حيوان
ḥayawān
The English word animal is translated into Arabic as حيوان (ḥayawān).
The term refers to any organism other than a human being.
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of حيوان is حيوانات.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥayawān
Did you know?
- In some Arabic-speaking contexts, calling a person a حيوان is a severe insult that implies they lack human dignity or manners.
- The word حيوان shares the same root as the word for 'life' حياة, meaning an 'animal' is literally 'something that has life'.
- Arabic has a distinct word for 'beast' or 'cattle' بهيمة, which is used specifically for animals that cannot speak, distinguishing them from the broader category of حيوان.
Examples in context
- ما هو حيوانك المفضل؟What is your favorite animal?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's favorite animal using حيوان.Tatoeba #2775761 by Amastan, translation #2569031 by Hybrid
- ما هو حيوانك المفضّل؟What is your favourite animal?Tatoeba #3855013 by nadou, translation #4025341 by eeyinn
- الزرافة حيوان ذو شكل غريب.A giraffe is a crazy-looking animal.This sentence is useful for describing a giraffe as a strangely shaped animal using حيوان.Tatoeba #11687342 by dididodo, translation #8547080 by Amastan
- أنا أحب الحيوانات المنزلية.I love pets.
- هل لديك قطة أو كلب؟Do you have a cat or a dog?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Omar are at a zoo.
- سارة Saraهل رأيت ذلك الحيوان؟hal ra'ayta dhalika al-hayawan?Did you see that animal?
- عمر Omarنعم، إنه حيوان سريع جداً.na'am, innahu hayawan sari' jiddan.Yes, it is a very fast animal.
- سارة Saraأنا أحب هذا الحيوان.ana uhibbu hadha al-hayawan.I love this animal.
- عمر Omarوهو حيوان لطيف أيضاً.wa huwa hayawan latif aydan.And it is a cute animal too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
