Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| قارب | ʔāreb | /qaː.rib/ /ʔaː.rib/ (Egyptian) |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| قَارِب | qārib | masculine | |
| مَرْكَب | markab | masculine | |
| زَوْرَق | zawraq | masculine | |
| مركب | márkeb | /mar.kab/ /mu.rak.kab/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| شختورة | šaḵtūra | North Levantine Arabic | |
| حسكة | ɧásaka | South Levantine Arabic |
Arabic uses several words for a boat or water craft depending on the size and specific type of vessel.
Which one should you use?
قارب is the most common and standard term for a small to medium-sized boat. مَرْكَب is used for a vessel or boat and can imply a slightly larger or more formal craft. زَوْرَق specifically refers to a smaller, often narrow boat such as a rowboat or a skiff.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, مركب is used with the stress shifted to the first syllable (márkeb) and قارب is pronounced with an initial glottal stop rather than a 'q' sound (ʔāreb). In North Levantine Arabic, the word شختورة is used, while in South Levantine Arabic, the word حسكة is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the standard language, when قارب is the direct object of a verb, it takes the accusative ending قاربًا (qāriban).
How do you pronounce it?
قارب is pronounced /qaː.rib/ with two syllables.
Did you know?
- Because it comes from the verb 'to ride', the word مركب is a distant relative of the Hebrew word 'merkhava', which means 'chariot'.
Examples in context
- في اواخر الخريف، عندما كان الجو قاسيا، عاصفا، و مبللا، و البرد اخترق اكثف الملابس، خاصا عند البحر، قارب خَرِبٌ انطلق الى البحر على متنه رجلان فقطLate in the autumn, when the weather was rough, windy, and wet, and the cold penetrated through the thickest clothing, especially at sea, a wretched boat went out to sea with only two men on board.This sentence describes a wretched قارب during bad weather.Tatoeba #9307427 by Mohammed_Iraq, translation #2674795 by Hybrid
- ستحتاج اِلى قاربا اكبرYou're going to need a bigger boat.This sentence uses قارب to express the need for a larger vessel.Tatoeba #4025224 by eeyinn, translation #4023954 by hellosunshine
- إذا كنتُ سأشتري قاربًا، فما نوع القارب الذي يمكنك أن تنصحني به؟If I were going to buy a boat, what kind of boat would you recommend?This sentence uses قارب to ask for a recommendation regarding a boat purchase.Tatoeba #10856640 by User105223, translation #10113707 by CK
- سُمِعَ دَوِيُّ الصَّفِينَةِ وَهِيَ تَقْتَرِبُThe sound of the boat could be heard as it approached.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are standing on a beach looking at the water.
- زياد Ziadبصي يا ليلى، في قارب صغير هناك.Bossi ya Layla, fi qareb soghayar honak.Look Layla, there is a small boat over there.
- ليلى Laylaفعلاً، شكل القارب ده جميل أوي.Fe'lan, shakl el qareb da gamil awy.Indeed, that boat looks very beautiful.
- زياد Ziadتفتكري ممكن نأجر قارب ونمشي بيه؟Teftekari momken ne'agar qareb we nemshi beh?Do you think we can rent a boat and go out in it?
- ليلى Laylaأيوة، تعالي نسأل صاحب القارب.Aywa, ta'ali nes'al saheb el qareb.Yes, let's go ask the boat owner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boat” translations and entries قارب, مركب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مركب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
