تعبان
tuʿbāneveryday, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic "snake" is تعبان (tuʿbān). The plural is تعابين (taʿābīn). It is also called حية (ḥayya) and ثعبان (thuʿbān).
Meaning: snake (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تعبان | tuʿbān | everyday, Egyptian |
| حية | ḥayya | neutral |
| ثعبان | thuʿbān | Standard Arabic |
Egyptians use تعبان (tuʿbān) for any snake, from a garden snake to a cobra. حية (ḥayya) is another word you may hear, often for a venomous one.
Which one should you use?
The Standard Arabic form is ثعبان (thuʿbān). In Egyptian speech the ث sound becomes ت.
What mistakes should you avoid?
The word تعبان (taʿbān) with a different vowel means "tired", so the stress and context matter.
Did you know?
- The same spelling تعبان can be read as تعبان (taʿbān), "tired", which is a very common word in Egyptian Arabic.
Examples in context
- شفت تعبان في الجنينة.shuft tuʿbān fi l-ganēna.I saw a snake in the garden.
- أنا بخاف من التعابين.ana bakhāf min et-taʿābīn.I am afraid of snakes.
- التعبان ده سام.et-tuʿbān da sāmm.This snake is poisonous.
Example conversation
Fady tells his uncle about something he saw on a farm near Fayoum.
- Fadyيا عمو، فيه تعبان جنب الباب!yā ʿammu, fīh tuʿbān ganb el-bāb!Uncle, there is a snake next to the door!
- Uncleابعد عنه وأنا هتصرف.ibʿad ʿanno wi ana hatṣarraf.Stay away from it and I will deal with it.
- Fadyحاضر، هستنى هنا.ḥāḍir, hastanna hena.OK, I will wait here.
