حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ
ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ
The English phrase "rock paper scissors" is حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ (ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists حَجَر وَرَق مِقَصّ (ḥajar waraq miqaṣṣ).
Meaning: popular child's game (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ | ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ |
| حَجَر وَرَق مِقَصّ | ḥajar waraq miqaṣṣ |
This phrase refers to the popular child's game.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of the English game, consisting of the words for 'rock' (ḥajar), 'paper' (waraqa) and 'scissors' (miqaṣṣ).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for 'paper' can be used in its singular form waraqa or its collective/uncountable form waraq when naming the game.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ
Did you know?
- In the Levant, children often bypass the names of the objects entirely and simply count واحد، اتنين، تلاتة to time their move.
- While English speakers always treat 'scissors' as plural, the Arabic word مِقَصّ is grammatically singular.
- The word for 'rock' used in the game, حَجَر, is also the standard term for the pit or seed inside a fruit.
Examples in context
- دعونا نلعب حجر ورق مقص لمعرفة من يفوز!Let's play rock paper scissors to find out who wins!
- لَعِبْنا حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ في المَدْرَسَةِ.la'ibnā ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ fī al-madrasati.We played rock paper scissors at school.
- هَلْ تَعْرِفُ لُعْبَةَ حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ؟hal ta'rifu lu'bat ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ?Do you know the game rock paper scissors?
- دَعْنا نَحْسِمُ الأَمْرَ بِحَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ.da'nā naḥsimu al-amra bi-ḥajar waraqa miqaṣṣ.Let's settle the matter with rock paper scissors.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding who gets the last piece of candy.
- مريم Maryamكَيْفَ نَقَرِّرُ مَنْ يَأْخُذُهَا يَا زِياد؟Kayfa naqarriru man ya'khudhuha ya Ziyad?How do we decide who takes it, Ziyad?
- زياد Ziadلِنَلْعَبْ حَجَر وَرَقَة مِقَصّ الآنَ.Linall'ab hajar waraqa miqass al-an.Let's play rock paper scissors now.
- مريم Maryamمُوافِقَة، أَنَا مُسْتَعِدَّة!Muwafiqa, ana musta'idda!Agreed, I am ready!
- زياد Ziadواحِد، اثنان، ثَلاثَة!Wahid, ithnan, thalatha!One, two, three!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock paper scissors” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
