ساعة
sāʕa/saː.ʕa/
The Arabic word for hour is ساعة (sāʕa).
ساعة refers to a time period of sixty minutes. It is the most widely used word for 'hour' in Modern Standard Arabic.
Meaning: time period of sixty minutes (noun)
Which one should you use?
ساعة is the singular form, while ساعات is the plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /saː.ʕa/. It has two syllables and is romanized as sāʕa.
Did you know?
- In the Quran, الساعة ('The Hour') is a specific term used to refer to the Day of Judgment. In this religious context, the word transcends a sixty-minute period to mean the end of time.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word ساعة can be used to refer to a physical 'clock' or 'watch' as well as the unit of time.
- In certain poetic contexts, ساعة can signify a 'moment' or an 'instant', rather than a full sixty minutes.
Examples in context
- سأخرج في غضون ساعة.I'm going out in an hour.The first sentence is useful for expressing that an action will occur in an hour using ساعة.Tatoeba #419495 by saeb, translation #418359 by blay_paul
- سأعود في خلال ساعة.I'll be back within an hour.The second sentence is useful for expressing that an action will be completed within an hour using ساعة.Tatoeba #652869 by saeb, translation #27750 by CK
- هذه ليست ساعة عملي.It's not my working hour.The third sentence is useful for discussing a specific period of time, such as a working hour, using ساعة.Tatoeba #6965932 by OsoHombre, translation #5822914 by OsoHombre
- Kam as-saa'a? (كم الساعة؟)What time is it?
- Khalleena niltiqi sa'a thnayn bukra. (خلينا نلتقي الساعة اثنين بكرة)Let's meet at 2 o'clock tomorrow.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Mariam are deciding when to meet at a cafe.
- عمر Omarمتى ستصلين يا مريم؟matā sataṣilīna yā maryam?When will you arrive, Mariam?
- مريم Maryamسأكون هناك بعد ساعة.sa-akūnu hunāka ba'da sā'ah.I will be there in an hour.
- عمر Omarهذا وقت طويل جداً.hādhā waqt ṭawīl jiddan.That is a very long time.
- مريم Maryamأنا آسفة، الطريق مزدحم.anā āsi-fah, aṭ-ṭarīq muzdaḥim.I am sorry, the road is crowded.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ساعة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
