فِرَاش
firāšmasculine
The English word couch can be translated into Arabic as فِرَاش (firāš). Wiktionary also lists أَرِيكَة (ʔarīka) and مَضْجَع (maḍjaʕ).
Meaning: furniture for seating of more than one person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فِرَاش | firāš | masculine |
| أَرِيكَة | ʔarīka | feminine |
| مَضْجَع | maḍjaʕ | masculine |
The term is used to describe furniture for seating of more than one person.
Which one should you use?
While فِرَاش can mean a couch, it more commonly refers to bedding, a mattress or a place of rest/sleeping. In contrast, أَرِيكَة is the most standard and formal term for a couch or sofa in Modern Standard Arabic. The word مَضْجَع is used in a more literary or classical sense to refer to a place of lying down or a couch.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term كنبة (kanaba) is commonly used to refer to a couch. In Levantine Arabic, the word صوفا (sofa) is often used to describe a couch. In the Gulf region, the term كنب (kanb) is frequently used to refer to a couch.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the formal word أَرِيكَة is أَرَائِك (arā'ik).
How do you pronounce it?
firāš
Did you know?
- In many traditional Arabic homes, the 'couch' is not a piece of furniture but a majlis, a perimeter of floor cushions and bolsters.
- The word فِرَاش shares a root with the word for 'spreading' or 'scattering', reflecting the historical practice of spreading rugs or mats on the floor.
- The plural form of the formal word أَرِيكَة, which is أَرَائِك, is a beautiful example of a broken plural pattern often used in the Quran to describe the luxury of paradise.
Examples in context
- الصوفا في المكتبة توفر راحة كبيرة.The couch in the library provides great comfort.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “couch” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
