Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بمبي | bambi | |
| وردي | wardi | more formal |
بمبي is the word Egyptians reach for in daily life, for clothes, paint or a child's toy. وردي, literally 'rose colored', shows up more in writing or poetic description.
What does it mean word for word?
بمبي is a borrowed word, adapted from the English 'pinky' into an Egyptian-sounding adjective. وردي comes from ورد, 'roses'.
Which one should you use?
Use بمبي in conversation and shopping. وردي appears in literary or descriptive language, such as describing a sunset.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are acceptable in casual speech, بمبي simply sounds more modern and informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بمبي is heard across Egypt and understood instantly by any Egyptian speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both adjectives stay the same for masculine nouns and take -ة for feminine agreement, بمبي becoming بمبية (bambeyya) and وردي becoming وردية (wardeyya).
How do you pronounce it?
بمبي is said 'BAM-bi', with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- بمبي is one of many Egyptian color words borrowed from European languages during the twentieth century, alongside others like بيج for beige.
Examples in context
- الفستان ده لونه بمبي حلو.el-fostan da lono bambi helw.This dress's color is a pretty pink.
- عايزة أصبغ الحيطة بمبي.ayza asbagh el-heta bambi.I want to paint the wall pink.
- السما بقت وردية عند الغروب.el-sama ba'et wardeyya and el-ghuroob.The sky turned pink at sunset.
Example conversation
A shopkeeper named Fathy helps a customer named Shahd choose a scarf.
- Shahdفي الطرحة دي بلون تاني؟fi el-tarha di bi-lon tani?Is this scarf in another color?
- Fathyعندنا نفس الموديل بمبي وأزرق.andena nafs el-model bambi w azra'.We have the same style in pink and blue.
- Shahdهاخد البمبي، يعجبني أكتر.hakhod el-bambi, yi'gibni aktar.I'll take the pink one, I like it more.
- Fathyاختيار حلو، يناسب لون بشرتك.ekhteyar helw, yinasib lon bashartik.Nice choice, it suits your skin tone.
