Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| زوج | zōg | /zawd͡ʒ/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine, rare |
| زَوْج | zawj | masculine | |
| بَعْل | baʕl | masculine | |
| جوز | gōz | /d͡ʒawz/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| ريل | rayil | Gulf Arabic, masculine |
The primary term for a male partner in a marriage is زوج. In Modern Standard Arabic, the word is grammatically gender-neutral and can refer to either a husband or a wife depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
The term بَعْل is a more classical or formal alternative specifically for husband. In various dialects, different words are used, such as جوز in Egypt or ريل in the Gulf.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
زوج is the most common formal term for husband in Arabic. بَعْل is a more classical or formal term for husband, often found in religious or literary contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the most common word for husband is جوز. In many Gulf dialects, the word ريل (meaning man) is frequently used colloquially to refer to one's husband.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the suffix -ī to the word zawj creates the possessive form 'my husband' زوجي.
How do you pronounce it?
/zawdʒ/
Did you know?
- The term بَعْل is not just a formal word for husband, but is also the name of an ancient Canaanite storm god of fertility and rain.
- The Egyptian colloquial word for husband, جوز, was originally borrowed from Middle Persian and meant 'walnut'.
- The word زوج can also be used as a verb in Arabic to describe the act of pairing or joining things together.
Examples in context
- عليّ أن أخبر زوجي.I have to tell my husband.This sentence is useful for practicing the possessive form زوج.Tatoeba #7208374 by OsoHombre, translation #5832723 by OsoHombre
- زوجها مسير في محطة.Her husband is a station manager.This sentence uses زوج to describe a person's occupation.Tatoeba #11248195 by Amghar, translation #8400857 by Amastan
- طعنت زوجها عدة مرات.She stabbed her husband repeatedly.This sentence uses زوج in a narrative context.Tatoeba #12014957 by dididodo, translation #4513760 by Amastan
- هذا هو زَوْجِيThis is my husband.
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are discussing a dinner invitation.
- زياد Ziadهل زوجك سيأتي معنا؟Hal zawgak saya'ti ma'ana?Will your husband come with us?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، زوجي يحب هذا المطعم.Na'am, zawgi yuhib hadha al-mat'am.Yes, my husband loves this restaurant.
- زياد Ziadممتاز، سأحجز طاولة لأربعة أشخاص.Mumtaz, sa'ahjiz tawila li-arba'at ash-khas.Great, I will book a table for four people.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً يا زياد، نراكم غداً.Shukran ya Ziad, narakum ghadan.Thank you, Ziad, we'll see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries زوج, جوز, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جوز, زوج, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
