أَفْرِيقِيَا
ʔafrīqiyāfeminine
The English word Africa is أَفْرِيقِيَا (ʔafrīqiyā) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists إِفْرِيقِيَا (ʔifrīqiyā).
Meaning: continent (name)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أَفْرِيقِيَا | ʔafrīqiyā | feminine |
| إِفْرِيقِيَا | ʔifrīqiyā | feminine |
The phrase refers to the continent of Africa.
Which one should you use?
Both أَفْرِيقِيَا and إِفْرِيقِيَا are used to refer to the continent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The name is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔafrīqiyā
Did you know?
- While the English word 'Africa' is widely used, an Arabic speaker might also use the term القارة السمراء, which translates to 'The Dark Continent'.
- The Arabic word for 'African' is أَفْرِيقِيّ, which functions as both an adjective and a noun. In Arabic grammar, this is known as a 'nisba' adjective, a specialized suffix used to denote origin or belonging.
- While أَفْرِيقِيَا is the name for the continent, Arabic speakers often use the term المغرب العربي to refer specifically to the 'Arab Maghreb' region of Northwest Africa.
Examples in context
- نعم، ذهب إلى إفريقيا مؤخرًا.Yes, he went to Africa recently.
- هَلْ زُرْتِ أَفْرِيقِيَا مِنْ قَبْلُ؟Hal zurti Afriqya min qablu?Have you visited Africa before?
- تَقَعُ مِصْرُ فِي أَفْرِيقِيَا.Taqa'u Misru fi Afriqya.Egypt is located in Africa.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about travel plans at a cafe.
- زياد Ziadأُرِيدُ السَّفَرَ إِلَى أَفْرِيقِيَا.Uridu al-safara ila Afriqya.I want to travel to Africa.
- ليلى Laylaهَذَا رَائِعٌ يَا زِيادُ!Hadha ra'i'un ya Ziyad!That is wonderful, Ziyad!
- زياد Ziadهَلْ لَدَيْكِ خِطَّةٌ لِلسَّفَرِ؟Hal ladayki khittatun lil-safari?Do you have travel plans?
- ليلى Laylaلَا، لَكِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَفْرِيقِيَا.La, lakinni uhibbu Afriqya.No, but I love Africa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “africa” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
