دُكَّان
dukkānmasculine
The English word 'shop' can be translated into Arabic using دُكَّان (dukkān). Wiktionary also lists مَتْجَر (matjar) and مَحَلّ (maḥall).
Meaning: establishment that sells goods (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| دُكَّان | dukkān | masculine | |
| مَتْجَر | matjar | masculine | |
| مَحَلّ | maḥall | masculine | |
| حَانُوت | ḥānūt | masculine | |
| دكان | dukkān | /duk.kaːn/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| مَحَل | maḥal | Hijazi Arabic, masculine | |
| بِقالة | bigāla | Hijazi Arabic, masculine | |
| حانوت | ḥanut | /ħaː.nuːt/ (singular) /ħa.waː.niːt/ (singular) |
Moroccan Arabic, masculine |
These terms all refer to an establishment that sells goods.
Which one should you use?
مَحَلّ literally means 'place' or 'location' but is very commonly used to mean a shop or store. In contrast, matjar is a more formal and professional term for a retail establishment than dukkān.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
دُكَّان is a common, everyday word for a small shop and is used frequently in many dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use دكان. In Hijazi Arabic, مَحَل is used for a shop and بِقالة is used specifically to refer to a grocery shop or small food store. In Moroccan Arabic, the form حانوت is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms for 'shop' are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
dukkān
Did you know?
- The word دُكَّان is not native to Arabic but was borrowed from Persian, where it originally referred to a 'bench' or 'platform' used by merchants to display goods.
- The traditional Moroccan حانوت often utilizes a credit system where locals maintain a 'tab' in a notebook, a custom that persists despite the rise of supermarkets.
- The word حَانُوت once referred to a wide range of businesses, including taverns or places where things are kept, but now it is primarily associated with small local shops in North African dialects.
Examples in context
- أي مَحَل مثلجات أنتَ ذاهب إليه؟Which ice cream shop are you going to?This sentence is useful for asking about a specific destination, such as an ice cream مَحَل.Tatoeba #1938738 by Asma, translation #1937597 by CK
- أَيْنَ دُكَّانُ الخُضارِ القَريبُ مِن هُنا؟ayna dukkan al-khudar al-qareeb min huna?Where is the vegetable shop near here?
Example conversation
Sara and Omar are walking in a neighborhood and looking for supplies.
- سارة Saraيا عُمَر، أَينَ دُكَّانُ الخُضارِ؟ya Omar, ayna dukkan al-khudar?Omar, where is the vegetable shop?
- عمر Omarهذاكَ دُكَّانٌ جَديدٌ عِندَ الزَّاوِيَةِ.hadhaka dukkan jadeed 'ind al-zawiya.That is a new shop at the corner.
- سارة Saraهَل هُوَ دُكَّانٌ جَيِّدٌ؟hal huwa dukkan jayyid?Is it a good shop?
- عمر Omarنَعَم، هُوَ دُكَّانٌ مُمْتازٌ.na'am, huwa dukkan mumtaz.Yes, it is an excellent shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shop” translations and entries دكان, حانوت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
