How to say "cook, chef" in Arabic
CognateMeaningcook, chef
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
ṭabbākhטבאח'
طباخ
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
tabakhتَابَاخ
How the two words are related
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ط-ب-خHebrew root
ט-ב-חHebrew טבח and Arabic ṭabbākh are the same word in the same qattāl/CaCCāC professions pattern, with the regular ח↔خ match. Hebrew's root leans toward slaughter (טבח, מטבחיים) while Arabic's leans toward the stove — and Hebrew מטבח 'kitchen' matches Arabic مَطْبَخ, the same maqtal place-noun.
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In a phrase
The cook is in the kitchen.
Plural
sound masculine plural -ūn
The root family
ط-ب-خט-ב-ח· cooking
מטבח and maṭbakh are the identical place-noun built on the identical root — the kitchen, assembled the same way in both languages. Hebrew's family darkened along the way: טבח is also slaughter (the biblical שר הטבחים led the royal slaughterer-cooks), while Arabic stayed at the stove. The professional pattern matches perfectly: ṭabbākh is Hebrew's טַבָּח, the cook.
- مَطْبَخ maṭbakhkitchenמִטְבָּחkitchen — the same word
- طَبَخَ ṭabakhahe cookedטָבַחhe slaughtered — the darker Hebrew turn
- طَبَّاخ ṭabbākhcook, chefטַבָּחcook
- طَبْخ ṭabkhcooking, cuisine
- طَبْخَة ṭabkhaa (cooked) dish