قَذِر
qaḏir
The English word "dirty" is translated into Arabic as قَذِر (qaḏir) or وَسِخ.
Meaning: covered with or containing dirt (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| قَذِر | qaḏir |
| وَسِخ | wasiḵ |
These terms are used to describe something that is covered with or contains dirt. While وَسِخ is used for general dirtiness, the related verb وَسَّخَ means to make something dirty. The antonym for a dirty object is نَظِيف, which means clean.
Which one should you use?
The form وَسِخ is more common in everyday spoken Arabic. In contrast, قَذِر is more formal and often carries a stronger connotation of being "filthy" or "vile". For more specific contexts, the formal term مُلَوَّث is used to mean "polluted" or "contaminated".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a feminine noun, you can add the feminine suffix 'a' to the end of وَسِخ to get وَسِخَة.
How do you pronounce it?
qaḏir
Did you know?
- Arabic has a specific category of words for 'dirt' based on the source. There is a distinction between 'dirt' from the earth and 'impurity' from a religious or ritual standpoint.
- In many Arabic dialects, calling someone وَسِخ is not just a comment on their hygiene, but a heavy insult to their moral character and integrity.
- In some contexts, the verb وَسَّخَ can be used figuratively to describe 'staining' someone's reputation, much like one would stain a white garment.
Examples in context
- الثوب به بقع ملوَّثة.The garment has stained spots.
- الماء متسخ، لا يمكن شربه.The water is dirty, it can't be drunk.
- هذا الثوب قَذِر.hadha al-thawb qadhir.This garment is dirty.
- الماء في هذا الإناء قَذِر.al-ma' fi hadha al-ina' qadhir.The water in this vessel is dirty.
Example conversation
Mariam and Omar are in the kitchen.
- مريم Maryamيا عمر، هذا الصحن قَذِر.Ya Omar, hadha al-sahn qadhir.Omar, this plate is dirty.
- عمر Omarأوه، أنا آسف يا مريم.Oh, ana asif ya Maryam.Oh, I am sorry, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamمن فضلك اغسله الآن.Min fadlik ighsilhu al-an.Please wash it now.
- عمر Omarسأفعل ذلك فوراً.Sa-af'alu dhalika fawran.I will do that immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirty” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
