نملة
namla/nam.la/Egyptian Arabic, feminine, singulative
The English word "ant" is translated into Arabic as نملة (namla). Wiktionary also lists نَمْل (naml) and نَمْلَة (namla).
Meaning: insect (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نملة | namla | /nam.la/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine, singulative |
| نَمْل | naml | collective | |
| نَمْلَة | namla | feminine, singulative | |
| شَيْصَبَان | šayṣabān | masculine |
The term refers to the insect.
Which one should you use?
The form نَمْل is a collective noun used to refer to ants as a group or the species in general. In contrast, نَمْلَة is the singulative form, which is used when you want to specify a single individual ant.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word نملة is used to mean ant.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The collective form نَمْل is used to refer to a mass of ants or the species rather than a single unit, while the singulative form نَمْلَة is used for one individual.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of namla is /nam.la/.
When do people say it?
The word for ant is found in the name of the 27th chapter of the Qur'an, known as سورة النمل (Surat an-Naml).
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, if someone is described as being like a نملة, it might imply they are small or insignificant, but it can also refer to someone who is extremely hardworking and organized.
- The Qur'an describes ants as possessing their own distinct language, which allowed a leader ant to communicate a warning to the rest of the colony.
- The word شَيْصَبَان is an extremely rare, archaic synonym for an ant found in classical lexicons but almost never used in modern conversation.
Examples in context
- أرى نملة صغيرة على الأرض.I see a small ant on the ground.
- هل تعرف كيف تبدو نملة؟Do you know how an ant looks like?
- في نملة على الترابيزة.fi namla 'ala el-tarabiza.There is an ant on the table.
- أنا شفت نملة كبيرة أوي.ana shoft namla kbira awy.I saw a very big ant.
Example conversation
Layla and Youssef are sitting in the kitchen.
- ليلى Laylaيا يوسف، في نملة ماشية على السكر!ya Youssef, fi namla mashya 'ala el-sukkar!Youssef, there is an ant walking on the sugar!
- يوسف Youssefفين؟ أنا مش شايف حاجة.fen? ana mish shayef haga.Where? I don't see anything.
- ليلى Laylaبص هناك، جنب البرطمان.boss honak, ganb el-bartaman.Look there, next to the jar.
- يوسف Youssefآه، فعلاً، دي نملة صغيرة خالص.ah, fe'lan, di namla soghayara khalis.Ah, true, that is a very tiny ant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ant” translations and entries نملة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
