بَهَار
bahārmasculine
The English word "spice" is translated into Arabic as بَهَار (bahār). Wiktionary also lists تَوَابِل (tawābil).
Meaning: plant matter used to season or flavour food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بَهَار | bahār | masculine |
| تَوَابِل | tawābil | feminine, plural |
The term refers to plant matter used to season or flavour food.
Which one should you use?
While بَهَار refers to spice in a general or singular sense, تَوَابِل is the more common way to refer to a collection of spices or the category of spices in general. The singular form بَهَار is often used when referring to a specific type of spice or a single spice ingredient.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term البهارات is used in the Gulf countries and Egypt.
How do you pronounce it?
bahār
Did you know?
- In traditional markets, the seller of spices is often called an عَطَّار, which literally translates to 'perfumer'.
- The word بَهَار is a linguistic cousin to the word for 'spring' in Persian and Hindi. Both terms evoke the idea of blooming plants and freshness.
- In historical Arabic trade texts, certain spices were categorized as 'medicines' rather than food seasonings because of their perceived healing properties.
Examples in context
- أنا بحاجة إلى بعض التوابل لتحسين طعامي.I need some spices to enhance my food.
- أريد أن أعرف المزيد عن البهارات التي تستخدمونها في المطبخ.I want to know more about the spices you use in the kitchen.
- انا بحاجة اني اشتري التوابل للوجبة.I need to buy some spices for the meal.
- صديقي يعشق الطعام الحار، فأستخدم البهارات بكثافة.My friend loves spicy food, so I use spices heavily.
- هذا بَهَار طازج وممتاز.Hadha bahar tazaj wa mumtaz.This is a fresh and excellent spice.
Example conversation
Youssef and Nour are in the kitchen cooking a meal.
- يوسف Youssefهل نضع بَهَارًا إضافيًا؟hal nada' baharan idafiyan?Should we add more spice?
- نور Nourلا، يا يوسف، الطعم جيد.la, ya Youssef, al-ta'm jayyid.No, Youssef, the taste is good.
- يوسف Youssefهل تحبين هذا البَهَار؟hal tuhibbin hadha al-bahar?Do you like this spice?
- نور Nourنعم، إنه لذيذ جدًا.na'am, innahu ladhidh jiddan.Yes, it is very delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spice” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
