كَنْغَر
kanḡarmasculine
The English word "kangaroo" is translated into Arabic as كَنْغَر (kanḡar).
كَنْغَر is the term used to refer to the marsupial known as a kangaroo.
Meaning: marsupial (noun)
Which one should you use?
While كَنْغَر is the standard form, the transliterated version كانغارو is also frequently encountered in informal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
kanḡar
Did you know?
- If you look at the root structure of Arabic words, كَنْغَر lacks a traditional three-letter root, which marks it clearly to a linguist as a foreign loanword rather than a natural part of the Arabic lexicon.
- In many Arabic dialects, the 'g' sound in the transliterated كانغارو is substituted with a 'q' or a 'k' sound, making the word sound more like 'kan-qaru' or 'kan-karu'.
- The word كَنْغَر is almost never found in traditional Arabic poetry or folk tales, as kangaroos are entirely absent from the region's historical landscape.
Examples in context
- لدى الكنغر أرجلٌ قوية وذيلٌ طويلٌ يساعده على التوازن.Kangaroos have strong legs and a long tail that helps them maintain balance.
- صورت الكنغر أثناء قفزها العالي وقد جمعت الكثير من الإعجابات.I captured a photo of the kangaroo while it was jumping high, and it received lots of likes.
Example conversation
Yousef and Maryam are looking at a picture book about animals.
- يوسف Youssefانظري يا مريم، ما هذا الحيوان؟Unzhuri ya Maryam, ma hadha al-hayawan?Look Maryam, what is this animal?
- مريم Maryamهذا كَنْغَر من أستراليا.Hadha kanghar min Australiya.This is a kangaroo from Australia.
- يوسف Youssefإنه يبدو لطيفاً جداً.Innahu yabdu latifan jiddan.It looks very cute.
- مريم Maryamنعم، يحب الكَنْغَر القفز.Na'am, yuhibb al-kanghar al-qafz.Yes, the kangaroo loves jumping.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kangaroo” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
