Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| مُتَوَحِّش | mutawaḥḥiš |
| بَرِّيّ | barriyy |
The term used to translate "wild" depends on whether you are describing a creature's behavior or its natural habitat. Use مُتَوَحِّش to describe something savage or behaving in an uncontrolled, beast-like manner. Use بَرِّيّ to describe species that live in their natural, uncultivated environment, such as wild plants or animals.
What does it mean word for word?
The word بَرِّيّ is derived from a root meaning 'land' or 'wilderness', so it literally means 'of the land', distinguishing it from things of the sea or those that are domesticated.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between biological and behavioral descriptions. بَرِّيّ is the biological term for living in the wild/natural habitat. In contrast, مُتَوَحِّش is the behavioral term used to describe animals or people that are savage, ferocious or behaving in a wild, uncontrolled manner.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, the word بَرِّيّ can be used to convey the sense of wild.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective مُتَوَحِّش becomes مُتَوَحِّشَة when describing a feminine noun, while the adjective بَرِّيّ becomes بَرِّيَّة when describing a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
mutawaḥḥiš
Did you know?
- The word مُتَوَحِّش shares a root with وحيد, meaning 'alone' or 'solitary'. This links the concept of being 'wild' or 'savage' to the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
- While مُتَوَحِّش means 'wild' in a behavioral sense, it is also the root for the word 'monster' in many Arabic dialects.
- Calling a person مُتَوَحِّش is a far more severe insult than calling someone 'wild' in English. It implies that the person has completely lost all traces of human civilization.
Examples in context
- لَيْلَتِي كَانَتْ مَجْنُونَةMy night was wild
- هذا الحيوان مُتَوَحِّش جداً.hadha al-hayawan mutawahish jiddan.This animal is very wild.
- القط في الغابة مُتَوَحِّش.al-qitt fi al-ghaba mutawahish.The cat in the forest is wild.
Example conversation
Leila and Youssef are looking at a photo of a leopard.
- ليلى Laylaانظر يا يوسف، هذا النمر مُتَوَحِّش جداً.Unzur ya Youssef, hadha al-namir mutawahhish jiddan.Look Youssef, this tiger is very wild.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، هل تعتقدين أنه يعيش في حديقة؟Na'am, hal ta'taqidin annahu ya'ishu fi hadiqa?Yes, do you think it lives in a garden?
- ليلى Laylaلا، إنه حيوان مُتَوَحِّش يعيش في الغابة.La, innahu hayawan mutawahhish ya'ishu fi al-ghaba.No, it is a wild animal that lives in the forest.
- يوسف Youssefإنه يبدو قوياً ومخيفاً.Innahu yabdu qawiyyan wa mukhifan.It looks strong and scary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wild” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
