اليابان
al-yābān
The Arabic name for Japan is اليابان (al-yābān). It is the standard name used across the Arabic speaking world.
اليابان is used for the country in speech, writing and the news. To speak of Japan explicitly as a state, Arabic can also say الدولة اليابانية, the Japanese country.
Meaning: a country in East Asia (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name begins with ال, the Arabic word for the, which stays part of the name in every sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the name already carries ال, it is used as it is after prepositions, as in في اليابان, in Japan.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as al-yābān, with long a sounds in both of the last two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not drop ال from the name. Arabic always says اليابان.
Did you know?
- The path of the word اليابان into Arabic was a long maritime journey, traveling from Japan to the Malay archipelago, then to the Netherlands, before reaching the Middle East.
- To refer to a Japanese person, Arabic uses the adjective ياباني, which functions as both a descriptor for objects and a noun for people.
Examples in context
- كان بيل في اليابان.Bill was in Japan.في اليابان gives the place where Bill was.Tatoeba #374497 by saeb, translation #34475 by MUIRIEL
- أنا أعيش في اليابانI live in Japan.أنا أعيش في اليابان means I live in Japan.Tatoeba #6679569 by marhabaan, translation #259803 by CK
- متى أتيت إلى اليابان؟When did you come to Japan?إلى اليابان means to Japan in this question about arriving.Tatoeba #411502 by saeb, translation #16755 by CK
- أود زيارة اليابان هذا الصيف.I would like to visit Japan this summer.
- اليابان مكان رائع بالفعل!Japan is truly an amazing place!
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Omar are talking about their dream travel destinations.
- نور Nourهل تحب السفر إلى اليابان؟hal tuḥibb as-safara ilā al-Yābān?Do you like traveling to Japan?
- عمر Omarنعم، اليابان بلد رائع جداً.na‘am, al-Yābān balad rā’i‘ jiddan.Yes, Japan is a very wonderful country.
- نور Nourأريد زيارة طوكيو في اليابان قريباً.urīdu ziyārata Tōkyō fī al-Yābān qarīban.I want to visit Tokyo in Japan soon.
- عمر Omarأتمنى لك رحلة سعيدة يا نور.atamannā laki riḥlatan sa‘īda yā Nūr.I wish you a happy trip, Nour.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries اليابان, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
