Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| مَاء | māʔ | masculine | |
| مية | máyya | Egyptian Arabic, feminine | |
| امبو | ʔumbū | Egyptian Arabic | |
| ماي | māy | /maːj/ | Gulf Arabic |
| موية | mōya | Hijazi Arabic | |
| ما | mā | /maː/ | Moroccan Arabic, masculine |
| مَيّ | ṃayy | North Levantine Arabic, masculine | |
| مي | ṃayy | /majj/ | South Levantine Arabic |
The word refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Which one should you use?
مَاء is the formal standard version, whereas مية is the common spoken form used in Egyptian Arabic. The form امبو is a highly colloquial, almost childish term used in Egypt, often by children or when speaking to them.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
مَاء is the standard Modern Standard Arabic word used in formal writing, news and literature. In contrast, مية is the everyday spoken form in Egypt and امبو is considered slang.
Is it said differently in some regions?
مية and امبو are used in Egyptian Arabic. ماي is used in Gulf Arabic. موية is used in Hijazi Arabic. ما is used in Moroccan Arabic. مَيّ is used in North Levantine Arabic, and مي is used in South Levantine Arabic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard form مَاء is a masculine noun, while the Egyptian form مية is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
māʔ
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, offering مَاء is not just about thirst but is a deeply rooted gesture of hospitality and religious merit, often mentioned in the Quran as a blessing.
- The childish Egyptian term امبو is actually a phonetic mimicry of the sound a toddler makes when trying to say 'water'.
- In Arabic, the word مَاء appears in the term ماء المورد, which refers to a watering hole or a source of water, often used metaphorically to describe a source of knowledge.
Examples in context
- هل لي بكأس ماء؟May I have a glass of water?This sentence is useful for requesting a glass of water using the form ماء.Tatoeba #372990 by saeb, translation #64354 by CK
- هل يوجد ماء هنا؟Is there water there?This sentence is useful for asking about the presence of water using the form ماء.Tatoeba #8434007 by TheBahi, translation #4555662 by Choctaw_Irish
- ما هذا إلا ماء.*This is just water.This sentence is useful for identifying a substance as water using the form ماء.Tatoeba #10340763 by Amastan, translation #3367216 by Hybrid
- أريد كوباً من الماء، من فضلك.I would like a glass of water, please.
- بتشرب مية؟Do you drink water?
- بدي أشرب مي.I want to drink water.
- 69 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are hiking and feeling thirsty.
- عمر Omarأنا عطشان جداً، هل معكِ مَاء؟Ana 'atshan jiddan, hal ma'aki ma'?I am very thirsty, do you have water?
- سارة Saraنعم، تفضل هذه زجاجة مَاء.Na'am, tafaddal hadhihi zujajat ma'.Yes, here is a bottle of water.
- عمر Omarشكراً لكِ يا سارة.Shukran laki ya Sarah.Thank you, Sarah.
- سارة Saraعفواً يا عمر.Afwan ya Omar.You're welcome, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries ماي, ما, مي, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
