جزيرة
gezīra/d͡ʒa.ziː.ra/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The Arabic word for island is جزيرة (gezīra) (jazīra), a feminine noun for land surrounded by water. If unsure, use جزيرة. Wiktionary also lists جَزِيرَة (jazīra).
Meaning: area of land completely surrounded by water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| جزيرة | gezīra | /d͡ʒa.ziː.ra/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| جَزِيرَة | jazīra | feminine |
Use جزيرة for any piece of land with water all around it, from a small islet to a large country such as Australia. A related term is شِبْه جَزِيرَة, peninsula, which literally means almost an island.
Which one should you use?
جَزِيرَة and جزيرة are the same word. The first is written with vowel marks and the second without them, which is how you will usually see it in print.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic the first sound shifts from a j sound to a g sound, so the word is said gezīra.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is feminine, so adjectives that describe it take feminine endings.
How do you pronounce it?
In Modern Standard Arabic it is said /dʒa.ziː.ra/ in three syllables, with a long ee sound in the middle. Egyptians say gezīra.
Did you know?
- The word جزيرة is used for the Mesopotamia region in historical texts, referring to the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
- There is a linguistic connection between the word for 'island' and the root meaning 'to cut' or 'to chop'.
- The term الجزيرة العربية ('The Arabian Peninsula') literally means 'The Arabian Island'.
Examples in context
- أستراليا جزيرة و قارّة و دولة.Australia is an island, a continent, and a country.This sentence calls Australia an island, a continent and a country.Tatoeba #11876847 by Amastan, translation #8583508 by Amastan
- كان ساني يريد قضاء عطلته في جزيرة مداريّة.Sami wanted to spend his holidays on a tropical island.Here جزيرة مداريّة means a tropical island.Tatoeba #6989813 by OsoHombre, translation #6330882 by OsoHombre
- صومطرة جزيرةٌSumatra is an island.This short sentence needs no word for is, since Arabic leaves it out in the present tense.Tatoeba #9307438 by Mohammed_Iraq, translation #477051 by CK
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are talking about their dream vacation.
- نور Nourنفسي أسافر لجزيرة هادية بعيد عن الزحمة.Nafsi asafer le gazira hadya ba'id 'an el zahma.I want to travel to a quiet island far from the crowds.
- أحمد Ahmedفكرة حلوة، بس تفتكري أي جزيرة أحسن؟Fikra helwa, bas teftikri ay gazira ahsan?Great idea, but which island do you think is better?
- نور Nourممكن نروح أي جزيرة في المالديف.Momken nerouh ay gazira fil Maldives.We could go to any island in the Maldives.
- أحمد Ahmedأنا موافق، يلا نحجز التذاكر.Ana mowafiq, yalla nehgez el tazaker.I agree, let's book the tickets.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “island” translations and entries جزيرة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جزيرة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
