ممتع
mumtiʕ
The English word 'interesting' can be translated into Arabic in several ways, with ممتع (mumtiʕ) being the default form. Wiktionary also lists مُسَلٍّ (musallin) and مُشَوِّق (mušawwiq).
Meaning: arousing or holding the attention (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ممتع | mumtiʕ | |
| مُسَلٍّ | musallin | |
| مُشَوِّق | mušawwiq | masculine |
The term is used to describe things that arouse or hold attention.
Which one should you use?
While ممتع (mumtiʕ) means 'interesting' or 'enjoyable', مُشَوِّق (mušawwiq) specifically implies something that is exciting, suspenseful or gripping. مُسَلٍّ (musallin) is used when the interest comes from the fact that something is entertaining or provides amusement/diversion.
How does it change in a sentence?
For masculine plural nouns, the form is ممتعون. If you wish to say something is 'very interesting', add جداً after the adjective, such as ممتعة جداً.
How do you pronounce it?
mumtiʕ
Did you know?
- If you describe a meal as ممتع, you are using a metaphorical extension of the word. Because the root relates to fine enjoyment, the term can describe something that is 'delightful' or even 'delicious' in certain contexts.
- The term مُشَوِّق shares a semantic field with 'temptation' or 'luring' in some contexts, suggesting that the interest is so strong it 'pulls' or 'draws' the person in.
- If you want to reach the level of 'fascinating' in formal Arabic, you must switch vocabularies entirely. You would move from words about 'interest' to words like مُذْهِل, which are rooted in the concept of 'wonder' or 'amazement'.
Examples in context
- هذا الكتاب ممتع أكثر من ذاك.This book is even more interesting than that.The first sentence uses ممتع to compare the interestingness of two books.Tatoeba #5118768 by damascene, translation #57041 by CM
- لا تفهموني غلط. إنه عمل ممتع لكنه ليس دائما.Don't get me wrong. It's interesting work, but it isn't permanent.The second sentence uses ممتع to describe a piece of work.Tatoeba #10802975 by Amastan, translation #10354769 by qassim010203
- هذا حقا ممتعThis is really interesting.The third sentence uses ممتع to emphasize that something is truly interesting.Tatoeba #5674260 by aym, translation #4500322 by CK
- لقد قرأت كتابًا مثيرًا للاهتمام.I read an interesting book.
- لوحة فنية مثيرة للاهتمام.An artistically interesting painting.
- محاضرة شيقة في الثقافة العربية.An interesting lecture about Arab culture.
- فيلم مشوق جداً!The movie is very interesting!
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are talking about a documentary they watched.
- عمر Omarهل كان الفيلم ممتعاً؟hal kana al-film mumti'an?Was the movie interesting?
- نور Nourنعم، كان ممتعاً جداً.na'am, kana mumti'an jiddan.Yes, it was very interesting.
- عمر Omarأنا أحب القصص الممتعة.ana uhibbu al-qisas al-mumti'a.I love interesting stories.
- نور Nourهذا صحيح يا عمر.hadha sahih ya Omar.That is true, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “interesting” translations and entries ممتع, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
