كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن
kursiyy ḏū ḏirāʕaynmasculine
The English word armchair is كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن (kursiyy ḏū ḏirāʕayn) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists أَرِيكَة (ʔarīka) and كُرْسِيّ (kursiyy).
Meaning: chair with supports for the arms or elbows (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن | kursiyy ḏū ḏirāʕayn | masculine |
| أَرِيكَة | ʔarīka | feminine |
| كُرْسِيّ | kursiyy | masculine |
The term refers to a chair with supports for the arms or elbows.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن literally translates to chair possessing two arms.
Which one should you use?
While كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن specifically describes a single chair with armrests, أَرِيكَة is often used more broadly to refer to a sofa or a cushioned couch.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن, the component ذُو (possessing) changes to ذَا in the accusative case and ذِي in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
kursiyy ḏū ḏirāʕayn
Did you know?
- The word كُرْسِيّ is a loanword from the Syriac language, which in turn likely borrowed it from the Greek word 'kathedra'.
- The word كُرْسِيّ is used in the Quran to describe the throne of God, often referred to as 'Al-Kursi', implying a seat of immense power and authority.
- The word ذِرَاع (arm) in this phrase is the same word used for the 'cubit', an ancient unit of measurement based on the length of a forearm.
Examples in context
- لا يوجد أفضل من الاسترخاء في كرسي مريح بعد يوم طويل.There's nothing better than relaxing in a comfortable armchair after a long day.
Example conversation
Layla and Ziad are decorating a living room.
- ليلى Laylaهَل يُناسِبُ هَذا كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن الغُرْفَةَ؟Hal yunāsibu hādhā kursiyyun dhū dhirā'ayn al-ghurfah?Does this armchair suit the room?
- زياد Ziadنَعَم يا ليلى، لَوْنُهُ جَميلٌ.Na'am yā Laylā, lawnuhu jamīl.Yes Layla, its color is beautiful.
- ليلى Laylaأَيْنَ نَضَعُ كُرْسِيّ ذُو ذِرَاعَيْن الآنَ؟Ayna naḍa'u kursiyyan dhū dhirā'ayn al-ān?Where do we put the armchair now?
- زياد Ziadضَعِيهِ بِجانِبِ النافِذَةِ يا ليلى.Ḍa'īhi bi-jānibi an-nāfidhah yā Laylā.Put it next to the window, Layla.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “armchair” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
