How do you say date in Arabic?

If you like dates, you probably already know that they play a very important role in Arab culture. Trips abroad, especially to the Maghreb and the Middle East, are a chance to bring a few clusters home with you! But how do you say date in Arabic ?

Here is a short vocabulary lesson, handy for shopping and useful for your general knowledge too!

How do you say date in Arabic? The most common term

To keep it brief and get straight to the point, the most common term for dates in literary Arabic is tamr. It refers to the fruit itself. However, it is only called this once the date has reached its final stage: fully ripened and having lost much of its water.

Tamr means, strictly speaking, dry. It therefore refers here to a ripe, dry date, with a high sugar-to-water ratio, wrinkled skin, and a lovely dark brown color. In short, the image of a date that most often comes to mind. 

Literary Arabic is an extremely rich and varied language. If you would like to learn it, take a look at this website. It is also exceptionally precise in its descriptions.

It therefore makes sense that there is a specific term for each stage of a date’s ripening. There are five stages in total, with additional details about shape, taste, and other characteristics. 

Want to learn all the Arabic terms used for dates? Keep reading!

How do you say date in Arabic? Expand your vocabulary!

A date generally goes through five stages as it develops. We describe them below!

  • First: loulou or hababouk

It begins after pollination and fertilization. The fruit is then yellowish-green, round, and about the size of a chickpea. This period lasts four to five weeks.

  • Second: kimri or khallal

The hababouk turns bright green, remains spherical, and gains weight and volume. Its moisture content is high and its taste particularly acidic. This phase lasts nine to fourteen weeks. 

  • Next, the third stage: bsar

During this three- to five-week phase, the date changes from green to yellow, then to red and finally brown, depending on the variety. It accumulates sugars while its water content and acidity decrease. 

  • Then, the fourth stage: routab/rotab or martouba

This is commonly known as the ripening stage. The date therefore becomes soft and brown. Routab does indeed mean soft in Arabic. The fruit can certainly be eaten at this stage. Those who prefer it even sweeter and drier, however, will have to wait a little longer.

  • Finally, the fifth stage: tamr or tamar

This is the final stage described above. The date is brown, wonderfully sweet, wrinkled, and translucent. 

Our delicious dates 

To finish, here is a quick overview of the dates available in our online store!