مِعْطَف
miʕṭafmasculine
The English word "pullover" can be translated into Arabic as مِعْطَف (miʕṭaf), كِنْزَة, بُلوفَر or سُتْرَة.
Meaning: sweater (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مِعْطَف | miʕṭaf | masculine |
| كِنْزَة | kinza | feminine |
| بُلوفَر | bulōfar, bulōvar | masculine |
| سُتْرَة | sutra | feminine |
Which one should you use?
While مِعْطَف is listed, it more accurately refers to a coat or jacket rather than a knitted sweater. The word كِنْزَة is the most common way to refer specifically to a knitted sweater or pullover.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بُلوفَر is a loanword from English and is used frequently in many spoken Arabic dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because كِنْزَة is a feminine noun, any adjectives describing it must take the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
miʕṭaf
Did you know?
- The word سُتْرَة is used beyond clothing to describe the act of 'covering' or protecting someone's honor and faults from public knowledge.
- In some Levantine dialects, كِنْزَة can refer to any top garment, including a T-shirt, whereas in Modern Standard Arabic it specifically implies a knitted sweater.
- Depending on the region, using the loanword بُلوفَر can signal that the speaker is from an urban center or belongs to a younger, more modern social class.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Sarah and Youssef are getting ready to go outside.
- سارة Saraهل الجو بارد في الخارج؟Hal al-jawwu barid fil-kharij?Is it cold outside?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، ارتدِ مِعْطَفَكَ يا يوسف.Na'am, artadi mi'tafaka ya Youssef.Yes, wear your sweater, Youssef.
- سارة Saraأين مِعْطَفِي الأزرق؟Ayna mi'tafi al-azraq?Where is my blue sweater?
- يوسف Youssefهو على الكرسي هناك.Huwa 'ala al-kursi hunak.It is on the chair over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pullover” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
