مساء
masā'
The Arabic word for "evening" is مساء (masā').
مساء refers to the time of day between dusk and night. It is also used as a component in the polite greeting مساء الخير, which means "Good evening".
Meaning: time of day between dusk and night (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word مسا is commonly used instead of مساء to say "evening".
How do you pronounce it?
masā'
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with the phrase مساء الخير, the standard polite response is مساء النور, which literally means "evening of light".
Did you know?
- The root of the word, m-s-y, is conceptually linked to the idea of 'walking' or 'going' in the evening, suggesting the movement of people at the end of the day.
- Arabic possesses various degrees of 'evening' based on the position of the sun, where غسق (ghasaq) refers to a much darker, more profound evening than مساء.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the 'evening' is often the primary time for social gatherings and deep-rooted hospitality, rather than just a transition to sleep.
Examples in context
- مساء الخير، كيف حالكن؟Good evening, how are y’all doing ladies?This example shows how to use مساء in a polite greeting.Tatoeba #11747958 by dididodo, translation #12727501 by Ayoubbenaida
- ينظّف سامي غرفته كلّ مساء.Sami cleans up his room every evening.This example demonstrates using مساء to describe a recurring time of day.Tatoeba #7010061 by OsoHombre, translation #6484950 by OsoHombre
- أطعم قطتي كل صباح وكل مساء.I feed my cat every morning and every evening.This example shows the use of مساء when describing a daily routine.Tatoeba #607834 by Samer, translation #2241 by CK
- مساء الخيرGood evening
- جينا المدينة في المساءWe arrived in the city in the evening
- مساء الخير يا صاحبيGood evening, my friend.
- نلتقي في المساءLet's meet in the evening
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
