سيدة جميلة
sayyida jamila
The Arabic phrase for "beautiful lady" is سيدة جميلة (sayyida jamila).
The phrase is used to describe a woman who is physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The word جميلة literally means "beautiful" and is the feminine form of the adjective.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more neutral way to say "beautiful woman," you can use امرأة جميلة (imra'a jamila).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Arabic, the adjective follows the noun, so jamila (beautiful) comes after sayyida (lady).
How do you pronounce it?
sayyida jamila
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word جميلة can be used as a noun meaning 'a favor'. If someone says they did a جميلة for you, they are not calling you beautiful, but describing a kind act.
- While سيدة جميلة is formal, in spoken dialects like Egyptian or Levantine, the word for 'beautiful' often changes to حلوة, which literally means 'sweet'.
- The word سيدة (sayyida) shares its root with the word for 'master' or 'lord', implying a sense of nobility or high status rather than just 'lady'.
Examples in context
- يا أميرة الجمالOh, princess of beauty.
- رأيت سيدة جميلة في الحديقة.ra'aytu sayyida jamilata fi al-hadiqa.I saw a beautiful lady in the garden.
- تلك سيدة جميلة ومهذبة.tilka sayyida jamilatun wa muhadhiba.That is a beautiful and polite lady.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are talking about a guest at a party.
- ليلى Laylaهل رأيت تلك السيدة الجميلة؟hal ra'ayta tilka al-sayyida al-jamilata?Did you see that beautiful lady?
- زياد Ziadنعم، إنها سيدة جميلة حقاً.na'am, innaha sayyida jamilatun haqqan.Yes, she is truly a beautiful lady.
- ليلى Laylaزياد، هل تعرف اسمها؟Ziad, hal ta'rifu ismaha?Ziad, do you know her name?
- زياد Ziadلا، لا أعرفها.la, la a'rifuha.No, I do not know her.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سيدة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
