وَرَاءَ
warāʔa
The English phrase "behind" is translated into Arabic as وَرَاءَ (warāʔa). Wiktionary also lists خَلْفَ (ḵalfa).
Meaning: at the back of (prep)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| وَرَاءَ | warāʔa |
| خَلْفَ | ḵalfa |
In Arabic, these terms are used to indicate that something is at the back of something else.
Which one should you use?
While both words can mean "behind," وَرَاءَ is often used in formal contexts to refer to both physical position (behind) and temporal sequence (after or following). In contrast, خَلْفَ is used specifically to denote physical position in a spatial sense.
How do you pronounce it?
warāʔa
Did you know?
- The word وَرَاءَ can mean both 'behind' and 'in front of' depending on the context. In certain classical and poetic usages, it refers to what lies 'beyond' a person, which can be either direction.
- The root of خَلْفَ is shared with the word for 'successor' or 'caliph', which is خَلِيفَة. This refers to someone who comes 'behind' or replaces a previous leader.
- In some classical Arabic texts, the concept of 'behind' is linked to the idea of the 'unseen' or the 'hereafter', using وَرَاءَ to denote things that exist in a realm out of sight.
Examples in context
- إِنَّهُ وَرَاءَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ.It is behind the school.
- هي وره البيت.It is behind the house.
- السيارة وَرَاءَ المَنْزِلِ.al-sayyara wara'a al-manzil.The car is behind the house.
- يَقِفُ الرَّجُلُ وَرَاءَ البَابِ.yaqifu al-rajulu wara'a al-bab.The man is standing behind the door.
- الْقِطَّةُ وَرَاءَ السَّتَارِ.al-qittatu wara'a al-sitar.The cat is behind the curtain.
Example conversation
Omar and Maryam are looking for a lost ball in the yard.
- عمر Omarأَيْنَ الكُرَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ؟ayna al-kura ya Maryam?Where is the ball, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamهِيَ وَرَاءَ الشَّجَرَةِ.hiya wara'a ash-shajara.It is behind the tree.
- عمر Omarلَمْ أَرَها هُنَاكَ.lam araha hunaka.I didn't see it there.
- مريم Maryamانْظُرْ جَيِّداً وَرَاءَ الجِذْعِ.unzur jayyidan wara'a al-jidh'Look carefully behind the trunk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “behind” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
