Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| أَيْضًا | ʔayḍan |
| كَذٰلِكَ | ka-ḏālika |
| كَمَان | kamān |
| بَرْضُه | barḍuh |
Which one should you use?
While أَيْضًا is the standard way to say 'too' or 'also' in Modern Standard Arabic, كَذٰلِكَ carries a slightly different nuance, often meaning 'likewise' or 'in a similar manner'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أَيْضًا and كَذٰلِكَ are formal options suitable for written Arabic, academic contexts or professional settings. In contrast, كَمَان is informal and used in spoken communication.
Is it said differently in some regions?
كَمَان is the most common way to express 'too' or 'also' in spoken Egyptian and Levantine dialects. The expression و كمان is used in Sudanese Arabic to mean 'and too' or 'and also'. In Moroccan Arabic, the phrase و أنا is used informally to mean 'and I' or 'me too'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many dialects, the word كَمَان can function as both 'also/too' and 'more' (for example, when asking for 'more coffee').
How do you pronounce it?
ʔayḍan
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word برضه is used not just for 'too', but as a sarcastic way to say 'anyway' or 'regardless'. It often signals that a previous argument was pointless because the result remains the same.
- The formal word أَيْضًا is derived from a root meaning 'to return' or 'to repeat'. Its use as 'too' literally suggests that a similar point is being returned or repeated in the conversation.
- In Egyptian Arabic, كمان is not just used for 'too' or 'more', but can also mean 'still' or 'yet'.
Examples in context
- نعم، أنا مستعد أيضًا (naʻam, anā mustaʻid ayḍan)Yes, I am ready too
- أَنَا أُرِيدُ قَهْوَةً أَيْضًا.ana urīdu qahwatan ayḍan.I want a coffee too.
- هِيَ تَتَحَدَّثُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ أَيْضًا.hiya tataḥaddathu al-ʿarabiyyata ayḍan.She speaks Arabic too.
- أُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ أَيْضًا.urīdu as-safara ayḍan.I want to travel too.
Example conversation
At a cafe, Sarah and Omar are ordering food.
- سارة Saraأُرِيدُ شَايًا.urīdu shāyan.I want tea.
- عمر Omarأَنَا أُرِيدُ شَايًا أَيْضًا.ana urīdu shāyan ayḍan.I want tea too.
- سارة Saraهَلْ تُرِيدُ حَلْوَى؟hal turīdu ḥalwā?Do you want sweets?
- عمر Omarلَا، شُكْرًا.lā, shukran.No, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “too” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
