How to Say "Jellyfish" in Arabic

قِنْدِيل الْبَحْر

qindīl al-baḥrmasculine

The English word jellyfish is قِنْدِيل الْبَحْر (qindīl al-baḥr) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists قِنْدِيل (qindīl).

Meaning: aquatic animal (noun)

Ways to say it

“jellyfish” in Arabic
Arabic	Romanization (Wiktionary)	Note
قِنْدِيل الْبَحْر	qindīl al-baḥr	masculine
قِنْدِيل	qindīl	masculine

The term refers to the aquatic animal known as a jellyfish.

The phrase قِنْدِيل الْبَحْر literally means 'lantern of the sea'. The word قِنْدِيل means 'lantern' or 'lamp'.

Use قِنْدِيل الْبَحْر to specifically mean a jellyfish, whereas قِنْدِيل by itself refers to a general lamp or lantern.

Both forms are masculine nouns.

qindīl al-baḥr

While English uses the word 'jelly' to describe the texture, Arabic relies entirely on the visual resemblance to a floating lantern to name the animal.
The word قِنْدِيل refers to a specific type of traditional oil lamp, often associated with the glowing light of mosques or ancient street lamps.
In Arabic poetry, the image of a قِنْدِيل is often used to symbolize guidance or hope, giving the jellyfish a surprisingly noble linguistic association.

رَأَيْتُ قِنْدِيل الْبَحْرِ فِي الْمَاءِ.
ra'aytu qindīl al-baḥr fī al-mā'.
I saw a jellyfish in the water.
هَذَا قِنْدِيل الْبَحْرِ لَطِيفٌ جِدًّا.
hādhā qindīl al-baḥr laṭīfun jiddan.
This jellyfish is very cute.
يَخَافُ عُمَرُ مِن قِنْدِيل الْبَحْرِ.
yakhāfu 'umar min qindīl al-baḥr.
Omar is afraid of the jellyfish.

Layla and Omar are walking along the beach.

ليلى Layla

انْظُرْ إِلَى قِنْدِيل الْبَحْرِ هُنَاكَ!
unẓur ilā qindīl al-baḥr hunāka!
Look at the jellyfish over there!
عمر Omar

إِنَّهُ كَبِيرٌ جِدًّا يَا لَيْلَى.
innahu kabīrun jiddan yā Laylā.
It is very big, Layla.
ليلى Layla

هَلْ أَنْتَ خَائِفٌ مِنْهُ؟
hal anta khā'ifun minhu?
Are you afraid of it?
عمر Omar

نَعَمْ، أَنَا أَخْشَى لَسَعَتَهُ.
na'am, ana akhshā las'atahu.
Yes, I fear its sting.

Sources

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