فضائي
faḍā'ī
In Arabic, the word for an alien (as in a life form of non-Earth origin) is فضائي (faḍā'ī).
The term فضائي is used to describe extraterrestrial life. While you can use فضائي alone, it is very common to use the phrase كائن فضائي (kā'in faḍā'ī), which literally means 'space being,' to specifically refer to an alien life form or creature. Note that if you mean 'alien' in the sense of a foreign person or someone unfamiliar, other words are used: أجنبي (ajnabī) is a formal term for a foreigner and غَريب (gharīb) is used in formal Arabic to refer to an alien or someone who is unfamiliar.
Meaning: life form of non-Earth origin (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word فضائي is derived from the root 'f-ḍ-ā' (فضاء), which means 'space' or 'void', making the word literally mean 'of space' or 'space-related'.
Which one should you use?
The word غَرِيب (gharīb) should not be confused with the extraterrestrial meaning. It also means 'strange' or 'weird'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of the noun is فضائيون.
How do you pronounce it?
faḍā'ī
Did you know?
- While فضائي describes an extraterrestrial, the word for a foreign person, أجنبي, comes from a root meaning 'side' or 'flank'. It suggests the person is from the 'side' of the community rather than the center.
- The word for 'strange' or 'unfamiliar', غريب, is also used in Arabic to describe a 'stranger' in a spiritual or existential sense, such as feeling like an alien in one's own land.
- Because the root of فضائي refers to a void or emptiness, an alien in Arabic is conceptualized as a 'being of the void'. This gives the word a more desolate tone than the English 'alien'.
Examples in context
- أراهن أنك غريب على هذه الثقافة الجديدة.I bet you're unfamiliar with this new culture.
- هل تعتقد أن هناك كائن فضائي في الفضاء؟Hal ta'taqid anna hunaka ka'in fada'i fil-fada'?Do you think there is an alien being in space?
- هذا فيلم عن كائن فضائي.Hadha film 'an ka'in fada'i.This is a movie about an alien.
- رأينا كائن فضائي في الرواية.Ra'ayna ka'in fada'i fil-riwaya.We saw an alien in the novel.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are watching a science fiction movie.
- أحمد Ahmedانظري يا نور، هذا فضائي!Unzhurī yā Nour, hādhā fadā'iy!Look Nour, this is an alien!
- نور Nourشكله غريب جداً يا أحمد.Shakluhu gharīb jiddan yā Ahmad.He looks very strange, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedهل الفضائي يتحدث لغتنا؟Hal al-fadā'iy yatahaddathu lughatanā?Does the alien speak our language?
- نور Nourلا أعتقد ذلك.Lā a'taqidu dhālik.I don't think so.
