ارب
arab/ə.ɾəb/
The Urdu word for billion is ارب (arab).
The term ارب is used to denote the number one thousand million (1,000,000,000).
Meaning: a thousand million (1,000,000,000), a milliard (num)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /ə.ɾəb/. It consists of two syllables: arab.
Did you know?
- In some historical contexts, the root of ارب was associated with a 'tumor' or 'swelling' in Sanskrit, metaphorically describing a number that grows rapidly.
- While ارب means billion, the same sounding word عرب refers to the 'Arabs' or the 'Arabian' people.
- The word ارب shares its roots with the Sanskrit word 'arbuda', which historically related to a concept of a 'heap' or 'mass', reflecting how large numbers are viewed as an accumulation.
Examples in context
- اس پراجیکٹ کی قیمت تھی ایک ارب ڈالر۔The cost of this project was one billion dollars.
- اس منصوبے میں ایک ارب روپے لگیں گے۔is mansube mein ek arab rupaye lagen ge.This project will cost one billion rupees.
- آبادی ایک ارب سے زیادہ ہو گئی ہے۔aabadi ek arab se zyada ho gayi hai.The population has exceeded one billion.
Example conversation
Hamza and Sarah are discussing a business news report.
- حمزہ Hamzaسارہ، کیا تم نے یہ خبر پڑھی؟Sarah, kya tum ne yeh khabar parhi?Sarah, did you read this news?
- سارہ Saraہاں، اس کمپنی کی مالیت ایک ارب ڈالر ہے؟Haan, is company ki maaliyat ek arab dollar hai?Yes, is the value of this company one billion dollars?
- حمزہ Hamzaجی ہاں، یہ بہت بڑی رقم ہے۔Ji haan, yeh bohat bari raqam hai.Yes, that is a very large amount.
- سارہ Saraیہ واقعی حیران کن بات ہے۔Yeh waqai hairan kun baat hai.That is truly surprising.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “billion” translations and entries ارب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ارب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
