زَلْزَال
zalzālmasculine
The English word "earthquake" is translated into Arabic as زَلْزَال (zalzāl). Wiktionary also lists زِلْزال (zilzāl) and زَلْزَلَة (zalzala).
Meaning: shaking of the surface of a planet (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| زَلْزَال | zalzāl | masculine |
| زِلْزال | zilzāl | masculine |
| زَلْزَلَة | zalzala | feminine |
| هَزَّة أَرْضِيَّة | feminine | |
| رَجْفَة | rajfa | feminine |
The term refers to the shaking of the surface of a planet.
What does it mean word for word?
The compound noun هَزَّة أَرْضِيَّة consists of هَزَّة, meaning 'shake/tremor' and أَرْضِيَّة, meaning 'earthly/terrestrial'.
Which one should you use?
While زَلْزَال is the standard word for a major earthquake, هَزَّة أَرْضِيَّة is often used to describe a tremor or a smaller seismic shake.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use هَزَّة أَرْضِيَّة to say earthquake. In Gulf Arabic, زَلْزَال is commonly used to refer to an earthquake.
How do you pronounce it?
zalzāl
Did you know?
- The word زَلْزَال is used as a title for one of the chapters in the Quran. In this religious context, it refers to a cosmic earthquake that signals the beginning of the Day of Judgment.
- The word زَلْزَال is built on a phonetic pattern that mimics the repetitive, rhythmic shaking of the ground itself.
- In certain poetic contexts, the verb form of زَلْزَلَ can be used metaphorically to mean 'to unsettle' or 'to shake up' someone's status or life.
Examples in context
- كان هناك زلزال شديد أمس.There was a severe earthquake yesterday
Sources
- Wiktionary, “earthquake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
