falafel

See also: faláfel and Falafel

English

Alternative forms

• felafel, falafil (less common)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil). Doublet of peepul and pepper.

Pronunciation

falafel balls

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fəˈlɑːfəl/, /fəˈlæfəl/, /fəˈlɒfəl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /fəˈlɑfəl/
• Rhymes: -æfəl, -ɑːfəl, -ɒfəl
• Hyphenation: fa‧la‧fel

Noun

falafel (countable and uncountable, plural falafels or falafel)

1. (uncountable) A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.

   There's a stall at the market that sells fantastic falafel.

   • 2003, Margo Daly, Rough guide to Australia, page 51:

     Lebanese restaurants are especially good for vegetarians, with falafel rolls (pitta bread stuffed with chickpea patties, hummus and tabbouleh) making an inexpensive, filling meal.

   • 2003, Holly M. Moskowitz, Finding Falafel, page 58:

     I ate lafa — falafel with all the regular stuffings and sauces wrapped in a pizza size pita instead of being stuffed in it. Etai ordered a regular falafel. My lafiz was twice the size of his falafel and although neither of us could finish the lafiz, we embarked on it together.

2. (countable) A pita with falafel balls as a filling.
   • 2003, Holly M. Moskowitz, Finding Falafel, page 58:

     I ate lafa — falafel with all the regular stuffings and sauces wrapped in a pizza size pita instead of being stuffed in it. Etai ordered a regular falafel. My lafiz was twice the size of his falafel and although neither of us could finish the lafiz, we embarked on it together.

   • 2010, Reza Aslan, How to Win a Cosmic War: Confronting Radical Religions, page 161:

     Here, close-cropped future soldiers would learn how to introduce themselves to strangers, the proper way to order a falafel and a Coke, how to shout Get out of the car.

   • 2012, Giveon Cornfield, Lilian, page 186:

     They decided, sotto voce, to go out for a falafel. […] The falafel itself was incidental: it was the array of salds, pickled and fried vegetables, olives and sauces which one stuffed into the pita that made it such an adventure.

   • 2013, Ruchama King Feuerman, In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist, New York Review of Books, →ISBN, page 218:

     A beggar, his head swathed in rags, was eating a falafel, bits of cucumber falling out of the pita's corners. He looked askance as Mustafa lumbered by.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:falafel.
3. (countable) A single falafel ball.

   The stallholder puts salad into an open pita bread, followed by the four falafels, and then liberally covers them with hummus.

Derived terms

• fawaffle

Translations

Middle Eastern food

• Arabic: فَلَافِل pl (falāfil), (Egypt) طَعْمِيَّة (ar) f (ṭaʕmiyya)
• Armenian: ֆալաֆել (falafel)
• Azerbaijani: falafel, fəlafel
• Bengali: ফালাফেল (phalaphel)
• Bulgarian: фала́фел m (faláfel)
• Catalan: falàfel m
• Cebuano: palapel, palápel
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 三角豆餅 / 三角豆饼 (saam¹ gok³ dau⁶ beng²)

  Mandarin: 鷹嘴豆泥球 / 鹰嘴豆泥球 (yīngzuǐdòuníqiú), 法拉費 / 法拉费 (fǎlāfèi)

• Czech: falafel (cs) m
• Danish: falafel c, falafler c pl
• Dutch: falafel (nl) m
• Esperanto: kikerbuloj pl, falafloj pl
• Finnish: falafel (fi)
• French: falafels (fr) m pl, falafel (fr) m
• German: Falafel (de) f or n
• Greek: φαλάφελ (el) n (faláfel), φελάφελ (el) n (feláfel)
• Hebrew: פָלָאפֶל (he) m (faláfel)
• Hindi: फ़लाफ़िल (hi) (falāfil)
• Hungarian: falafel (hu)
• Italian: falafel m or m pl, felafel m or m pl
• Japanese: ファラフェル (faraferu), ファラーフェル (farāferu)
• Kannada: ಫ಼ಲಾಫ಼ಲ್ (falāfal)
• Kazakh: фалафель (falafel)
• Korean: 팔라펠 (pallapel)
• Kyrgyz: фалафель (ky) (falafel)
• Latvian: felāfels m, falafels m
• Lithuanian: falafeliai m pl
• Malay: falafel
• Marathi: फलाफल m (phalāphal), फेलाफिल m (phelāphil), फेलॅफिल m (phelĕphil)
• Persian: فلافل (fa) (falâfel)
• Polish: falafel (pl) m
• Portuguese: faláfel m, falafel m
• Russian: фала́фель (ru) m (faláfelʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: фалафел m

  Roman: falafel m

• Slovak: falafel m, faláfil m
• Spanish: falafel (es) m, faláfel (es) m
• Swedish: falafel (sv) c, falaflar (sv) c pl
• Tajik: фалофил (falofil)
• Tamil: ஃபிளாபல் (fiḷāpal)
• Thai: ฟาลาเฟล (faa-laa-feel), ฟะลาฟิล (fá-laa-fil)
• Turkish: felafel, tamiya
• Ukrainian: фала́фель m (faláfelʹ)
• Yiddish: פֿאַלאַפֿעל n (falafel)

pita with falafel balls inside

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 法拉費皮塔餅 / 法拉费皮塔饼 (fǎlāfèi pítǎbǐng)

• Finnish: falafel-pita, falafel-rulla
• Polish: falafel (pl) m
• Spanish: falafel (es) m, faláfel (es) m

single falafel ball

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: falàfel m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鷹嘴豆泥球 / 鹰嘴豆泥球 (yīngzuǐdòuníqiú), 法拉費 / 法拉费 (fǎlāfèi)

• Danish: falafel c, falaffel c
• Dutch: falafelballetje n
• Esperanto: kikerbulo, falaflo
• Finnish: falafel-pyörykkä, falafel-pulla
• French: falafel (fr) m
• Greek: ρεβυθοκεφτές m (revythokeftés), ρεβιθοκεφτές (el) m (revithokeftés), φαλάφελ (el) n (faláfel), φελάφελ (el) n (feláfel)
• Italian: falafel m, felafel m
• Lithuanian: falafelias m
• Polish: falafel (pl) m
• Slovak: falafelová guľôčka f
• Spanish: falafel (es) m, faláfel (es) m
• Swedish: falafel (sv) c

Danish

Alternative forms

• falaffel

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [faˈlɑfl̩]

Noun

falafel c (singular definite falaflen, plural indefinite falafler)

1. falafel (single ball)

Declension

Declension of falafel

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	falafel	falaflen	falafler	falaflerne
genitive	falafels	falaflens	falaflers	falaflernes

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɑˈlɑfəl/, /fɑˈlaːfəl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

falafel m (plural falafels, diminutive falafeltje n)

1. falafel

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɑlɑfel/, [ˈfɑ̝lɑ̝fe̞l]
• Rhymes: -ɑlɑfel
• Hyphenation^(key): fa‧la‧fel

Noun

falafel

1. falafel

Declension

Inflection of falafel (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		falafel	falafelit
genitive		falafelin	falafelien
partitive		falafelia	falafeleja
illative		falafeliin	falafeleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		falafel	falafelit
accusative	nom.	falafel	falafelit
	gen.	falafelin
genitive		falafelin	falafelien
partitive		falafelia	falafeleja
inessive		falafelissa	falafeleissa
elative		falafelista	falafeleista
illative		falafeliin	falafeleihin
adessive		falafelilla	falafeleilla
ablative		falafelilta	falafeleilta
allative		falafelille	falafeleille
essive		falafelina	falafeleina
translative		falafeliksi	falafeleiksi
abessive		falafelitta	falafeleitta
instructive		—	falafelein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of falafel (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative falafelini falafelini accusative nom. falafelini falafelini gen. falafelini genitive falafelini falafelieni partitive falafeliani falafelejani inessive falafelissani falafeleissani elative falafelistani falafeleistani illative falafeliini falafeleihini adessive falafelillani falafeleillani ablative falafeliltani falafeleiltani allative falafelilleni falafeleilleni essive falafelinani falafeleinani translative falafelikseni falafeleikseni abessive falafelittani falafeleittani instructive — — comitative — falafeleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative falafelisi falafelisi accusative nom. falafelisi falafelisi gen. falafelisi genitive falafelisi falafeliesi partitive falafeliasi falafelejasi inessive falafelissasi falafeleissasi elative falafelistasi falafeleistasi illative falafeliisi falafeleihisi adessive falafelillasi falafeleillasi ablative falafeliltasi falafeleiltasi allative falafelillesi falafeleillesi essive falafelinasi falafeleinasi translative falafeliksesi falafeleiksesi abessive falafelittasi falafeleittasi instructive — — comitative — falafeleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative falafelimme falafelimme accusative nom. falafelimme falafelimme gen. falafelimme genitive falafelimme falafeliemme partitive falafeliamme falafelejamme inessive falafelissamme falafeleissamme elative falafelistamme falafeleistamme illative falafeliimme falafeleihimme adessive falafelillamme falafeleillamme ablative falafeliltamme falafeleiltamme allative falafelillemme falafeleillemme essive falafelinamme falafeleinamme translative falafeliksemme falafeleiksemme abessive falafelittamme falafeleittamme instructive — — comitative — falafeleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative falafelinne falafelinne accusative nom. falafelinne falafelinne gen. falafelinne genitive falafelinne falafelienne partitive falafelianne falafelejanne inessive falafelissanne falafeleissanne elative falafelistanne falafeleistanne illative falafeliinne falafeleihinne adessive falafelillanne falafeleillanne ablative falafeliltanne falafeleiltanne allative falafelillenne falafeleillenne essive falafelinanne falafeleinanne translative falafeliksenne falafeleiksenne abessive falafelittanne falafeleittanne instructive — — comitative — falafeleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative falafelinsa falafelinsa accusative nom. falafelinsa falafelinsa gen. falafelinsa genitive falafelinsa falafeliensa partitive falafeliaan falafeliansa falafelejaan falafelejansa inessive falafelissaan falafelissansa falafeleissaan falafeleissansa elative falafelistaan falafelistansa falafeleistaan falafeleistansa illative falafeliinsa falafeleihinsa adessive falafelillaan falafelillansa falafeleillaan falafeleillansa ablative falafeliltaan falafeliltansa falafeleiltaan falafeleiltansa allative falafelilleen falafelillensa falafeleilleen falafeleillensa essive falafelinaan falafelinansa falafeleinaan falafeleinansa translative falafelikseen falafeliksensa falafeleikseen falafeleiksensa abessive falafelittaan falafelittansa falafeleittaan falafeleittansa instructive — — comitative — falafeleineen falafeleinensa

Further reading

• “falafel”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa.la.fɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

falafel m (plural falafels)

1. falafel

Polish

falafel

Etymology

Internationalism; compare English falafel, French falafel, German Falafel, ultimately from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /faˈla.fɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -afɛl
• Syllabification: fa‧la‧fel

Noun

falafel m animal or m inan

1. falafel (Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita)

Declension

Declension of falafel

	singular	plural
nominative	falafel	falafele/falafle
genitive	falafela/falafla	falafelów/falaflów/falafeli/falafli
dative	falafelowi/falaflowi	falafelom/falaflom
accusative	falafel/falafela/falafla	falafele/falafle
instrumental	falafelem/falaflem	falafelami/falaflami
locative	falafelu/falaflu	falafelach/falaflach
vocative	falafelu/falaflu	falafele/falafle

Further reading

• falafel in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• falafel in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Spanish

Alternative forms

• faláfel (following the Arabic stress)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /falaˈfel/ [fa.laˈfel]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: fa‧la‧fel

Noun

falafel m (plural falafeles)

1. falafel

Further reading

• “falafel”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

falafelbollar [falafel balls]

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -affel
• Hyphenation: fa‧la‧fel

Noun

falafel c

1. falafel

   Falafel görs på kikärtor

   Falafel is made from chickpeas

Declension

Declension of falafel

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	falafel	falafels
	definite	falafeln	falafelns
plural	indefinite	falaflar	falaflars
	definite	falaflarna	falaflarnas

Derived terms

• falafelrulle

See also

• kikärtor (“chickpeas”)

References

• falafel in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• falafel in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)