أبي
ʔabī
In Arabic, my dad is أبي (ʔabī).
The phrase is used to refer to the male parent of the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The word أبي consists of the root for father أب and the first-person singular possessive suffix ي which means 'my'.
Which one should you use?
The form أبي is the standard way to say 'my dad' used in Modern Standard Arabic, whereas بابا is more common in daily spoken conversation. Additionally, the term أبوي is a popular informal term used to refer to 'my dad'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أبي is the most common formal way to refer to 'my dad' in Arabic. In contrast, بابا is a more informal way to say 'dad' or 'papa' and أبوي is an informal term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may hear بابا as an alternative to أبي.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔabī
When do people say it?
The term بابا can mean 'Daddy'.
Did you know?
- The word أب is the root for the word أبجدية, meaning 'alphabet', because the first four letters of the Arabic alphabet are called the 'Abjad'.
- In some cultural contexts, using the formal أبي instead of the more affectionate بابا can actually create a sense of emotional distance between a child and their father.
- While بابا is used across the Arab world, in some North African dialects, you might hear بابا used to refer to an uncle or a respected elder, not just a biological father.
Examples in context
- تعرّف سامي على أبي.Sami recognized my dad.This sentence is useful for showing how to use أبي to describe someone being recognized.Tatoeba #6963594 by OsoHombre, translation #6809516 by OsoHombre
- سجلدني أبي كما يُجلد الحمار.My dad is going to whip me just like a donkey.This sentence shows a use of أبي in a hyperbolic or descriptive context.Tatoeba #5830380 by OsoHombre, translation #5828719 by OsoHombre
- توم هو أبيTom is my dad.This sentence demonstrates a simple way to identify someone as أبي.Tatoeba #6679530 by marhabaan, translation #2273298 by CK
- أبي أعز شخص في حياتي.My dad is the most important person in my life.
- أبوي دايماً يدعمني في كل مرحلة من حياتي.My dad always supports me in every stage of my life.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour are talking at a coffee shop.
- زياد Ziadأين أبي؟ayna abi?Where is my dad?
- نور Nourأبوك في السيارة.abuka fi al-sayyara.Your dad is in the car.
- زياد Ziadأبي يحب القهوة.abi yuhibbu al-qahwa.My dad loves coffee.
- نور Nourأنا أيضاً أحب القهوة.ana aydan uhibbu al-qahwa.I love coffee too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry أبي, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
