تمر
tamr/tamr/
The English phrase "date fruit" is translated into Arabic as تمر (tamr).
تمر refers to the sweet, edible fruit of the date palm tree. It is used as a mass noun to refer to dates in general.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, the word بَلَح can be used to refer to date fruit.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tamr/.
When do people say it?
Dates are a staple food in many Arabic-speaking cultures and are traditionally served to guests and used to break the fast during Ramadan.
Did you know?
- In Arabic, the word for general fruits ثَمَر may have originally been a specific term for dates that eventually generalized over time.
- The Arabic word تمر is a linguistic relative of the Hebrew word תָּמָר for date palm.
- Arabic even has a specific word, شِيص, to describe dates that failed to be pollinated and thus remain unfecundated.
Examples in context
- أحب تناول تمرة مع القهوةI love having a date fruit with coffee
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are sitting in a cafe having a snack.
- زياد Ziadهل تريدين تمر يا ليلى؟hal turīdīna tamran yā Laylā?Do you want date fruit, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، شكراً لك يا زياد.na'am, shukran laka yā Ziyād.Yes, thank you, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadهذا التمر طازج جداً.hādhā al-tamru ṭāzijun jiddan.This date fruit is very fresh.
- ليلى Laylaإنه حقاً لذيذ.innahu ḥaqqan ladhīdh.It is truly delicious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry تمر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries تمر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
