Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ثَوْب | ṯawb | masculine |
| لِبَاس | libās | masculine |
| فُسْتَان | fustān | masculine |
| رِدَاء | ridāʔ | masculine |
ثَوْب is a general term for a garment, while لِبَاس refers more broadly to clothing or attire in general. To describe a specific western-style dress, the word فُسْتَان is used.
Which one should you use?
While ثَوْب acts as a general term for a garment, فُسْتَان is the specific, modern word used for a western-style dress. If you want to speak about clothing or attire in a broad sense, use لِبَاس instead of a word for a single piece of clothing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Arab countries, ثَوْب refers specifically to the traditional long robe worn by men, often known as a thobe or dishdasha.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word فُسْتَان has the plural form فُسْتَانَات. For the related verb, the past tense form لَبِسَ means 'he dressed' or 'he put on clothes', while the present tense form is يَلْبَسُ, meaning 'he dresses' or 'he wears'.
How do you pronounce it?
ṯawb
When do people say it?
The word ثَوْب has significant cultural weight as it often describes the traditional long robe worn by men in many parts of the Arab world.
Did you know?
- Arabic has a specific root for the act of dressing, ل ب س, which is also used to describe the act of 'confusing' someone, as if they are 'clothed' in ambiguity.
- In the Quran, the word لِبَاس is used metaphorically to describe the relationship between spouses, suggesting they are 'clothing' for one another.
- The term لِبَاس is used in formal Arabic to describe not just clothes, but any protective covering, including armor.
Examples in context
- أحتاج إلى فستان رسمي للحفلةI need a formal dress for the party.
- هل لديك فستان مناسب للمناسبة؟Do you have a suitable dress for the occasion?
- إيه رأيك في الفستان ده؟What do you think of this dress?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dress” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
