بَرِيء
barīʔ
The English word "innocent" is translated into Arabic as بَرِيء (barīʔ). Wiktionary also lists بَرِيئَة (barīʔa).
Meaning: not legally responsible for a wrongful act (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بَرِيء | barīʔ | |
| بَرِيئَة | barīʔa | feminine |
بَرِيء is used to describe someone who is not legally responsible for a wrongful act. If you wish to state that someone is "innocent of" a specific crime or charge, use the adjective followed by the preposition من (min).
Which one should you use?
بَرِيء is the masculine form, while بَرِيئَة is the feminine form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on the gender of the person being described: use بَرِيء for males and بَرِيئَة for females.
How do you pronounce it?
barīʔ
Did you know?
- In Arabic, the word براءة is used to describe the 'patent' of an invention, as it represents a formal declaration of ownership and exclusivity.
- While بَرِيء is the formal term for innocence, in casual conversation, people might describe a person as 'white-hearted' to imply they have no malice or bad intentions.
- The word بَرِيء shares a deep linguistic root with the concept of 'detachment' or 'being free from' something, which is why it is used for both legal innocence and being free from a debt.
Examples in context
- الطفل بريء من أي تهمةThe child is innocent of any charge.
- لقد أظهرتَ براءةَ قلبِك في هذا الأمرYou have shown the innocence of your heart in this matter.
- هو بَرِيء من هذه التهمة.huwa bari' min hadhihi al-tuhma.He is innocent of this accusation.
- القاضي أكد أن المتهم بَرِيء.al-qadi akkada anna al-muttaham bari'.The judge confirmed that the accused is innocent.
- أنا بَرِيء تماماً مما حدث.ana bari' tamaman mimma hadath.I am completely innocent of what happened.
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam are discussing a court case on the news.
- يوسف Youssefهل سمعتِ نتيجة المحاكمة يا مريم؟Hal sami'ti natijat al-muhakama ya Maryam?Did you hear the trial result, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamنعم، لقد قال القاضي إنه بَرِيء.Na'am, laqad qala al-qadi innahu bari'.Yes, the judge said that he is innocent.
- يوسف Youssefكنت أعلم أنه لم يفعل ذلك.Kuntu a'lamu annahu lam yaf'al dhalik.I knew he didn't do it.
- مريم Maryamأنا سعيدة لأن الحقيقة ظهرت.Ana sa'ida li'anna al-haqiqa zaharat.I am happy that the truth came out.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “innocent” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
