ابن
ibnstandard
In Lebanese Arabic "son" is ابن (ibn), and "my son" is ابني (ibni). People also say ولد (walad), which means both "boy" and "son".
Meaning: a male child in relation to a parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ابن | ibn | standard |
| ابني | ibni | my son |
| ولد | walad | everyday |
Parents say ابني when they talk about their son. ولد is used for boys in general, so ولادي (wlādi) can mean "my children".
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending ـي means "my", so ابن becomes ابني (my son) and بنت becomes بنتي (my daughter).
Did you know?
- Lebanese parents are often called أبو or أم plus the name of their eldest son, so a father of Karim is أبو كريم (abu karīm).
Examples in context
- ابني عمرو عشر سنين.ibni ʿomro ʿashr snīn.My son is ten years old.
- هيدا ابن جاري.haydā ibn jāri.This is my neighbor's son.
- ولدي بالمدرسة.waladi bil-madrase.My son is at school.
Example conversation
Hala meets her neighbor Abu Karim at the building entrance.
- Halaكيفك أبو كريم؟ كيف ابنك؟kīfak abu karīm? kīf ibnak?How are you, Abu Karim? How is your son?
- Abu Karimمنيح، الحمد لله. عم يدرس طب.mnīḥ, el-ḥamdulillāh. ʿam yedros ṭebb.Fine, thank God. He is studying medicine.
- Halaما شاء الله، الله يوفقو.mā shāʔ allāh, allāh yewaffeʔo.Wonderful, may God give him success.
