Decoding Lebanese Family Terms: From Parents to Cousins

In this video, I dive into the heart of Lebanese culture by exploring the terms we use to describe our family members. As the sun blazes outside, reaching temperatures of up to 40 degrees, we’ll stay indoors and navigate the intricate web of familial terms in the Lebanese dialect. From the basics like “mother” and “father” to the more nuanced distinctions between different types of uncles and aunts, we’ll unravel the linguistic threads that tie a Lebanese family together. Whether you’re a beginner looking to grasp the essentials or someone aiming to delve deeper into the language, this lesson offers insights that mirror the rich tapestry of Lebanese family life.

Transcript:

Welcome to a New Lesson in Lebanese Arabic

I hope you are having a good summer. Here it’s too hot, it’s 36 degrees, and in the sun outside it goes up till 40 maybe. So let’s forget about trips, and learn a serious lesson today, and it’s about families. How do you call each other in the Lebanese dialect?

Basic Family Terms

  • Family: 3ayleh
  • My family: 3aylteh

My family is about:

  • My father: bayyeh
  • Mother: emm
  • My mother: emmeh

Extended Family Terms

  • My brother: khayyeh
  • My sister: ekhteh
  • My grandmother: setteh
  • My grandfather: jeddeh

About Uncles and Aunts

Now, uncle. If by “uncle” I want to say the brother of my father I say 3ammeh. If I want to say uncle as the brother of my mother, I say khaleh.

The same for aunt. It’s 3amteh from my father’s side, and from my mother’s side it’s khalteh.

Cousins in Lebanese Arabic

My cousin: I tell you good news, you can also say cousin, because it gets tricky.

About the cousin: I want to say I’m going to my cousin’s, then I would say ana ray7a 3end cousinteh.

Other Family Relations

Now if you want to say husband, you say jawzeh.

  • Son: ebneh
  • Daughter: benteh
  • My mother-in-law: 7ameteh
  • My father in law: 3ammeh

Conclusion

I hope you understood it, and if you want me to continue with the family names like there are also names for the sister of your husband, but it’s complicated. Do you want that? if you want that, write to me and I’ll be happy to make a video about it.

So bye, for now, I’m going to visit my family: bayyeh w emmeh w ekhteh w khayyeh and all of the people. Have fun, and cheers guys!

Recap:

EnglishLebanese (Latin Letters)Lebanese (Arabic Alphabet)
Family3aylehعايلة
My family3ayltehعايلتي
My fatherbayyehبيّي
Motheremmأم
My motheremmehأمي
My brotherkhayyehخيّي
My sisterekhtehأختي
My grandmothersetteh/tetaستّة/تيتا
My grandfatherjeddehجدّي
My uncle (father’s side)3ammehعمّي
My uncle (mother’s side)khalehخالي
My aunt (father’s side)3amtehعمتي
My aunt (mother’s side)khaltehخالتي
My cousin (male)eben 3ammeh/eben khalehابن عمّي/ابن خالي
My cousin (female)bent 3ammeh/bent khalehبنت عمّي/بنت خالي
Husbandjawzehجوزي
Wifemartehمرتي
Sonebnehابني
Daughterbentehبنتي
My mother-in-law7ametehحماتي
My father-in-law3ammehعمّي

Spread the dialect!

4 thoughts on “Decoding Lebanese Family Terms: From Parents to Cousins”

  1. yumi yummi kebbeh is so delicious! thakns for the idea! i will to check with my mom cause i don't know how to do it haha!

    have a nice day 🙂
    Hiiba!

  2. You are fantastic!! Thank you so much for posting these videos and teaching others the Lebanese dialect. I live in the United States and all of my mothers grandparents came from Lebanon.

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