الْقُدْس
al-qudsfeminine
Jerusalem is الْقُدْس (al-quds) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists بَيْت الْمَقْدِس (bayt al-maqdis).
Meaning: city in the Holy Land (name)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| الْقُدْس | al-quds | feminine |
| بَيْت الْمَقْدِس | bayt al-maqdis | feminine |
Both terms refer to the city in the Holy Land. الْقُدْس is the standard name used in everyday speech, while بَيْت الْمَقْدِس is often used in more formal, religious or historical contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The word الْقُدْس is derived from the Arabic root meaning 'holy' or 'sanctity'. The phrase بَيْت الْمَقْدِس literally translates to 'the holy house' or 'the sanctuary'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both الْقُدْس and بَيْت الْمَقْدِس are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
al-quds
Did you know?
- The word الْقُدْس shares a linguistic root with the word قُدّوس, which is one of the primary names of God in Islam, meaning 'The Most Holy'.
- Arabic speakers may use الْقُدْس as a shorthand for the entire region of Palestine in certain political or emotional contexts, rather than just the city limits.
- In classical Arabic literature and the Quran, the term بَيْت الْمَقْدِس often refers specifically to the Temple or the sanctuary building rather than the entire city.
Examples in context
- الْقُدْسُ مَدِينَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ جِدًّا.al-qudsu madīnatun jamīlatun jiddan.Jerusalem is a very beautiful city.
- أُرِيدُ زِيَارَةَ الْقُدْسِ هَذَا الْعَامَ.urīdu ziyārata al-qudsi hādhā al-ʿām.I want to visit Jerusalem this year.
- هَلْ زُرْتِ الْقُدْسَ مِنْ قَبْلُ؟hal zurti al-qudsa min qablu?Have you visited Jerusalem before?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel plans in a cafe.
- يوسف Youssefهَلْ تُفَكِّرِينَ فِي السَّفَرِ إِلَى الْقُدْسِ؟hal tufakkirīna fī as-safari ilā al-quds?Are you thinking of traveling to Jerusalem?
- سارة Saraنَعَمْ، أُرِيدُ رُؤْيَةَ الْقُدْسِ قَرِيبًا.naʿam, urīdu ruʾyata al-quds qarīban.Yes, I want to see Jerusalem soon.
- يوسف Youssefيَا لَهَا مِنْ مَدِينَةٍ رَائِعَةٍ!yā lahā min madīnatin rāʾiʿatin!What a wonderful city it is!
- سارة Saraأَنَا مُتَحَمِّسَةٌ جِدًّا لِهَذِهِ الرِّحْلَةِ.ana mutahammisatun jiddan li-hādhihi ar-riḥlati.I am very excited about this trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jerusalem” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
