How to say "twins" in Arabic
CognateMeaningtwins
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
تَوْأَم
tawʾamתואם
توأم
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
תְּאוֹמִים
te'omimتِئُومِيم
How the two words are related
Cognate
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
و-أ-مHebrew root
ת-א-םMedieval Arabic grammar files tawʾam under the root w-ʾ-m ('to correspond, match'), which is why the consonants look off from Hebrew teʾom (תאום) at first glance. But comparative Semitists treat the whole word as an old inherited unit — compare Akkadian tuʾāmu, 'twin' — making tawʾam and teʾom genuine cousins, not just a family resemblance.
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In a phrase
أَنْجَبَتْ تَوْأَمَيْنِ
anjabat tawʾamaynאנג'בת תואמיןShe gave birth to twins.
Plural
تَوَائِم
tawāʾimתואאםbroken plural CaCāʾiC — like توأم→توائم.