فَصْل
faṣlmasculine
In Arabic, the word for chapter can be expressed as فَصْل (faṣl). Wiktionary also lists بَاب (bāb).
Meaning: section in a book (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فَصْل | faṣl | masculine |
| بَاب | bāb | masculine |
The term refers to a section in a book.
What does it mean word for word?
The word بَاب literally means door, but it is commonly used to mean a chapter or section in books.
Which one should you use?
While both فَصْل and بَاب can mean chapter, فَصْل is more commonly used for a distinct division or section of a text. In contrast, بَاب often implies a major thematic division or a 'gate' into a subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of فَصْل is فُصُول. If you are using بَاب, the plural form is أَبْوَاب.
How do you pronounce it?
faṣl
Did you know?
- In classical Arabic literature, a بَاب often acts as a 'gateway' to a larger set of فَصْل sections. This creates a nested hierarchy where a book is divided into 'doors' and each 'door' contains several 'chapters'.
- The word فَصْل is also the standard term used for 'season' in the context of the four seasons of the year.
- The word فَصْل is used in legal contexts to mean a 'verdict' or 'decision'. This stems from the idea of 'separating' the truth from falsehood to resolve a dispute.
Examples in context
- في كتابه الرائع، يقسم الكاتب المحتوى إلى ستة فصول مثيرة للاهتمام.In his groundbreaking book, the author divides the content into six fascinating chapters.
- هَذَا الْفَصْلُ طَوِيلٌ جِدًّا.hadha al-faslu tawilun jiddan.This chapter is very long.
- أَنْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْفَصْلَ الْأَوَّلَ.anta taqra'u al-fasla al-awwala.You are reading the first chapter.
- أُرِيدُ قِرَاءَةَ فَصْلٍ جَدِيدٍ.uridu qira'ata faslin jadidin.I want to read a new chapter.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are discussing a textbook in a library.
- أحمد Ahmedهَلْ أَنْهَيْتِ قِرَاءَةَ هَذَا الْفَصْلِ؟hal anhayti qira'ata hadha al-fasli?Did you finish reading this chapter, Nour?
- نور Nourلَا، لَمْ أَصِلْ إِلَى نِهَايَةِ الْفَصْلِ بَعْدُ.la, lam asil ila nihayati al-fasli ba'du.No, I haven't reached the end of the chapter yet.
- أحمد Ahmedهَذَا الْفَصْلُ صَعْبٌ لِلْغَايَةِ.hadha al-faslu sa'bun lil-ghayati.This chapter is extremely difficult.
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، أَنَا أُعَانِي مَعَهُ أَيْضًا.na'am, ana u'ani ma'ahu aydan.Yes, I am struggling with it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chapter” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
