غَزَا
ḡazā
To invade in Arabic is غَزَا (ḡazā). Wiktionary also lists اِجْتاحَ (ijtāḥa).
Meaning: to enter by force in order to conquer (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| غَزَا | ḡazā |
| اِجْتاحَ | ijtāḥa |
The term is used to describe entering a territory by force with the intent to conquer.
Which one should you use?
غَزَا is the more common term for a military invasion or a raid, frequently used in general military or historical contexts. In contrast, اِجْتاحَ implies a more overwhelming, sweeping or total invasion that overruns or levels an area.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of غَزَا is يَغْزُو. The past tense form of اِجْتاحَ is اِجْتَاحَ.
How do you pronounce it?
ḡazā
Did you know?
- The name of the city غَزَّة (Gaza) is linguistically linked to the root of غَزَا, though scholars debate if it means 'strong' or refers to its history as a site of frequent raids.
- In certain poetic contexts, the root of غَزَا can be used metaphorically to describe a person's heart or emotions being 'invaded' by love.
- In modern Arabic news, اِجْتاحَ is often used metaphorically to describe a viral trend or a fashion craze that 'invades' a society.
Examples in context
- تم اجتياح البلاد من الشرق.The country was invaded from the east.
- غَزَا الجَيْشُ المَدِينَةَ.ghaza al-jayshu al-madinata.The army invaded the city.
Example conversation
Youssef and Nour are discussing a history book in a cafe.
- يوسف Youssefهَلْ غَزَا هَذَا القَائِدُ المَمْلَكَةَ؟hal ghaza hadha al-qa'idu al-mamlakata?Did this leader invade the kingdom?
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، لَقَدْ غَزَا المَدِينَةَ بِقُوَّةٍ.na'am, laqad ghaza al-madinata bi-quwwa.Yes, he invaded the city by force.
- يوسف Youssefهَذَا أَمْرٌ مُرْعِبٌ جِدًّا.hadha amrun mur'ib jiddan.That is very terrifying.
- نور Nourالتَّارِيخُ مَلِيءٌ بِهَذِهِ الحَوَادِثِ.at-tarikhu mali' bi-hadhihi al-hawadith.History is full of these incidents.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “invade” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
