Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بِنْتُ أَخٍ | bintu ʔaḵin | feminine |
| بِنْتُ أُخْتٍ | bintu ʔuḵtin | feminine |
Arabic distinguishes between a fraternal niece (the daughter of one's brother) and a sororal niece (the daughter of one's sister).
What does it mean word for word?
The term بِنْتُ أَخٍ literally means 'daughter of a brother', while بِنْتُ أُخْتٍ literally means 'daughter of a sister'.
Which one should you use?
Use بِنْتُ أَخٍ specifically for a fraternal niece, the daughter of a brother and بِنْتُ أُخْتٍ for a sororal niece, the daughter of a sister.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, the term بنت الأخ is typically used to denote a niece.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession, such as saying 'my niece', you change the ending of the brother or sister to the possessive suffix. For a fraternal niece, this results in بِنْتُ أَخِي (my niece) and for a sororal niece, it results in بِنْتُ أُخْتِي (my niece).
How do you pronounce it?
bintu ʔaḵin
Did you know?
- In traditional Arabic kinship systems, the distinction between بِنْتُ أَخٍ and بِنْتُ أُخْتٍ was historically vital for determining inheritance and tribal alliances.
- While English uses one word for 'niece', Arabic belongs to a group of languages that prioritize the 'line' of kinship, distinguishing between paternal and maternal relatives in almost every family term.
- The word بِنْت meaning 'daughter' is also the standard Arabic word for 'girl', making the phrase for niece literally 'girl of a brother' or 'girl of a sister'.
Examples in context
- هذه هبة، ابنة أختيThis is Hibah, my niece.
Example conversation
Nour and Youssef are looking at a family photo.
- نور Nourمن هذه الفتاة الصغيرة؟Man hadhihi al-fatat al-saghirah?Who is this little girl?
- يوسف Youssefهذه بِنْتُ أَخٍ لي، اسمها سارة.Hadhihi bintu akhin li, ismuha Sarah.This is my niece, her name is Sarah.
- نور Nourإنها جميلة جداً يا يوسف.Innaha jamilah jiddan ya Youssef.She is very beautiful, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefشكراً لكِ يا نور.Shukran laki ya Nour.Thank you, Nour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
