سِيرَة
sīrafeminine
The English word "biography" can be translated into Arabic as سِيرَة (sīra). Wiktionary also lists تَرْجَمَةُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ (tarjamatu l-ḥayāti).
Meaning: personal life story (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سِيرَة | sīra | feminine |
| تَرْجَمَةُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ | tarjamatu l-ḥayāti | feminine |
سِيرَة is used to describe a personal life story. In a religious context, it is most commonly used to refer to the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, known as السِّيرَةُ النَّبَوِيَّة.
What does it mean word for word?
The word سِيرَة literally refers to a path, way or course of conduct.
Which one should you use?
تَرْجَمَةُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ is another way to express the concept of a life story.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Arabic-speaking regions influenced by French, the term بيوغرافيا is also understood to mean "biography".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of سِيرَة is سِيَر.
How do you pronounce it?
sīra
Did you know?
- The word تَرْجَمَة is used for 'biography' but primarily means 'translation'. In classical Arabic scholarly tradition, 'translating' a person meant transferring the details of their life and credentials from memory or records into a written text.
- In Arabic, the word سِيرَة is the root for the word 'CV' or 'resume', which is سيرة ذاتية. This literally translates to a 'self-path' or 'self-conduct'.
- Because سِيرَة relates to a 'path', the word is used to describe a person's reputation or moral character. If someone has a 'good 'سِيرَة', it means their life's conduct has been honorable.
Examples in context
- هَذِهِ سِيرَةٌ رَائِعَةٌ.hadhihi siratun ra'i'atun.This is a wonderful biography.
- كَتَبَ الكَاتِبُ سِيرَةً جَدِيدَةً.kataba al-katibu siratan jadidatan.The writer wrote a new biography.
- أُرِيدُ قِرَاءَةَ سِيرَةٍ عَنْ هَذَا العَالِمِ.uridu qira'ata siratin 'an hadha al-'alimi.I want to read a biography about this scientist.
Example conversation
Ziad and Maryam are discussing books at a library.
- زياد Ziadهَلْ قَرَأْتِ سِيرَةَ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ؟hal qara'ti sirata hadha al-rajuli?Did you read this man's biography?
- مريم Maryamنَعَمْ، كَانَتْ سِيرَةً مُلْهِمَةً جِدًّا.na'am, kanat siratan mulhimatan jiddan.Yes, it was a very inspiring biography.
- زياد Ziadمَا رَأْيُكِ فِي سِيرَتِهِ؟ma ra'yuki fi siratihi?What is your opinion of his biography?
- مريم Maryamإِنَّهَا سِيرَةٌ مُمْتَازَةٌ وَمُفِيدَةٌ.innaha siratun mumtazatun wa mufidatun.It is an excellent and useful biography.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “biography” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
