غائم
ḡāʔim/ɣaː.ʔim/
The Arabic word for cloudy is غائم (ḡāʔim).
غائم is an adjective used to describe a state of being covered with or characterized by clouds. For example, to express that the weather is cloudy, you can use the phrase الجو غائم.
Meaning: covered with or characterised by clouds (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, غائم changes based on gender, number and grammatical case. The feminine form is غائمة, the masculine plural is غائمون and in the accusative case, the adjective takes the ending -an to become غائماً.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as ḡāʔim. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- While 'cloudy' might seem negative in some English contexts, in classical Arabic literature, a غائم sky is a positive omen representing generosity and life.
- While غائم describes a cloudy sky, the word for a single cloud is سحابة ('saḥāba'), which comes from a root meaning 'to drag' or 'to pull'. This describes how clouds appear to be dragged across the sky by the wind.
- Beyond the weather, the root of غائم is used to describe anything that has become indistinct or blurred.
Examples in context
- أكان الجو غائماً في طوكيو البارحة؟Was it cloudy in Tokyo yesterday?This sentence is useful for asking about the weather conditions in a specific location at a specific time using غائم.Tatoeba #507690 by saeb, translation #244346 by CN
- الجو غائم اليوم.al-jawwu ghā'im al-yawm.The weather is cloudy today.
- أتوقع جوًا غائمًا غدًا.atawaqqa'u jawwan ghā'iman ghadan.I expect cloudy weather tomorrow.
Example conversation
Youssef and Nour are discussing the weather before a walk.
- يوسف Youssefهل الجو غائم يا نور؟hal al-jawwu ghā'im yā Nūr?Is it cloudy, Nour?
- نور Nourنعم، السماء غائمة جدًا.na'am, al-samā'u ghā'ima jiddan.Yes, the sky is very cloudy.
- يوسف Youssefهل تعتقدين أنها ستمطر؟hal ta'taqidīna annahā satumtir?Do you think it will rain?
- نور Nourربما، الجو يبدو كئيبًا.rubbamā, al-jawwu yabdu ka'īban.Maybe, the weather looks gloomy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cloudy” translations and entries غائم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
