أخت
ʔoḵt/ʔuxt/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The Arabic word for sister is أخت (ʔoḵt) (ʔuḵt). If unsure, use أخت. Wiktionary also lists أُخْت (ʔuḵt) and شَقِيقَة (šaqīqa).
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أخت | ʔoḵt | /ʔuxt/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| أُخْت | ʔuḵt | feminine | |
| شَقِيقَة | šaqīqa | feminine | |
| اِخْت | iḵt | Gulf Arabic, feminine | |
| إخت | ʔiḵt | North Levantine Arabic, masculine |
أُخْت is the general word for sister in Modern Standard Arabic.
Which one should you use?
شَقِيقَة (šaqīqa) is more formal and specifically means a full sister, sharing both parents.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Egyptians say ʔoḵt. In the Gulf the word is اِخْت (iḵt) and in the North Levant it is إخت (ʔiḵt).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural is أخوات.
How do you pronounce it?
In Modern Standard Arabic it is /ʔuxt/, one syllable ending in a rough sound like the ch in Scottish loch. Egyptians say ʔoḵt.
Did you know?
- The formal word for full sister, شَقِيقَة, comes from the root word for 'splitting' or 'cleaving'. It literally describes a sister who was 'split' from the same womb as her sibling.
- In various Arabic dialects, the term أختي ('my sister') acts as a polite social lubricant when addressing a female stranger to avoid the formality of 'madam' or 'miss'.
- While English speakers might use 'sister' to mean a nun, in Arabic, calling a nun أخت is a common way to refer to her in many Christian communities.
Examples in context
- كم عمر أختك ؟How old is your sister?أختك means your sister.Tatoeba #3664436 by Alaakhalid, translation #1859662 by CM
- ماري هي أخت تومMary is Tom's sister.أخت توم means Tom's sister.Tatoeba #6679746 by marhabaan, translation #1030060 by CK
- هو لا يحب أختها.He doesn't like her sister.أختها means her sister.Tatoeba #12000823 by dididodo, translation #8614220 by Amastan
- عَفْوًا يا سَيِّد. هَلْ بإمْكَانِي أَنْ أَتَحَدَّثَ إِلَى أُخْتِكَ؟Excuse me, sir. Can I speak to your sister?
- يَا أُخْتِي. هَيَّا نَخْرُجْ لِنَمْشِي.Hey, sister. Let's go out for a walk.
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla introduces her sibling to Ziad.
- ليلى Laylaدي أختي الصغيرة يا زياد.di okhti es-saghira ya Ziyad.This is my little sister, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadأهلاً وسهلاً، هي شكلها طيبة.ahlan wa sahlan, heyya shaklaha tayyiba.Welcome, she looks kind.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً، هي أحسن أخت في الدنيا.shukran, heyya ahsan okht fel donia.Thanks, she is the best sister in the world.
- زياد Ziadربنا يخليكم لبعض.rabena yekhalikum le ba'd.May God keep you together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries أخت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
