نَبَحَ
nabaḥa
To bark in Arabic is to use نَبَحَ (nabaḥa). If unsure, use نَبَحَ. Wiktionary also lists يَنْبَح (yanbaḥ).
Meaning: to make a loud noise (dogs) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نَبَحَ | nabaḥa | |
| يَنْبَح | yanbaḥ | non past |
The words in this section refer to the action of a dog making a loud noise. The noun نُبَاح refers to the act or sound of barking itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
نَبَحَ is the past tense third-person masculine singular form, meaning 'he barked'. يَنْبَحُ is the non-past (imperfective) third-person masculine singular form, meaning 'he barks' or 'he will bark'.
How do you pronounce it?
nabaḥa
Did you know?
- The root consonants N-B-H also appear in the word تنبيه ('alert' or 'notification'), linking the act of barking to the idea of waking someone up or drawing attention.
- In modern Arabic political discourse, the noun نُبَاح is used metaphorically to describe speakers who are loud and aggressive but offer no real substance.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the sound of a dog barking at night is often culturally interpreted as a bad omen or a sign of an approaching stranger.
Examples in context
- نَبَحَ الكَلْبُ طَوِيلًا في اللَّيْلِ.nabaha al-kalbu tawilan fi al-layl.The dog barked for a long time during the night.
- نَبَحَ الكَلْبُ عِنْدَمَا رَأَى الغَرِيبَ.nabaha al-kalbu 'indama ra'a al-gharib.The dog barked when he saw the stranger.
- نَبَحَ الكَلْبُ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ جِدًّا.nabaha al-kalbu bi-sawtin 'alin jiddan.The dog barked very loudly.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Noor are walking near a house with a dog.
- أحمد Ahmedهَلْ سَمِعْتِ؟ نَبَحَ الكَلْبُ فَجْأَةً.hal sami'ti? nabaha al-kalbu faj'atan.Did you hear? The dog barked suddenly.
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، هُوَ مُخِيفٌ جِدًّا.na'am, huwa mukhif jiddan.Yes, he is very scary.
- أحمد Ahmedلَا تَقْلَقِي، سَنَمُرُّ بِسُرْعَةٍ.la taqlaqi, sanamurru bi-sur'a.Don't worry, we will pass by quickly.
- نور Nourحَسَنًا، لِنَسِرْ بِحَذَرٍ.hasanan, li-nasir bi-hadhar.Okay, let's walk carefully.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bark” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
