Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مُجْتَمَع | mujtamaʕ | masculine |
| اِجْتِمَاع | ijtimāʕ | masculine |
| جَمَاعَة | jamāʕa | feminine |
Arabic uses different words for 'community' depending on whether you are referring to a broad society, a specific group or an event. مُجْتَمَع is used to refer to a community in a general sense, while جَمَاعَة emphasizes the idea of a collective or a specific group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The word مُجْتَمَع is derived from a root meaning 'to gather' or 'to collect', and it literally translates to a 'place of gathering' or 'society'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the scale and type of group described. مُجْتَمَع refers broadly to 'society' as a whole. In contrast, جَمَاعَة is used for a specific group of people, such as a smaller community or a congregation. Note that اِجْتِمَاع should not be used to mean a community. It refers instead to a 'meeting' or 'gathering'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun جَمَاعَة can be made plural as جَمَاعَات to mean 'communities' or 'groups'.
How do you pronounce it?
mujtamaʕ
Did you know?
- The root of مُجْتَمَع is shared with the word for 'Friday prayer', جُمُعَة, because both center on the idea of people gathering in one place.
- Arabic has a specialized term أُمَّة for a type of community that transcends borders, often used to describe the global 'community' of Muslims regardless of nationality.
- In some Arabic dialects, the word جَمَاعَة is used as a friendly way to address a group of people, similar to saying 'folks' or 'you guys' in English.
Examples in context
- مجتمع المدينة متنوع ومتعدد الثقافات.The urban community is diverse and multicultural.
- نرحب بكم في جماعتنا الصغيرة والمترابطة.Welcome to our small and close-knit community.
- هذا مُجْتَمَع هادئ جداً.hadha mujtama' hadi' jiddan.This is a very quiet community.
- نحن نحتاج إلى بناء مُجْتَمَع قوي.nahnu nahtaj ila bina' mujtama' qawi.We need to build a strong community.
- الْمُجْتَمَع يَدْعَم المبدعين.al-mujtama' yad'am al-mubdi'in.The community supports creators.
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are discussing their new neighborhood.
- نور Nourهل يعجبك هذا المُجْتَمَع؟hal yu'jibuka hadha al-mujtama'?Do you like this community?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، إنه مُجْتَمَع رائع يا نور.na'am, innahu mujtama' ra'i' ya Nur.Yes, it is a wonderful community, Nour.
- نور Nourالناس هنا لطيفون جداً.al-nas huna latifun jiddan.The people here are very kind.
- أحمد Ahmedأنا سعيد لأننا هنا.ana sa'id li'annana huna.I am happy that we are here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “community” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
