بِيسْتُو
bīstūmasculine
The English phrase "pesto" is بِيسْتُو (bīstū) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists بِسْتُو (bistū).
Meaning: an Italian sauce especially for pasta (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بِيسْتُو | bīstū | masculine |
| بِسْتُو | bistū | masculine |
The term refers to the Italian sauce typically served with pasta.
Which one should you use?
The forms بِيسْتُو and بِسْتُو are both used to refer to the sauce. In more formal contexts, you may also use the descriptive phrase صلصة البازيل (basil sauce) or the informal صوص البازيل (basil sauce).
How does it change in a sentence?
Both بِيسْتُو and بِسْتُو are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
bīstū
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word 'sauce' is borrowed from French as صوص (saws), which is why you see it paired with 'pesto' in modern menus.
- If you ask for صوص البازيل in a high-end Levantine restaurant, the chef might assume you are asking for a generic basil-based sauce rather than the specific Italian 'pesto' recipe.
- If you are looking for pesto in a traditional Arabic grocery, you will likely not find it under the name بِيسْتُو, but rather by looking for its components like 'basil' and 'oil'.
Examples in context
- يجب أن نستخدم البيستو في هذه الوصفة الإيطالية.We should use pesto in this Italian recipe.
- ممكن تحط صوص البازيل على الباستا؟Can you put pesto on the pasta?
- هذا صوص بِيسْتُو لذيذ جداً.hādhā ṣōṣ bīstu ladhīdh jiddan.This pesto sauce is very delicious.
- هل نشتري صوص بِيسْتُو اليوم؟hal nashtarī ṣōṣ bīstu al-yawm?Shall we buy pesto sauce today?
Example conversation
Layla and Youssef are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- ليلى Laylaيوسف، ماذا تريد أن تأكل اليوم؟Youssef, madha turidu an ta'kula al-yawm?Youssef, what do you want to eat today?
- يوسف Youssefأريد مكرونة بصلصة بِيسْتُو من فضلك.uridu makaruna bi-salsat pesto min fadlak.I want pasta with pesto sauce, please.
- ليلى Laylaهل تفضل الـ بِيسْتُو المنزلي أم الجاهز؟hal tufaddilu al-pesto al-manzili am al-jahiz?Do you prefer homemade pesto or store-bought?
- يوسف Youssefالمنزلي أفضل بكثير يا ليلى.al-manzili afdal bi-kathir ya Layla.Homemade is much better, Layla.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pesto” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
