جُنَيْه
junayhUK, masculine
The English word pound can be translated into Arabic as جُنَيْه (junayh). Wiktionary also lists لِيرَة f or لَيْرَة (līra).
Meaning: unit of currency (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| جُنَيْه | junayh | UK, masculine |
| لِيرَة f or لَيْرَة | līra | feminine |
The term refers to a unit of currency.
Which one should you use?
While جُنَيْه refers to the pound, لِيرَة is used for the lira, a different unit of currency used in several Arabic-speaking countries like Lebanon and Syria.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the formal word for pound is جُنَيْه.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the Egyptian pound جُنَيْه is جُنَيْهَات.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is junayh.
Did you know?
- While لِيرَة refers to the 'lira', it is a loanword from the Italian 'lira', which originally referred to a small pound of silver.
- In many Arabic dialects, people use the word قِرْش (piastre) to talk about small change, much like English speakers use 'pence'.
- In historical-era Arabic texts, you might find جُنَيْه used specifically to denote a weight of precious metals rather than just a paper banknote.
Examples in context
- أريد تغيير الجنيه البريطانيuridu taqyeer al-genieh al-breetani
- هذا القميص سعره جُنَيْه واحد.hadha al-qamis si'ruhu junayh wahid.This shirt costs one pound.
- هل لديك جُنَيْه في جيبك؟hal ladayka junayh fi jaybika?Do you have a pound in your pocket?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pound” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
