إِجَازَة
ʔijāzafeminine
The English word holiday can be translated into Arabic as إِجَازَة (ʔijāza) or عُطْلَة.
Meaning: period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| إِجَازَة | ʔijāza | feminine |
| عُطْلَة | ʕuṭla | feminine |
Both terms refer to a period of one or more days taken off for leisure or travel. You can use the phrase إِجَازَة صَيْفِيَّة specifically to denote a summer vacation.
Which one should you use?
إِجَازَة is the preferred term when referring to official leave from work or school. In contrast, عُطْلَة is more commonly used to refer to a general break, a weekend or a public holiday period.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both nouns are feminine. The plural form of the feminine noun إِجَازَة is إِجَازَات, and the plural form of the feminine noun عُطْلَة is عُطَل.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔijāza
Did you know?
- Arabic speakers often use إِجَازَة to refer to a degree or certificate of completion. In this context, it refers to the 'authorization' to teach a specific text, such as the Quran.
- While عُطْلَة is a general break, the phrase عُطْلَة نِهَايَة الأُسْبُوع describes the weekend. Interestingly, the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday in many Arabic-speaking countries rather than Saturday and Sunday.
- In some Arabic dialects, عُطْلَة is derived from a root meaning 'broken' or 'disabled'. This suggests the idea of a 'break' in the normal routine or a suspension of work.
Examples in context
- سوف نحتفل بعطلة العيد معاً.We will celebrate the holiday together.
- أنا سأأخذ إجازة لمدة أسبوع.I will take a one-week vacation.
- نروح عطلة الأسبوع الجاي؟Shall we go on a holiday next weekend?
- أُرِيدُ إِجَازَةً طَوِيلَةً.urīdu ijāzatan ṭawīlatan.I want a long holiday.
- هَلْ لَدَيْكَ إِجَازَةٌ هَذَا الأُسْبُوعِ؟hal ladayka ijāzatun hādhā al-usbū'i?Do you have a holiday this week?
Example conversation
Yousef and Nour are discussing their upcoming plans at work.
- يوسف Youssefهل خططتِ لـ إِجَازَة هذا العام يا نور؟Hal khattatti li-ijaza hadha al-am ya Nour?Have you planned a holiday for this year, Nour?
- نور Nourنعم، سأسافر إلى تركيا.Na'am, sa-usafiru ila Turkiya.Yes, I will travel to Turkey.
- يوسف Youssefهذا رائع، أتمنى لكِ رحلة سعيدة.Hadha ra'i', atamanna laki rihla sa'ida.That's great, I wish you a happy trip.
- نور Nourشكراً لك يا يوسف.Shukran laka ya Yousef.Thank you, Yousef.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “holiday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
