جمبري
gambarieveryday, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic "shrimp" is جمبري (gambari). You will see it on every seafood menu in Egypt. It is also called روبيان (rubyān).
Meaning: shrimp (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| جمبري | gambari | everyday, Egyptian |
| روبيان | rubyān | Standard Arabic |
Restaurants list dishes such as جمبري مشوي (gambari mashwi), grilled shrimp, and جمبري مقلي (gambari maʾli), fried shrimp.
Which one should you use?
Standard Arabic uses روبيان (rubyān), which is common in Gulf countries but rare in Egyptian speech.
How do you pronounce it?
The first letter ج is a hard "g" in Cairo, so the word sounds like "gam-BAH-ree".
Did you know?
- Egyptians eat shrimp mostly in coastal cities such as Alexandria and Port Said, often grilled or in a tomato sauce.
Examples in context
- عايز طبق جمبري مشوي.ʿāyiz ṭabaʾ gambari mashwi.I want a plate of grilled shrimp.
- الجمبري هنا طازة.el-gambari hena ṭāza.The shrimp here is fresh.
- بحب الجمبري بالثوم.baḥibb el-gambari bit-tūm.I like shrimp with garlic.
Example conversation
Maged orders lunch from a waiter at a fish restaurant in Alexandria.
- Waiterتحب تاكل إيه؟tiḥibb tākul ēh?What would you like to eat?
- Magedعايز جمبري مشوي ورز.ʿāyiz gambari mashwi wi ruzz.I want grilled shrimp and rice.
- Waiterحاضر، دقايق وهيجيلك.ḥāḍir, daʾāyiʾ wi hayegīlak.Certainly, it will be with you in a few minutes.
