بابا
babaeveryday, casual
Lebanese children call their father بابا (baba), and بيي (bayyi) means "my father" when talking about him.
Meaning: informal word for father (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بابا | baba | everyday, casual |
| بيي | bayyi | Lebanese, my father |
بابا (baba) is what you say to your father at any age. بيي (bayyi) is used when you talk about him to others, as in بيي بالشغل (bayyi bish-shoghol), "my dad is at work".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal word is والد (walid), as in والدي (waldi), "my father", used in documents and polite speech.
Did you know?
- In Lebanese Arabic fathers are also called by their eldest son's name, so a man may be known as أبو كريم (abou Karim), "father of Karim".
Examples in context
- بابا، تعا.baba, ta3a.Papa, come here.
- بيي بيشتغل بالمطعم.bayyi bishteghel bil-mat3am.My dad works at the restaurant.
Example conversation
Little Yara waits for her father to come home from work.
- Yaraبابا، وين كنت؟baba, wein kenet?Papa, where were you?
- Babaكنت بالشغل، حبيبتي.kent bish-shoghol, habibti.I was at work, my dear.
- Yaraاشتقتلك.ishta'tellak.I missed you.
