مَدِينَة
madīnafeminine
The English word "city" is translated into Arabic as مَدِينَة (madīna). Wiktionary also lists بَلَد (balad).
Meaning: large settlement (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مَدِينَة | madīna | feminine |
| بَلَد | balad | masculine |
The word refers to a large settlement.
Which one should you use?
مَدِينَة specifically refers to a large urban settlement (a city), whereas بَلَد is more ambiguous and can mean a town, a country or a specific land or region depending on the context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term مَدِينَة is used in some North African dialects, particularly in Tunisia and Morocco, to refer to a city.
How does it change in a sentence?
مَدِينَة is a feminine noun, so any adjectives describing it must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
madīna
Did you know?
- The word مَدِينَة is derived from the root د ي ن, which relates to 'debt' or 'submission'. This suggests the historical idea of a city as a place of governed administration and laws.
- The name of the city المدينة المنورة in Saudi Arabia is often shortened to just المدينة, meaning 'The City'. For Muslims, this refers specifically to the city of the Prophet Muhammad.
- If you are in a Maghrebi country, you might hear the word قَصْبَة used to describe a specific type of ancient, fortified city center.
Examples in context
- القاهرة مدينة جميلة.Cairo is a beautiful city.
- الرياض مدينة حديثة.Riyadh is a modern city.
- أَعِيشُ فِي مَدِينَة هَادِئَة.a'ishu fi madina hadi'a.I live in a quiet city.
Example conversation
Sara and Ziad are talking about their holiday plans.
- سارة Saraهَلْ زُرْتَ هَذِهِ المَدِينَة مِنْ قَبْل؟hal zurta hadhihi al-madina min qabl?Have you visited this city before?
- زياد Ziadلَا، لَمْ أَزُرْ هَذِهِ المَدِينَة أَبَدًا.la, lam azur hadhihi al-madina abadan.No, I have never visited this city.
- سارة Saraهِيَ مَدِينَة جَمِيلَة جِدًّا.hiya madina jamila jiddan.It is a very beautiful city.
- زياد Ziadأَنَا مُتَشَوِّقٌ لِاسْتِكْشَافِ المَدِينَة.ana mutashawwiq li-istikshaf al-madina.I am excited to explore the city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
