ڤَانِيلَّا
vanillāfeminine
The English word vanilla is ڤَانِيلَّا (vanillā) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists ڤَانِيلِيَا (vaniliyā) and وَنِيلِيَّة (wanīliyya).
Meaning: flavor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ڤَانِيلَّا | vanillā | feminine |
| ڤَانِيلِيَا | vaniliyā | feminine |
| وَنِيلِيَّة | wanīliyya | feminine |
Which one should you use?
ڤَانِيلَّا is a direct phonetic loanword from English/French used commonly in modern Arabic, while ڤَانِيلِيَا is an alternative phonetic spelling of the loanword often found in different regional transliterations.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of the word are feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
vanillā
Did you know?
- In many Arabic recipes, the word for vanilla is used as an ingredient, but the concept of 'vanilla' as a 'plain' or 'standard' flavor (as in English) does not translate directly. In Arabic, 'plain' is usually expressed by the word for 'simple' or 'without additions'.
- The letter ڤ used in ڤَانِيلَّا is not part of the standard 28-letter Arabic alphabet and is a modified version of the letter 'f' created specifically for foreign loanwords.
- If you are looking for vanilla in a traditional Middle Eastern spice market, you might not find it under the name ڤَانِيلَّا. It is often categorized under 'artificial scents' or 'flavorings' rather than being grouped with traditional spices like cardamom or cinnamon.
Examples in context
- معجناتُنا تحتوي على فانيليا طبيعية.Our pastries contain natural vanilla.
- هَلْ هَذَا الكَعْكُ بِنَكْهَةِ ڤَانِيلَّا؟hal hādhā al-ka‘ku bi-nakḥati vānillā?Is this cake vanilla flavored?
- أُرِيدُ مُثَلَّجَاتٍ بِنَكْهَةِ ڤَانِيلَّا.urīdu muthallajāt bi-nakḥati vānillā.I want vanilla flavored ice cream.
Example conversation
Omar and Layla are at an ice cream shop.
- عمر Omarماذا ستطلبين يا ليلى؟Madha satatlubina ya Layla?What will you order, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaسأطلب نكهة ڤَانِيلَّا.Sa'atlubu nakhat vanilla.I will order vanilla flavor.
- عمر Omarهذا اختيار جيد جداً.Hadha ikhtiyar jayyid jiddan.That is a very good choice.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً يا عمر.Shukran ya Omar.Thank you, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vanilla” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
