árabe
/ˈaɾabe/masculine
Arabic in Spanish is árabe. Wiktionary also lists arábigo and algarabía.
Meaning: language (name)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| árabe | /ˈaɾabe/ | masculine |
| arábigo | /aˈɾabiɡo/ | masculine |
| algarabía | /alɡaɾaˈbia/ | feminine |
The word árabe is used to refer to the Arabic language as well as the Arabic people and culture. Related terms like arabesco can be used to describe things pertaining to Arab countries or cultural behavior.
Which one should you use?
árabe is the standard term used for both the language and the people. arábigo is also an adjective used to describe things of or pertaining to the Arab world. algarabía is a rare and dated feminine noun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
árabe and arábigo are masculine forms. algarabía is a feminine noun. To describe things of or pertaining to Arab countries, you can use árabe, arábigo or arabesco.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaɾabe/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, números arábigos refers to the digits 0 through 9, which are actually of Indian origin but reached Europe through Arab mathematicians.
- The word algarabía originally meant the 'Arabic language' but evolved into a term for 'noisy chatter' or 'commotion'. This happened because the language sounded like unintelligible noise to non-speakers.
- Spanish contains thousands of words beginning with al- because of the influence of the Arabic language during the Al-Andalus period.
Examples in context
- Me encanta el árabe.I love Arabic.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for the Arabic language.Tatoeba #509733 by Shishir, translation #370687 by saeb
- Él escribe en árabe.He writes Arabic.This sentence is useful for describing the act of writing in Arabic.Tatoeba #1311782 by Kiraness, translation #435052 by lukaszpp
- ¡El árabe es difícil!Arabic is difficult!This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about the difficulty of Arabic.Tatoeba #11800865 by saverius, translation #2465875 by boston2390
- Me encantaría aprender el árabe para poder comunicarme de manera efectiva con más personas.I would love to learn Arabic to be able to communicate effectively with more people.
- No entiendo nada de árabe, pero me parece una lengua fascinante.I don't understand anything in Arabic, but I find it a fascinating language.
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about their language classes at school.
- Daniel¿Estudias árabe este semestre, Elena?Are you studying Arabic this semester, Elena?
- ElenaSí, el árabe es mi nueva clase favorita.Yes, Arabic is my new favorite class.
- DanielQué bien, yo prefiero el francés.That's great, I prefer French.
- ElenaA mí también me gusta mucho el francés.I like French a lot too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “arabic” translations and entries árabe, arábigo, algarabía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
