وَلَد
waladmasculine
The English word "child" is translated into Arabic using several terms depending on the context, with the default form being وَلَد (walad). Wiktionary also lists اِبْن (ibn) and اِبْنَة (ibna).
Meaning: son or daughter, someone's child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| وَلَد | walad | masculine |
| اِبْن | ibn | masculine |
| اِبْنَة | ibna | feminine |
The term وَلَد is used to refer to a child or offspring in a general sense. In many Arabic dialects, it is also frequently used to mean "boy".
Which one should you use?
While وَلَد refers to a child or offspring generally, اِبْن specifically emphasizes the biological or legal relationship of being a "son". To refer to a daughter, you can use the formal اِبْنَة, though the word بِنْت is much more frequently used in daily speech to mean both "girl" and "daughter".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Arabic dialects, وَلَد is used more frequently to mean "boy" rather than just a general child or offspring.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of اِبْن (son) is أَبْنَاء, which is commonly used to mean "children" or "sons" in a collective sense.
How do you pronounce it?
walad
Did you know?
- The word وَلَد is closely related to the Arabic verb meaning 'to give birth', making the word's literal essence the act of being born.
- In many Arabic cultures, it is common to refer to a child as the 'heart' or 'eye' of the parent as a term of endearment, rather than using the word وَلَد.
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, calling a man a وَلَد can be a way to describe him as a 'boy' or even a 'servant', rather than a grown adult.
Examples in context
- أنا أحب الأطفال.I love children.
- هذا ولدي.This is my son.
- هذه بنتي.This is my daughter.
- شو أخبارك، يا ولد؟What's up, boy?
- هَذَا الْوَلَدُ لَطِيفٌ جِدًّا.hādhā al-waladu laṭīfun jiddan.This child is very cute.
- عِنْدِي وَلَدٌ وَاحِدٌ.ʻindī waladun wāḥid.I have one child.
- الْوَلَدُ يَلْعَبُ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ.al-waladu yalʻabu fī al-ḥadīqah.The child is playing in the garden.
Example conversation
Nour and Omar are talking about family photos.
- نور Nourمن هذا الـوَلَد في الصورة؟Man hadha al-walad fi al-sura?Who is this child in the photo?
- عمر Omarهذا وَلَد جيرانا في القدس.Hadha walad jiranina fi al-quds.This is our neighbor's child in Jerusalem.
- نور Nourإنه يشبه والده كثيراً.Innahu yushbih walidahu kathiran.He looks a lot like his father.
- عمر Omarنعم، هو وَلَد لطيف جداً.Na'am, huwa walad latif jiddan.Yes, he is a very kind child.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
