylaهي رَبَّة مَنْزِل وتهتم بالأطفال.Hiya rabbat manzil wa tahtam bil-atfaal.She is a housewife and looks after the children.
- عمر Omarهذا عمل شاق جداً.Haadha 'amal shaaqq jiddan.That is a very hard job.
- ليلى Laylaنعم، ليلى تقدر تعبها كثيراً.Na'am, Layla tuqaddir ta'abaha katheeran.Yes, Layla appreciates her effort a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “housewife” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
