Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بُوظَة | būẓa | feminine |
| آيْس كِرِيم | ʔāys kirīm | masculine |
| مُثَلَّجَات f pl جِيلَاتِيّ | muṯallajāt | masculine |
| دُنْدُرْمَة | dundurma | feminine |
The terms used for ice cream range from traditional words for frozen dairy desserts to transliterated English terms used in modern settings.
Which one should you use?
While بُوظَة is a common word for ice cream, it is also the word for 'sorbet' or 'sherbet' in some contexts, though usually implying a frozen dairy dessert. The plural form مُثَلَّجَات literally refers to 'frozen things' and can be used to describe various frozen desserts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The transliterated term آيْس كِرِيم is widely used and understood in modern urban settings and among younger generations. The term بُوظَة is informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بُوظَة is the standard way to say ice cream in the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine). The word دُنْدُرْمَة is used in some Arabic-speaking regions, particularly where Turkish culinary influence is present.
How does it change in a sentence?
بُوظَة is a feminine noun. آيْس كِرِيم is a masculine noun. مُثَلَّجَات is a masculine plural form. دُنْدُرْمَة is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
būẓa
Did you know?
- In many Levantine street markets, you might see an ice cream vendor using long, metal rods to pound a thick, stretchy substance called بُوظَة to make it chewy.
- In historical contexts, the concept of 'frozen things' covered by مُثَلَّجَات might have once referred to snow brought down from mountains to cool drinks, rather than processed dairy.
- The word جِيلَاتِيّ is not just a way to say ice cream, but it also mimics the Italian 'gelato', showing how much global food trends influence modern Arabic vocabulary.
Examples in context
- هَلْ تُحِبُّ الْبُوظَةَ؟hal tuḥibbu al-būẓah?Do you like ice cream?
- هَذِهِ الْبُوظَةُ لَذِيذَةٌ جِدًّا.hādhīhi al-būẓatu ladhīdhah jiddan.This ice cream is very delicious.
Example conversation
Omar and Layla are walking in a park on a hot day.
- عمر Omarالجو حار، هل نشتري بُوظَة؟Al-jaww ḥārr, hal nashtarī būẓah?The weather is hot, shall we buy ice cream?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، أنا أحب البوظة كثيراً.Na‘am, ana uḥibbu al-būẓah kathīran.Yes, I love ice cream very much.
- عمر Omarما هو طعمك المفضل يا ليلى؟Mā huwa ṭa‘muki al-mufaḍḍal yā Laylā?What is your favorite flavor, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaأفضل طعم الفانيليا.Ufaḍḍilu ṭa‘ma al-fānīlyā.I prefer vanilla flavor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice cream” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
