بَطَل
baṭalmasculine
The English word hero is translated into Arabic as بَطَل (baṭal). Wiktionary also lists بَطَلَة (baṭala) and أَبْطَال (ʔabṭāl).
Meaning: person of great bravery (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بَطَل | baṭal | masculine |
| بَطَلَة | baṭala | feminine |
| أَبْطَال | ʔabṭāl | masculine, plural |
The term refers to a person of great bravery.
Which one should you use?
بَطَل is the masculine singular form. بَطَلَة is used to refer to a heroine, while أَبْطَال is the masculine plural form used for heroes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the masculine hero is أَبْطَال. To refer to a female hero or heroine, use the feminine form بَطَلَة.
How do you pronounce it?
baṭal
Did you know?
- In the context of law and contracts, the root of بَطَل is used to describe something that is 'null' or 'void', such as a cancelled agreement.
- While English distinguishes between 'hero' and 'protagonist', Arabic uses بَطَل for both, meaning a villain can be called the بَطَل of a story if they are the main character.
- The word بَطَل can be used as a verb meaning 'to stop' or 'to quit' a habit, such as when someone decides to stop smoking.
Examples in context
- البطل يتجاوز الصعاب ويحقق المستحيل.The hero overcomes obstacles and achieves the impossible.
Example conversation
Layla and Ziad are talking about a rescue story on the news.
- ليلى Laylaانظر إلى هذا الرجل، إنه بَطَل!Unzur ila hadha ar-rajul, innahu batal!Look at this man, he is a hero!
- زياد Ziadنعم، لقد أنقذ الطفل من الحريق.Na'am, laqad anqadha at-tifl min al-hariq.Yes, he saved the child from the fire.
- ليلى Laylaأتمنى أن أكون شجاعاً مثله.Atamanna an akuna shuja'an mithlahu.I wish I were as brave as him.
- زياد Ziadأنت أيضاً بَطَل في مواقف كثيرة يا ليلى.Anti aydan batala fi mawaqif kathira ya Layla.You are also a hero in many situations, Layla.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hero” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
