ذَهَبَ
ḏahaba
The English phrase 'go' is translated into Arabic as ذَهَبَ (ḏahaba). Wiktionary also lists رَاحَ (rāḥa).
Meaning: to move through space (especially from one place to another) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ذَهَبَ | ḏahaba |
| رَاحَ | rāḥa |
The verb is used to describe moving through space, specifically from one place to another. Note that the word غُو refers to a different meaning entirely, specifically the board game 'Go'.
Which one should you use?
ذَهَبَ is the standard verb for 'to go', while رَاحَ is often used to mean 'to go' or 'to depart'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
رَاحَ is frequently used in many Arabic dialects.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the third-person singular feminine 'she went', the suffix -at is added to the root to form ذَهَبَتْ. The imperfective form يَذْهَبُ is used to express present or future actions of 'going'.
How do you pronounce it?
ḏahaba
Did you know?
- The word ذَهَبَ is also the standard Arabic noun for 'gold', despite being a verb for 'to go' in its verbal form.
- In certain regional dialects, رَاحَ is used as an auxiliary verb to express the future, similar to the English 'going to'.
- The word رَاحَ is also linked to the word for 'wind' or 'scent' in some classical contexts, referring to the way a smell 'goes' or wafts through the air.
Examples in context
- انطلق إلى الاجتماعgo to the meeting
- ذَهَبَ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى المَدْرَسَةِ.dhahaba aṭ-ṭālibu ilā al-madrasati.The student went to school.
- ذَهَبَ أَبي إِلَى العَمَلِ مُبَكِّراً.dhahaba abī ilā al-'amali mubakkiran.My father went to work early.
- ذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِشِرَاءِ الخُضَارِ.dhahaba ar-rajulu ilā as-sūqi lishirā'i al-khuḍāri.The man went to the market to buy vegetables.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
