شَرْق
šarqmasculine
In Arabic, 'east' is translated as شَرْق (šarq). If unsure, use شَرْق. Wiktionary also lists مَشْرِق (mašriq).
Meaning: compass point (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شَرْق | šarq | masculine |
| مَشْرِق | mašriq | masculine |
The word is used to denote the cardinal direction on a compass.
What does it mean word for word?
The word شَرْق is derived from the root š-r-q, which relates to the concept of rising or shining, specifically referencing the sun rising in the east.
Which one should you use?
While شَرْق refers to the compass direction, مَشْرِق is used to refer to the Orient or the general region of the East, meaning the place where the sun rises.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Egyptian dialect, the term for east is الشرق. In the Levantine dialect, you can use شرق for east and in Gulf Arabic, you can use شِرق for east.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the adjective 'eastern' is شَرْقِيَّة, used to describe feminine nouns like 'country' (bilād).
How do you pronounce it?
šarq
Did you know?
- The word مَشْرِق is often used in a spiritual or poetic context to describe the 'dawn' of a new era or the beginning of a hopeful period.
- In some traditional contexts, the word مَشْرِق is contrasted with مَغْرِب to divide the world into two halves based on the sun's path.
- In Arabic, the word for 'east' shares a root with the word for 'sunrise' (شروق), linking the direction permanently to the action of the sun.
Examples in context
- أعيش في شمال البلاد، والأهل في الشرق.I live in the north of the country, and my family is in the east.
- تشرق الشمس في الشرق وتغرب في الغرب.The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
- الشمس اليوم طلعت من الشرق.The sun rose from the east today.
- يوجد المسجد في الشرق من هنا.The mosque is located to the east from here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “east” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
