فِلْفِل
filfilmasculine
The Arabic word for pepper is فِلْفِل (filfil). If unsure, use فِلْفِل. Wiktionary also lists فُلْفُل (fulful).
Meaning: spice (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فِلْفِل | filfil | masculine |
| فُلْفُل | fulful | masculine |
Black pepper is فلفل أسود and red pepper is فلفل أحمر, which can mean red bell pepper or red chili pepper. For hot pepper add the adjective harr, as in فِلْفِل حار.
Which one should you use?
فِلْفِل is the standard form in Modern Standard Arabic. فُلْفُل (fulful) is another vowel pattern of the same word.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some North African dialects, bzar is used for spices in general, including pepper.
How does it change in a sentence?
فِلْفِل is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said filfil, with two short i sounds as in fill.
Did you know?
- The English word 'pepper' actually derives from the Latin 'piper', which was borrowed from the Sanskrit 'pippali' and is a linguistic cousin to the Arabic فِلْفِل.
- The structure of فِلْفِل is a linguistic pattern where repeating sounds often describes things with intense or striking physical properties.
- If you are shopping in a North African market and ask for 'bzar', you might receive a complex spice mix instead of the single pepper you intended.
Examples in context
- هل تستخدمون الفلفل في وصفاتكم؟Do you use pepper in your recipes?
- نعم، نستخدم الفلفل الأسود.Yes, we use black pepper.
- أُريدُ فِلْفِل أَحْمَر.urīdu filfil aḥmar.I want red pepper.
- هَلْ هُناكَ فِلْفِل في السَّلَطَة؟hal hunāka filfil fī as-salata?Is there pepper in the salad?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pepper” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
