Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بص | boss | to a man |
| بصي | bossi | to a woman |
| بصوا | bossu | to a group |
The verb changes with who you are speaking to: بصي to a woman, بصوا to more than one person. It is used constantly to draw someone's attention to anything nearby.
What does it mean word for word?
بص comes from the Egyptian verb يبص, 'to look, to glance', which is entirely different from the Standard Arabic root for looking, نظر.
Which one should you use?
بص is the general, all-purpose word for looking at something close by. For looking for something you have lost, Egyptians instead say بدور على, 'I am searching for'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بص is casual but not rude, it is used with friends, family and strangers alike when pointing something out.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The verb is used across Egypt and is one of the most recognisable everyday Egyptian words, distinct from other Arabic dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative drops the normal subject pronoun, the ending alone marks whether you are speaking to a man, a woman or several people.
How do you pronounce it?
The double ص is pronounced as one firm, slightly emphatic s sound, not two separate syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners sometimes use شوف, 'see', when they mean 'look', the two overlap but بص is specifically about directing someone's eyes right now.
When do people say it?
بص often opens a sentence as a filler to grab attention before making a point, similar to starting a sentence in English with 'look,'.
Did you know?
- بص is one of several everyday Egyptian verbs with no equivalent root in Modern Standard Arabic, which instead relies on نظر for looking.
Examples in context
- بص على الساعة، احنا متأخرين.boss ala el-sa'a, ehna mit'akhareen.Look at the clock, we're late.
- بصي، ده اللي كنت باقولك عليه.bossi, da elli kont ba'ullik aleih.Look, this is what I was telling you about.
- بصوا هنا شوية.bossu hena shwaya.Look over here for a second.
Example conversation
Tarek points out a street vendor to his friend Yasmin while they walk.
- Tarekبصي، في بياع فول هنا.bossi, fi bayya' fool hena.Look, there's a bean seller here.
- Yasminفين؟ انا مش شايفاه.fein? ana mesh shayfah.Where? I don't see him.
- Tarekبصي على شمالك، جنب العربية الحمرا.bossi ala shimalik, ganb el-arabiyya el-hamra.Look to your left, next to the red car.
- Yasminآه لقيته، يلا بينا.aah la'eito, yalla beena.Ah, I found him, let's go.
