ثُوم
ṯūmmasculine
The Arabic word for garlic is ثُوم (ṯūm). Wiktionary also lists ثُومَة (ṯūma).
Meaning: plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ثُوم | ṯūm | masculine |
| ثُومَة | ṯūma | feminine, singulative |
Which one should you use?
The masculine form ثُوم is a mass noun used to refer to garlic as a general ingredient or substance. The feminine form ثُومَة is the singulative form, which is used to refer to a single clove or head of garlic rather than the substance in general.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, the term for garlic is ثُوم.
How does it change in a sentence?
ثُوم is a masculine mass noun. ثُومَة is the feminine singulative form used for a single unit.
How do you pronounce it?
ṯūm
Did you know?
- In some traditional Arabic folk medicine, the word ثُوم is used in charms or spells to symbolize 'protection' from the 'evil eye'.
- In the context of traditional Arabic-speaking herbalists, the term ثُوم is often grouped with 'hot' ingredients, meaning they are believed to increase body heat.
- Arabic possesses a specific grammatical category for the 'singulative' form ثُومَة, which allows a speaker to switch from a mass of garlic to a single clove without using a separate word for 'piece'.
Examples in context
- أنا بحب الأكل اللي فيه توم كتيرI really enjoy food that contains a lot of garlic.
Example conversation
Omar and Maryam are cooking dinner together.
- عمر Omarمريم، هل لدينا ثُوم؟Maryam, hal ladayna thum?Maryam, do we have garlic?
- مريم Maryamنعم، يوجد في الثلاجة.Na'am, yujad fith-thallaja.Yes, there is some in the refrigerator.
- عمر Omarممتاز، سأقطع الثُوم الآن.Mumtaz, sa-uqaṭṭi' ath-thum al-an.Great, I will chop the garlic now.
- مريم Maryamلا تضع الكثير منه يا عمر.La tada' al-kathir minhu ya Omar.Do not put too much of it, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garlic” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
