نَزِيه
nazīhmasculine
The Arabic word for honest can be expressed as نَزِيه (nazīh) or صَادِق.
Meaning: scrupulous with regard to telling the truth (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نَزِيه | nazīh | masculine |
| صَادِق | ṣādiq | masculine |
Both terms describe honesty, but they focus on different aspects of the concept. One refers to the integrity and incorruptibility of a person, while the other refers to the habit of telling the truth.
Which one should you use?
نَزِيه is used to describe honesty in terms of integrity, often in professional, legal or moral contexts such as describing an 'honest official'. In contrast, صَادِق refers more specifically to the act of telling the truth or being a person who does not lie.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine forms are نَزِيه and صَادِق. The feminine form of نَزِيه is نَزِيهَة, and the feminine form of صَادِق is صَادِقَة. For masculine plural, use نَزِيهُونَ or صَادِقُونَ.
How do you pronounce it?
nazīh
Did you know?
- The root of نَزِيه is related to the idea of moving away from something, suggesting that an honest person is one who distances themselves from corruption.
- While صَادِق describes someone who tells the truth, its opposite كَاذِب is used not only for liars but also to describe 'false' or 'fake' items in a market.
- If you are describing an 'honest mistake' in a formal setting, you would likely avoid using these words and instead use a term for a 'slip' or 'oversight', as using 'honest' can sound overly dramatic.
Examples in context
- أنا شخص صادِق.I am an honest person.
- أنا بحاجة إلى نصيحتك الصريحة.I need your honest advice.
- كَانَ القَاضِي نَزِيهًا فِي حُكْمِهِ.kana al-qadi nazihan fi hukmihi.The judge was honest in his ruling.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are discussing a new colleague.
- أحمد Ahmedهل تعتقدين أن زميلنا الجديد نَزِيه؟Hal ta'taqidin anna zamillana al-jadid nazih?Do you think our new colleague is honest?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، يبدو صادقاً جداً.Na'am, yabdu sadiqan jiddan.Yes, he seems very truthful.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا أمر جيد للفريق.Hadha amr jayyid lil-fariq.That is a good thing for the team.
- ليلى Laylaبالتأكيد، الصدق أساس النجاح.Bil-ta'kid, al-sidq asas al-najah.Certainly, honesty is the foundation of success.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honest” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
