Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عايز | ayez | said by a male |
| عايزة | ayza | said by a female |
A female speaker says عايزة (ayza). Both are used constantly in daily life, from ordering food to stating a wish.
What does it mean word for word?
عايز/عايزة come from the Arabic root for 'wanting' or 'needing', used here as an active participle rather than a standard present-tense verb.
Which one should you use?
There is no softer or harsher version, عايز/عايزة is simply the normal, direct way Egyptians express wanting something, whether a cup of tea or a bigger request.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
عايز/عايزة is used at every level of formality in speech, though it can sound a little blunt without a softener like من فضلك, 'please', in a formal request.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes only with the speaker's own gender: عايز for a man, عايزة for a woman. It does not conjugate like a typical verb with tense endings.
How do you pronounce it?
عايز starts with the Arabic letter ع, a deep sound made at the back of the throat, said AH-yez.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying just عايز شاي, 'I want tea', to a waiter is not rude in Egyptian Arabic, but adding من فضلك makes it sound more polished.
When do people say it?
Egyptians use عايز/عايزة far more directly than English speakers use 'I want', without it sounding demanding in most everyday contexts.
Did you know?
- عايز and عايزة are active participles rather than ordinary verbs, which is why they do not change for tense the way most Arabic verbs do.
- Unlike in Standard Arabic, where 'I want' uses the verb أريد, almost no Egyptian says أريد out loud in daily speech.
Examples in context
- عايز أروح السوق بعد الضهر.ayez arouh es-soo' ba'd ed-dohr.I want to go to the market this afternoon.
- عايزة أكلم أمي دلوقتي.ayza akallem ommi dilwa'ti.I want to call my mother now.
- عايز كوباية قهوة من فضلك.ayez kubbayet ahwa men fadlak.I want a cup of coffee, please.
Example conversation
Ahmed tells his sister Salma what he wants to do this weekend.
- Ahmedعايز نروح البحر الويك إند ده.ayez nerouh el-bahr el-weekend da.I want us to go to the beach this weekend.
- Salmaفكرة حلوة، بس عايزة أخلص شغل الأول.fikra helwa, bas ayza akhallas shoghl el-awwal.Nice idea, but I want to finish work first.
- Ahmedتمام، نروح يوم السبت بقى.tamam, nerouh yom es-sabt ba'a.Okay, let's go on Saturday then.
- Salmaعايزة كمان نعزم كريم.ayza kaman ne'zim Karim.I also want us to invite Karim.
