ملعقة
milʕaga/mil.ʕa.qa/Hijazi Arabic, feminine
The English word spoon is translated into Arabic as ملعقة (milʕaga). Wiktionary also lists مِلْعَقَة (milʕaqa) and خَاشُوقَة (ḵāšūga).
Meaning: scooped utensil for eating (or serving) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ملعقة | milʕaga | /mil.ʕa.qa/ | Hijazi Arabic, feminine |
| مِلْعَقَة | milʕaqa | feminine | |
| خَاشُوقَة | ḵāšūga | Gulf Arabic, feminine | |
| قفشة | gafša | Gulf Arabic | |
| عشقة | ʕašqa | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| مِلعَقَة | malʕaʔa | North Levantine Arabic, feminine |
The word refers to a scooped utensil used for eating or serving food.
Which one should you use?
In the Gulf region, you may encounter both خَاشُوقَة and the colloquial قفشة. Other regional variations include the North Levantine مِلعَقَة and the Moroccan عشقة.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form مِلْعَقَة is the standard, formal term used in Modern Standard Arabic. Other forms like قفشة are colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, خَاشُوقَة is a common word, while قفشة is a colloquial term used in parts of the Gulf. In Morocco, the specific term used is عشقة. In Hijazi Arabic, the form ملعقة is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard word مِلْعَقَة is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /mil.ʕa.qa/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- هل من أحد يعطيني ملعقة؟Could somebody get me a spoon?This sentence is useful for asking someone to provide you with a ملعقة.Tatoeba #2107314 by Amastan, translation #2095436 by CK
- ممكن تمدلي ملعقة؟Can you pass me a spoon?
- هل يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَمُرَّرَ لِي ملعقة الشوربة، من فضلك؟Could you please pass me the soup spoon?
- أنا محتاجة ملعقة للأكل.ana mihtaja mil'aga lil-akl.I need a spoon for eating.
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmed are having breakfast in the kitchen.
- ليلى Laylaأحمد، ممكن تعطيني ملعقة؟Ahmed, mumkin ti'teeni mil'aga?Ahmed, can you give me a spoon?
- أحمد Ahmedأكيد، تفضلي يا ليلى.Akeed, tafaddali ya Layla.Sure, here you go, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً، الملعقة باردة.Shukran, al-mil'aga barida.Thanks, the spoon is cold.
- أحمد Ahmedسأجلب لكِ واحدة أخرى.Sa-ajlib laki wahida ukhra.I will bring you another one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spoon” translations and entries ملعقة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ملعقة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
