شَاطِئ
šāṭiʔmasculine
The English word 'beach' can be translated into Arabic as شَاطِئ (šāṭiʔ) or سَاحِل.
Meaning: sandy shore (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شَاطِئ | šāṭiʔ | masculine |
| سَاحِل | sāḥil | masculine |
شَاطِئ refers specifically to the edge of a body of water, such as a beach or a shore, while سَاحِل is used more broadly to describe a coastline or a coastal region.
Which one should you use?
Use شَاطِئ when you are talking specifically about a beach or the shore. Use سَاحِل when referring to a broader coastline or the coastal area in general.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of شَاطِئ is شَوَاطِئ, and the plural of سَاحِل is سَوَاحِل. Both forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
šāṭiʔ
Did you know?
- The word سَاحِل shares a root with the verb meaning 'to wander' or 'to roam'. This suggests a historical link between the coastline and the nomadic movements of people along the water's edge.
- The word سَاحِل is also used in modern political contexts to describe 'the Sahel' region in Africa, though it refers to a specific geographic strip rather than just any coastline.
- While شَاطِئ is the standard term, many people in coastal cities like Alexandria or Beirut might use the word بَحْر (sea) to refer to the beach itself, as in 'going to the sea'.
Examples in context
- أحب الاستمتاع بوقتي على الشاطئ البحري.I love spending time on the beach.
- هل تريد أن نذهب إلى الشاطئ اليوم؟Do you want to go to the beach today?
Example conversation
Ahmed and Maryam are planning a weekend trip.
- أحمد Ahmedهَلْ نَذْهَبُ إِلَى الشَّاطِئِ؟hal nadhhabu ilā ash-shāṭi'i?Shall we go to the beach?
- مريم Maryamنَعَمْ، فِكْرَةٌ رَائِعَةٌ يَا أَحْمَدُ.na'am, fikratun rā'i'atun yā aḥmad.Yes, that is a great idea, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedأَيُّ شَاطِئٍ نَخْتَارُ؟ayyu shāṭi'in nakhtāru?Which beach shall we choose?
- مريم Maryamلِنَذْهَبْ إِلَى الشَّاطِئِ القَرِيبِ.linadhhab ilā ash-shāṭi'i al-qarībi.Let's go to the nearby beach.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beach” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
