From Head to Toe: Learning the Lebanese Arabic Terms for Body Parts

In this video, I’m excited to share with you a comprehensive guide on body parts in Lebanese Arabic. We’ll delve into various parts of the body, from head to toe, and I’ll teach you how to refer to each of them in our local dialect. Whether it’s your face, arms, or legs, I’ve got it all covered, providing you with the Lebanese terms and their proper pronunciation. I’ll also share some common phrases and sentences to help you understand how these words are used in everyday conversation. So, get ready to enhance your Arabic vocabulary and dive deep into the world of body parts with me!

Transcript:

Hello, guys!

Today, we have another video about body parts and how we refer to each of them.

Body

  • General: ‘jism’
    • My body: ‘jismeh’
    • Your body (for a man): ‘jismak’
    • Your body (for a woman): ‘jismik’
    • Your body (for a group of people): ‘jisimkun’

For example, if I want to say, “I’m tired, so my body is feeling sick,” it would be: ‘jismeh 3am youja3neh’. Here, ‘youja3neh’ means “is in pain.”


Face

  • Eyebrows: ‘7wejib’
  • Nose: ‘mankhoor’ or ‘minkhar’ (a cute term)
  • Eye: ‘3ayn’
    • My eye: ‘3ayne’
  • Eyelashes: ‘rmoosh’
  • Mouth: ‘timm’
    • My mouth: ‘timmeh’
    • Your mouth (for a man): ‘temmak’
    • Your mouth (for a woman): ‘timmik’
    • Your mouth (for a group): ‘timmkoun’

Cheeks

  • General: ‘khdood’
    • One cheek: ‘khadd’
    • Two cheeks: ‘khdood’

Hair

  • General: ‘sha3r’
    • For example, “This girl has long hair”: ‘haydeh l benet sha3ra taweel’
    • “This boy has short hair”: ‘hayda l sabeh sha3ro 2aseer’

Neck and Upper Body

  • Neck: ‘ra2beh’
  • Chest: ‘suder’
  • Shoulders: ‘kteif’
    • One shoulder: ‘kitif’
  • Arm: ‘2eed’
    • Note: Hand is also referred to as ‘2eed’. In fus-ha, arm is “thiraa3”, but in Lebanese, it’s the same.

Midsection

  • Stomach: ‘me3deh’
  • Belly: ‘baten’ (as in belly dancing)
  • Hips: ‘wrak’
  • Waist: ‘khaser’

Legs

  • General: ‘ejer’
    • Two or more legs: ‘ijrein’
  • Knee: ‘rekbeh’
    • For example, “Go down on your knees for proposing”: ‘rkaa3’ or ‘rka3eh’

Extremities

  • Toes: ‘asabe3 el ejrein’ (like fingers of the feet)
  • Fingers: ‘asabe3’
    • One finger: ‘isba3’
  • Head: ‘ras’
    • For example, “I have a headache”: ‘raseh 3am youja3neh’
  • Ears: ‘dinein’
    • One ear: ‘dayneh’
  • Eyes: ‘3youn’
    • One eye: ‘3ein’

For instance, “I love you” can be expressed as ‘ya 3youneh’ which translates to “my eyes.” It’s not always romantic. If you ask an old man for directions and thank him, he might reply with ‘ahla ya 3youneh’, meaning “welcome, my eyes.” It’s a form of expression.


Other Features

  • Mole: ‘shemiyeh’
  • Teeth: ‘snein’
    • One tooth: ‘sinn’
  • Tongue: ‘Lsein’
    • There’s a dish in Lebanon called “lseineit”, which is the plural of tongue. It’s named so because it contains the tongues of animals, perhaps cows.
  • Lips: ‘shfeif’
    • One lip: ‘shiffeh’

Examples

  • “This girl is so skinny”: ‘haydeh l benet kteer d3eefeh’
  • “This boy is fat”: ‘hayda l sabeh nasi7’
  • “This boy is very fat”: ‘ktir nasi7’

Now that you’re familiar with these body parts, study them well. We’ll see you soon!

Recap:

EnglishLebanese (Latin Letters)Lebanese (Arabic Alphabet)
Bodyjismجسم
My bodyjismehجسمي
Your body (male)jismakجسمك
Your body (female)jismikجسمك
Your body (plural)jisimkunجسمكن
Facewijjوجّ
Eyebrows7wejibحواجب
Nosemankhoor / minkharمنخور / منخار
Eye3aynعين
My eye3ayneعيني
Eyelashesrmooshرموش
Mouthtimmتم
My mouthtimmehتمي
Your mouth (male)temmakتمك
Your mouth (female)timmikتمك
Your mouth (plural)timmkounتمكن
Cheekskhdoodخدود
One cheekkhaddخد
Two cheekskhdoodخدود
Hairsha3rشعر
Neckra2behرقبة
Chestsuderصدر
Shoulderskteifكتف
One shoulderkitifكتف
Arm2eedإيد
Stomachme3dehمعدة
Bellybatenبطن
Hipswrakورك
Waistkhaserخصر
Legsejerإجر
Two or more legsijreinإجرين
Kneerekbehركبة
Toesasabe3 el ejreinأصابع الإجرين
Fingersasabe3أصابع
One fingerisba3إصبع
Headrasراس
Earsdineinدينين
One eardaynehدانة
Eyes3younعيون
One eye3einعين
Moleshemiyehشامية
Teethsneinسنين
One toothsinnسن
TongueLseinلسان
Lipsshfeifشفايف
One lipshiffehشفة

Spread the dialect!

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