# Souvenir



## Andrew___

Hello, may I ask:

1. Is the best word in MSA تَذْكار or حُلْوان to refer to a "souvenir" (a small gift which one brings back to friends and family from a foreign country).

2. In Egyptian dialect, what is the word for souvenir?

Thanks,
Andrew


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## Xence

As far as I am concerned, I've always used تذكار .


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## yasmeena

تذكار is the only word I know for souvenir.


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## chflb

Hello,
souvenir == تذكار
Yes!
We also use this word in contexts like: les souvenirs d'enfance == ذكريات الطفولة
@+


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## licinio

حلوان is used in the Syrian dialect to indicate the present on the occasion of a graduation or similar, as far as I know. Bye.


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## elroy

I agree that تذكار is the word to use for "souvenir."

(Chflb, your French example is different, because "souvenir" in French is not the same as "souvenir" in English.  The former corresponds to "memory" in English and ذكرة or ذاكرة in Arabic, depending on context.)

As for حلوان, that is used in Palestinian Arabic for something that you give to others when there is a joyous occasion in _your_ life - for example, you have a baby, you pass an important examination, you get accepted to college, etc.  It is common to ask, for example, when you hear that someone passed their driving test, وين الحلوان؟ ("Where's the حلوان?").  A حلوان isn't usually a typical "gift."  It's usually something like chocolate or candy; some people may invite their family and friends for a big meal.


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## Mahaodeh

In Iraqi Arabic they use Sougha صوغة for a souvenir.


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## ayed

Mahaodeh said:


> In Iraqi Arabic they use Sougha صوغة for a souvenir.


 Saudi Najdi Badawi often use it but pronounced *صاغه *


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## Xence

elroy said:


> As for حلوان, that is used in Palestinian Arabic for something that you give to others when there is a joyous occasion in _your_ life - for example, you have a baby, you pass an important examination, you get accepted to college, etc. It is common to ask, for example, when you hear that someone passed their driving test, وين الحلوان؟ ("Where's the حلوان?"). A حلوان isn't usually a typical "gift." It's usually something like chocolate or candy; some people may invite their family and friends for a big meal.


Nice explanation, elroy. We have exactly the same custom in Algeria. Just replace حلوان by باروك .


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## Haroon

sometimes it is called : هدية تذكارية  -- hedeya tezkaria


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## zooz

Interesting input, Ayed. I've never heard it in Hijazi/Jeddawi dialect.

In Syria people would say *تذكار *as well, though the french word _souvenir_ is used by a lot of people (actually I don't see myself using *تذكار *). I believe the same thing applies in Lebanon.


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## elroy

Haroon said:


> sometimes it is called : هدية تذكارية  -- hedeya tezkaria


 That would work if the souvenir was a gift, but souvenirs aren't always gifts.  Sometimes you get yourself a souvenir, and that wouldn't be considered a gift.


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## ayed

zooz said:


> Interesting input, Ayed. I've never heard it in Hijazi/Jeddawi dialect.


 Welcome back, Zooz.
It is heard among bedouins in the central region .


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## Haroon

elroy said:


> That would work if the souvenir was a gift, but souvenirs aren't always gifts.  Sometimes you get yourself a souvenir, and that wouldn't be considered a gift.


 
Ok elroy , have a look at this link ......http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="+شراء+الهدايا++التذكارية+"&btnG=Search.


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## elroy

Are you saying that you can buy yourself a هدية تذكارية?

Would you say قبل أن أعود من السفر اشتريت لنفسي هدية تذكارية لأتذكر البلد التي زرته?


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## Haroon

elroy said:


> Would you say قبل أن أعود من السفر اشتريت لنفسي هدية تذكارية لأتذكر البلد التي زرته?


 
.....No, I would never say that. I would just say اشتريت بعض الهدايا التذكارية.  Suppose Someone bought a mug or a rug ( as a souvenir) the mug is for drinking and the rug is to be put on the floor ( as you know) , but he will put the mug on his office and the rug will be hung on a wall , just to remind him of his holiday, so he has bought himself تذكار  which is originally a gift.( واختلاف الرأي .......)


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## elroy

Hm, if I bought anything for myself, I would not call it a هدية, which is something you _give_ someone else by definition.

I don't get why you say the mug and the rug were originally gifts.  As far as I'm concerned, if the guy bought them for himself, they were never gifts.


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## cherine

Haroon said:


> he will put the mug on his office and the rug will be hung on a wall , just to remind him of his holiday, so he has bought himself تذكار which is originally a gift.


I think you're basically saying the same thing as Elroy 

What you get yourself is تذكار
What you get for others is هدية تذكارية


Side note: Egyptians usually use the French word "souvenir":
جبت شوية حاجات سوفونير عشان صحابي
gebt shwayyet 7agaat souvenir 3ashaan So7aabi


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## Mahaodeh

I have to agree with elroy. تذكار is what a souvenir is in general and هدية تذكارية is specifically a gift to someone and not something one would buy for oneself.

Edit: oops, it seems Cherine just posted what I wanted to say.


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## Haroon

cherine said:


> I think you're basically saying the same thing as Elroy
> 
> What you get yourself is تذكار
> What you get for others is هدية تذكارية
> 
> 
> Still, you may receive تذكار  from a dear friend or a lover, for example, for free. Meanwhile when you get هدية تذكارية  from a shop ( notice that there is a link of gift shops in the Souvenirs article  in Wikipedia ) you should pay.


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## londonmasri

Al Sulhafa said:


> 2. In Egyptian dialect, what is the word for souvenir?


 
_Sufeneer_, and if that fails then _tezkaar_. Loads of French/English loan words in Egypt
plage, douche, stupid (quite common nowadays )


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## elroy

We use "souvenir" in Palestinian Arabic as well.


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