How to Say "Needle" in Arabic

إبرة

ʔebra/ʔib.ra/Egyptian Arabic, feminine

The English word needle is translated into Arabic as إبرة (ʔebra). Wiktionary also lists إِبْرَة (ʔibra) and مِخْيَط (miḵyaṭ).

Meaning: implement for sewing etc. (noun)

Ways to say it

“needle” in Arabic
Arabic	Romanization (Wiktionary)	IPA	Note
إبرة	ʔebra	/ʔib.ra/	Egyptian Arabic, feminine
إِبْرَة	ʔibra		feminine
مِخْيَط	miḵyaṭ		masculine

The word refers to an implement for sewing etc.

While إبرة is the general term for a needle, مِخْيَط specifically refers to a sewing needle or a tool used for sewing.

In Egyptian Arabic, the pronunciation of the word for needle often shifts to إبرة.

The word إبرة is a feminine noun.

ʔebra (IPA: /ʔib.ra/)

If you ask for an إبرة at a pharmacy in many Arab countries, they will hand you a syringe rather than a sewing tool.
While إبرة is the common term, the word مِخْيَط comes from the root خيط meaning 'thread'. This makes the tool literally 'the thing that threads'.
The term إبرة is sometimes used in technical Arabic to describe the 'pointer' on various measurement gauges.

كَمن يبحث عن إبرة في كومة قَشّ.
It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
This sentence is useful for illustrating the idiom of looking for إبرة in a haystack.
Tatoeba #665429 by Samer, translation #42533 by CK
أنا محتاجة إبرة عشان أخيط القميص.
ana mehtaga ebira ashan akhayet el qamis.
I need a needle to sew the shirt.

Ziad is asking Layla for help with a torn shirt.

زياد Ziad

يا ليلى، ممكن تسلفيني إبرة وخيط؟
Ya Layla, momken tesallefini ibra we kheyt?
Layla, can you lend me a needle and thread?
ليلى Layla

طبعاً، الإبرة في صندوق الخياطة.
Tab'an, el ibra fi sunduq el kheyata.
Of course, the needle is in the sewing box.
زياد Ziad

شكراً، أنا هصلح الزرار بسرعة.
Shokran, ana hasallah el zorar besora.
Thanks, I will fix the button quickly.
ليلى Layla

تمام، بس خد بالك من الإبرة.
Tamam, bas khod balak mel ibra.
Okay, but be careful with the needle.

Sources

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