بَطَاطَا
baṭāṭāfeminine
The English word "potato" is translated into Arabic as بَطَاطَا (baṭāṭā) or بَطَاطِس.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بَطَاطَا | baṭāṭā | feminine |
| بَطَاطِس | baṭāṭis | masculine |
The word refers to the plant tuber eaten as a starchy vegetable.
Which one should you use?
The feminine form بَطَاطَا is common in the Levant and Egypt, while the masculine form بَطَاطِس is used in the Gulf region and parts of North Africa.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بَطَاطَا is commonly used in Egypt and the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine). بَطَاطِس is widely used in the Gulf region and parts of North Africa.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form بَطَاطَا is feminine, while بَطَاطِس is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
baṭāṭā
Did you know?
- The word بَطَاطَا is an example of a loanword that entered Arabic from Spanish, which had borrowed it from the Taíno language of the Caribbean.
- In Egypt, street vendors often sell بَطَاطَا roasted in charcoal ovens, which are almost exclusively sweet potatoes rather than the standard potato.
- The term for 'French fries' in many Arabic-speaking countries is simply 'potato' plus the word for 'sticks' or 'fingers'.
Examples in context
- أحتاج إلى شراء بعض البطاطس للعشاء.I need to buy some potatoes for dinner.
- أُريدُ بَطَاطَا مَقْلِيَّةً.urīdu baṭāṭā maqliyya.I want french fries.
- اشْتَرَيْتُ بَطَاطَا مِنَ السُّوقِ.ishtaraytu baṭāṭā mina al-sūq.I bought potatoes from the market.
Example conversation
Layla and Youssef are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- ليلى Laylaماذا نطبخ اليوم يا يوسف؟Madha natbukhu al-yawm ya Youssef?What shall we cook today, Youssef?
- يوسف Youssefهل لدينا بَطَاطَا في المطبخ؟Hal ladayna batata fi al-matbakh?Do we have potatoes in the kitchen?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، هناك الكثير من البَطَاطَا.Naam, hunaka al-kathir min al-batata.Yes, there are plenty of potatoes.
- يوسف Youssefإذاً، لنصنع حساء البَطَاطَا.Idhan, linasna' hysa al-batata.Then, let's make potato soup.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
