اِبْنُ أَخٍ
ibnu ʔaḵinmasculine
In Arabic, the word for nephew depends on whether the child is the son of your brother or your sister. اِبْنُ أَخٍ (ibnu ʔaḵin). Wiktionary also lists اِبْنُ أُخْتٍ (ibnu ʔuḵtin).
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| اِبْنُ أَخٍ | ibnu ʔaḵin | masculine |
| اِبْنُ أُخْتٍ | ibnu ʔuḵtin |
Arabic distinguishes between the two types of nephews through different terms: one for a brother's son and one for a sister's son.
What does it mean word for word?
The term اِبْنُ أَخٍ literally means "son of a brother", while اِبْنُ أُخْتٍ literally means "son of a sister".
Which one should you use?
Use اِبْنُ أَخٍ specifically for a fraternal nephew (the son of one's brother) and اِبْنُ أُخْتٍ specifically for a sororal nephew (the son of one's sister).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, the term ولد الأخ is used for a brother's son in both formal and informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
ibnu ʔaḵin
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, a paternal uncle is often seen as a second father, making the bond with an اِبْنُ أَخٍ particularly strong.
- The distinction between these terms is so foundational that even in legal documents, failing to specify 'son of a brother' or 'son of a sister' can create ambiguity in inheritance discussions.
- Because Arabic specifies the parent, it is impossible to say 'my nephew' without revealing if your sibling is a brother or a sister.
Examples in context
- لَدَيَّ اِبْنُ أَخٍ وَاحِدٌ.ladayya ibnu akhin wahid.I have one nephew.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nephew” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
