شَمْعَة
šamʕafeminine
The English word "candle" is translated into Arabic as شَمْعَة (šamʕa). Wiktionary also lists قِنْدِيل (qindīl).
Meaning: a light source (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شَمْعَة | šamʕa | feminine |
| قِنْدِيل | qindīl | masculine |
Use شَمْعَة when you are referring specifically to a wax candle.
Which one should you use?
The word شَمْعَة (šamʕa) refers specifically to a wax candle. In contrast, the word قِنْدِيل (qindīl) refers more broadly to an oil lamp or a lantern.
How does it change in a sentence?
شَمْعَة is a feminine noun, while قِنْدِيل is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
šamʕa
Did you know?
- The term قِنْدِيل is also the name of a specific type of jellyfish in some Arabic biological classifications, due to its translucent, glowing appearance.
- In some dialects, if someone describes a person as a شَمْعَة in a garden of people, they are calling them a bright or precious light, though this is highly idiomatic.
- In many Arabic-speaking regions, the word قِنْدِيل is used in religious contexts to describe a lamp hanging in a mosque, creating a more sacred connotation than the English 'lamp'.
Examples in context
- احتفلنا بعيد ميلادي مع شمعة واحدة.We celebrated my birthday with one candle.
- أَشْعَلْتُ شَمْعَةً في الغُرْفَةِ.ash'altu sham'atan fil-ghurfati.I lit a candle in the room.
Example conversation
Ziyad and Maryam are preparing for a dinner.
- زياد Ziadهل لدينا شَمْعَة لِلطاوِلة؟Hal ladayna sham'a lil-tawila?Do we have a candle for the table?
- مريم Maryamنعم، هناك شَمْعَة في المطبخ.Na'am, hunaka sham'a fil-matbakh.Yes, there is a candle in the kitchen.
- زياد Ziadسأذهب لإحضارها يا مريم.Sa-adhhabu li-ihdariha ya Maryam.I will go get it, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamشُكراً لك يا زياد.Shukran laka ya Ziyad.Thank you, Ziyad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “candle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
