كذاب
kadhdhābmasculine, everyday
The word for a liar in Kuwait is كذاب (kadhdhāb) for a man and كذابة (kadhdhāba) for a woman. It is the same word used across the Arabic-speaking world.
Meaning: a person who lies (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| كذاب | kadhdhāb | masculine, everyday |
| كذابة | kadhdhāba | feminine |
People say هو كذاب (huwa kadhdhāb), "he is a liar", or إنت كذاب (inta kadhdhāb), "you are a liar". It is a direct accusation, so it is usually heard between close friends or in an argument.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Kuwaiti speech is a variety of Gulf Arabic. The word كذاب (kadhdhāb) itself is not special to Kuwait, but the sentences around it often are, such as شنو (shinu) for "what".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes with the gender of the person: كذاب (kadhdhāb) for a man and كذابة (kadhdhāba) for a woman.
Did you know?
- The Kuwaiti and Gulf word for "what" is شنو (shinu), which differs from the ماذا (mādhā) of formal Arabic and from the إيش (ēsh) heard in other regions.
Examples in context
- إنت كذابinta kadhdhābYou are a liar.
- هي كذابةhiya kadhdhābaShe is a liar.
Example conversation
Fahad and Noura talk about a friend in Kuwait City.
- Fahadشنو صار؟shinu ṣār?What happened?
- Nouraسالم قال إنه ما أخذ الكتابsālim qāl innah mā akhadh al-kitābSalem said he did not take the book.
- Fahadلا تصدقه، هو كذابlā tuṣaddiqhu, huwa kadhdhābDo not believe him, he is a liar.
