عاصفة
ʿāṣifaeveryday, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic "storm" is عاصفة (ʿāṣifa). On the north coast and in Alexandria people also speak of نوة (nawwa), a winter storm.
Meaning: storm (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عاصفة | ʿāṣifa | everyday, Egyptian |
| نوة | nawwa | winter storm, Alexandria and the north coast |
Use عاصفة (ʿāṣifa) for strong wind and rain, and عاصفة ترابية (ʿāṣifa turābiyya) for a dust storm, which is a familiar sight in Egypt.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
عاصفة (ʿāṣifa) is the same word as in Standard Arabic, so it sounds natural in both speech and news.
Is it said differently in some regions?
النوة (en-nawwa) is the local word for the stormy weather that hits Alexandria in winter. Alexandrians use it as a normal weather term.
Did you know?
- Alexandrians give names to the successive winter storms, for example the one called الغطاس (el-ghaṭṭās), which arrives around the Coptic Epiphany in January.
Examples in context
- فيه عاصفة جاية النهارده.fīh ʿāṣifa gaya en-naharda.A storm is coming today.
- عاصفة ترابية ضربت القاهرة.ʿāṣifa turābiyya ḍarabit el-ʾāhira.A dust storm hit Cairo.
- النوة هتبدأ بالليل.en-nawwa hatibtidi bil-leil.The storm will start at night.
Example conversation
Hassan calls his friend Mostafa in Alexandria to check on the weather.
- Hassanالجو عامل إيه عندك؟el-gaw ʿāmil ēh ʿandak?How is the weather where you are?
- Mostafaفيه نوة والبحر عالي.fīh nawwa wi l-baḥr ʿāli.There is a storm and the sea is high.
- Hassanخليك في البيت.khalliik fi l-bēt.Stay at home.
