Today you’ll learn how to talk about the hijab in Egyptian Arabic.
A hijab is a religious veil worn by Muslim women (usually adults) in the presence of any unrelated male outside of their immediate family (brother, father, son,..). This usually covers the hair, head and chest.
The word hijab in Arabic means “veil,” or something that prevents sight. This is usually a literal, physical veil, but the word can also be used metaphorically. For example: the veil which separates the world from God.
There are a lot of Muslim women wearing the hijab in Egypt. They are from all different classes and age groups, and the hijab itself can have a variety of colors, styles and (for different reasons) levels of “modesty.”
Necessary disclaimer: this post isn’t about sharing our opinion. It’s about showing you how to express yours. 🙂
With that out of the way, let’s get started!
The first thing you need to know is that hijab in Egypt is actually pronounced hegab.
For more information on why it’s spelled the way it is in “Franco”, check out our post on using Franco-Arabic to write Arabic words.
Hegab. : 7egab.
.حجاب
Women/girls. : setat/banat.
.بنات / ستات
Hegabi woman / women (wears the hegab). : mo7aggaba / mo7aggabat..
.محجبة /محجبات
Sexist. : mot7yz ded elmar2a.
.متحيز ضد المرأة
Religious obligation. : fard deeni.
.فرض ديني
Choice. : ekhtyar.
.اختيار
Hair. : sha3r.
.شعر
Check out our post on talking about Egyptian culture in Egyptian Arabic.
That’s a good background for vocab before diving into this topic.
We will split our example sentences into three categories: positive, negative, and neutral.
When expressing an opinion, it’s important to get the gender right.
Check out this post about how to argue in Egyptian Arabic for some more “opinion” vocabulary.
The hegab is stylish / cool / respectful. : el7egab shaklo gamed/mo7tram.
.الحجاب شكله جامد/ محترم
I think women wearing a hegab are great. : ana bashoof en elmo7aggabat kwaiseen.
.انا بشوف ان المحجبات كويسين
The hegab is not sexist. : el7egab mesh mot7ayz ded el mar2a.
.الحجاب مش متحيز ضد المرأة
The hegab is an Islamic obligation. : el7egab fard eslami.
.الحجلب فرض اسلامي
The hegab is a religious symbol. : el7egab she3ar deeni.
.الحجاب شعار ديني
There are beaches that ban the entrance of hegabi women!! : fe shawate2 btmna3 dkhool elmo7aggabat!
.في شواطئ بتمنع دخول المحجبات
I know a lot of hegabi women. : ana a3arf banat kteer mo7aggabat.
.انا اعرف بنات كتير محجبات
Hegabi women are civilized and free. : elmo7aggabat mot7adreen w a7rar.
.المحجبات متحضرين واحرار
The hegab is bad / oppressive to women/ very strange. : el7egab we7esh/ byzlem elsetat/ ghareeb awy.
.الحجاب وحش/ بيظلم المرأة/ غريب جدا
Women shouldn’t have to wear a hegab. : elsetat mesh elmafrood ylbso 7egab.
.الستات مش المفروض يلبسو حجاب
The hegab should protect women from harassment, but this doesn’t happen. : el7egab elmafrood y7mi elsetat mn el ta7rosh, bas da mesh by7sal.
.الحجلب المفروض يحمي الستات من التحرش، بس ده مش بيحصل
We wrote a post on talking about sexual harassment in Egyptian Arabic.
Useful for topics like this, regardless of what your opinion is.
I think the hegab is not an obligation/not important. : ana shayf en el7egab mesh darory/ mesh mohem.
.انا شايف ان الحجاب مش ضروري/ مش مهم
There are a lot of women are forced to wear the hegab (Lit. Wear the hegab from force). : fe banat kteer bylbso el 7egab bel3afia.
.في بنات كتير بيلبسو الحجاب بالعافية
Hegabi fashion is ugly (Lit. Clothing hegabi it looks bad). : lebs el mo7aggabat shaklo we7sh.
.لبس المحجبات شكله وحش
Maybe that’s your opinion.
But just to be nice, here are 10 Egyptian Arabic compliments. 😉
For the purpose of bringing it all together, check out this article LINK about the “pro’s and con’s” of the hijab.
There are certainly justified arguments on both sides!
Harassment will always happen, hegab or not. : el ta7arosh hayfdal mawgood sawe’ fe 7egab aw la2.
.التحرش هيفضل موجود سواء في حجاب او لا
Families should only explain the purpose of hegab to their young daughters. : el3a2elat elmafrod bas teshra7 l banathom elsoghyareen ahmyt el 7egab.
.العائلات المفروض بس تشرح لبناتهم الصغيرين اهمية الحجاب
Need to learn some family vocabulary in Egyptian Arabic?
This post is the one for you!
We won’t give you our own opinion about the hijab…but here are some important questions to learn when discussing it.
What do you think of the hegab? : eh ra2yak f el 7egab?
ايه رأيك في الحجاب؟
Do you think the hegab is a good thing? : enta shayf en el7egab 7aga kwaissa?
انت شايف ان الحجاب حاجة كويسة؟
Do you know a lot of women that wear a hegab? : t3raf banat kteer labsen el7egab?
تعرف بنات كتير لابسين حجاب؟
Why do you wear a hegab? : leh labsa el7egab?
ليه لابسه الحجاب؟
Why do you not wear a hegab? : leh mesh labsa 7egab?
ليه مش لابسه الحجاب؟
Who decides if a woman wears a hegab or not? : meen elbyqarar el bent telbs 7egab wala la2?
مين بيقرر البنت تلبس الحجاب او لا؟
How old is a girl when she starts wearing a hegab? : elbanat btlbes el7egab men sen ad eh ta2reban?
البنات بتلبس الحجاب من سن قد ايه تقريبا؟
As for when the conversation gets a bit more complex?
Check out our post on talking about life in Egypt in Egyptian Arabic.
Your Egyptian friends will be so impressed!
Here is an example conversation that might happen about the hijab in Egyptian Arabic.
Good stuff!
MAN: What do you think of the hegab? : eh ra2yek f el 7egab?
ايه رأيك في الحجاب؟
WOMAN (not wearing a hegab): I don’t have a strong opinion. it’s each woman’s choice. : ma3ndesh ra2y awy f elmawdo3 da, ana shayfa eno qarar yerga3 l kol set.
.معنديش رأي اوي في الموضوع ده، انا شايفه انا قرار يرجع لكل ست
MAN: Why do you decide not to wear a hegab? : leh kararty matlbseesh 7egab?
ليه قرارتي متلبسيش الحجاب؟
WOMAN: Well…it was never really that important to me. And my family doesn’t care. : 3omro ma kan mawdo3 mohem belnsbali, w ahli msh fare2 ma3ahom awy.
.عمره ما كان موضوع مهم بالنسبالي واهلي مش فارق معاهم قوي
MAN: Do you think you will ever wear a hegab? : teftkri momken telbsi el7egab f yoom mn el ayam?
تفتكري ممكن تلبسي الحجاب يوم من الايام؟
WOMAN: Maybe if my future husband insists. Besides that, probably not. : momken law maslan gozi moser 3la da,law mesh keda, ghaleban mesh halbso.
ممكن لو جوزي مصر على ده. لو مش كده , غالبا مش هلبسو
MAN: Interesting. Thanks for sharing your opinion. : shokran 3ala ra2yek.
.شكرا على رأيك
WOMAN: Of course. I think the hegab can actually look pretty cool! : el3afw, el7a2e2a ana shayfa el 7egab momken yb2a shaklo helw.
!العفو. الحقيقة انا شايفه الحجاب ممكن يبقى شكله حلو
Regardless of your opinion on the hijab (as well as the burqa and niqab), one thing is certain: it’s controversial.
Check out this Egyptian Streets article on the different ways wearing the veil is either enforced or not allowed.
Also, this cool blog post from Monica about what to wear in Egypt.
Both good and important reading!
…
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
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