قديم
qadīm/qa.diːm/
The English word 'ancient' is translated into Arabic as قديم (qadīm).
The word قديم is used to describe something that is existent or occurring in time long past. In English, there is a nuance between 'old' and 'ancient', but in Arabic, قديم covers both meanings depending on the context.
Meaning: existent or occurring in time long past (adj)
Which one should you use?
While قديم can mean both 'old' and 'ancient', the formal word أَثَري is specifically used when describing things related to ruins or archaeological sites.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the feminine form قديمة if the noun is feminine. If you are referring to 'the ancients' as a group of people, use the masculine plural form قدماء.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /qa.diːm/. The syllables are 2.
Did you know?
- In Islamic philosophy and theology, قديم is used to describe God as 'eternal' or 'without beginning', moving beyond simple age to mean timelessness.
- While قديم means 'old', the word for 'ancient' in an archaeological sense, أثري, shares a root with أثر, which means 'footprint' or 'trace'.
- In formal Arabic, the opposite of قديم is حديث, which refers not only to 'modern' but also to a 'hadith', meaning a reported saying of the Prophet.
Examples in context
- هذا علاج أمازيغي قديم.This is an ancient Berber remedy.This sentence shows how to use قديم to describe a remedy.Tatoeba #12173212 by dididodo, translation #10223125 by Amastan
- أيقظ زيري شيطانا قديمة.Ziri woke up an ancient demon.This sentence uses قديم to describe a demon.Tatoeba #12173214 by dididodo, translation #11167895 by Amastan
- روما مدينة قديمة.Rome is an ancient city.This sentence uses قديم to describe a city.Tatoeba #375582 by saeb, translation #3714846 by AlanF_US
- حَضارَة قَديمَةAncient civilization
Example conversation
Ziyad and Laila are visiting a historical museum.
- زياد Ziadهل هذا تمثال قديم؟hal hadha timthal qadim?Is this an ancient statue?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، إنه من عصر قديم.na'am, innahu min 'asr qadim.Yes, it is from an ancient era.
- زياد Ziadإنه يبدو مذهلاً حقاً.innahu yabdu mudhshilan haqqan.It looks truly amazing.
- ليلى Laylaالتاريخ القديم جميل جداً.al-tarikh al-qadim jamil jiddan.Ancient history is very beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry قديم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
