دَائِمًا
dāʔiman
The English word "always" can be translated into Arabic using several forms, most commonly دَائِمًا (dāʔiman). Wiktionary also lists أَبَدًا (ʔabadan) and دَوْمًا (dawman).
Meaning: at all times (adv)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| دَائِمًا | dāʔiman |
| أَبَدًا | ʔabadan |
| دَوْمًا | dawman |
| دَوْمًا مَا | dawman mā |
The term is used to indicate that something occurs at all times.
Which one should you use?
The word أَبَدًا is used in negative sentences to mean "never" rather than "always".
Is it said differently in some regions?
عل طول is used in many Arabic dialects to express that something happens constantly.
How do you pronounce it?
dāʔiman
Did you know?
- In Egyptian dialect, عل طول can mean both 'always' and 'straight ahead' when giving directions.
- While دَائِمًا means 'always' as a state, the root letters are the same as the word for 'circle' دَائِرَة, implying a continuity that loops back on itself.
- In religious or poetic contexts, you will often see دَائِمًا replaced by سَرْمَدًا, a much more intense term used to describe an eternal, uninterrupted flow of time.
Examples in context
- أَنَا دَائِمًا أَشْرَبُ القَهْوَةَ فِي الصَّبَاحِ.ana dā'iman ashrabu al-qahwata fī aṣ-ṣabāḥ.I always drink coffee in the morning.
- هِيَ دَائِمًا مُتَأَخِّرَةٌ عَنِ المَوْعِدِ.hiya dā'iman muta'akhkhira 'ani al-maw'id.She is always late for the appointment.
- هَذَا المَطْعَمُ دَائِمًا مُزْدَحِمٌ.hādhā al-maṭ'amu dā'iman muzdahim.This restaurant is always crowded.
Example conversation
Nour and Omar are talking about a local cafe.
- نور Nourهَلْ هَذَا المَكَانُ جَيِّدٌ؟hal hādhā al-makānu jayyid?Is this place good?
- عمر Omarنَعَمْ، هُوَ دَائِمًا مُمْتَازٌ.na'am, huwa dā'iman mumtāz.Yes, it is always excellent.
- نور Nourهَلْ أَنْتَ تَأْتِي إِلَى هُنَا دَائِمًا؟hal anta ta'tī ilā hunā dā'iman?Do you always come here?
- عمر Omarأَنَا أَأْتِي إِلَى هُنَا كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍ.ana a'tī ilā hunā kulla usbū'.I come here every week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “always” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
