مَسِيحِيّ
masīḥiyymasculine
The English word "christian" is translated into Arabic as مَسِيحِيّ (masīḥiyy). Wiktionary also lists مَسِيحِيَّة (masīḥiyya) and نَصْرَانِيّ (naṣrāniyy).
Meaning: member of the Christian religion (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مَسِيحِيّ | masīḥiyy | masculine |
| مَسِيحِيَّة | masīḥiyya | feminine |
| نَصْرَانِيّ | naṣrāniyy | masculine |
| نَصْرَانِيَّة | naṣrāniyya | feminine |
The terms refer to a member of the Christian religion or can be used as an adjective meaning "of, like or relating to Christianity or Christians".
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the root for "Messiah" (masīḥ).
Which one should you use?
While both مَسِيحِيّ and نَصْرَانِيّ mean "Christian", مَسِيحِيّ is the more common and widely used term in modern standard Arabic. In contrast, نَصْرَانِيّ is often associated with older or more traditional religious terminology.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the noun from masculine to feminine, add the ṭāʾ marbūṭa (ة) at the end, changing مَسِيحِيّ to مَسِيحِيَّة or نَصْرَانِيّ to نَصْرَانِيَّة.
How do you pronounce it?
masīḥiyy
Did you know?
- The term نَصْرَانِيّ is the word used in the Quran to refer to Christians, linking the faith to the city of Nazareth.
- In many Arabic-speaking regions, calling someone a مَسِيحِيّ is a way of identifying their communal and social identity, not just their personal belief.
- The root of مَسِيحِيّ is 'm-s-ḥ', which relates to the act of 'anointing' or 'touching', connecting the name directly to the concept of the 'anointed one'.
Examples in context
- أنا مسيحي.I am a Christian.
- نحن المسيحيون نحتفل بعيد الميلاد.We Christians celebrate Christmas.
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour are discussing their diverse group of friends.
- زياد Ziadهل تعرف سامي؟ هو مَسِيحِيّ.Hal ta'rif Sami? Huwa masihiyy.Do you know Sami? He is a Christian.
- نور Nourنعم، هو شخص لطيف جداً.Na'am, huwa shakhs latif jiddan.Yes, he is a very kind person.
- زياد Ziadلقد دعا كلاً من المسلمين والمَسِيحِيِّين.Laqad da'a kullan min al-muslimin wa al-masihiyyin.He invited both Muslims and Christians.
- نور Nourهذا رائع، أحب التنوع.Hadha ra'i', uhibb al-tanawwu'.That's great, I love diversity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “christian” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
