بحيرة
buḥēra, beḥēra/bu.ħaj.ra/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The English word lake is translated into Arabic as بحيرة (buḥēra, beḥēra). Wiktionary also lists بُحَيْرَة (buḥayra) and بُحيرَة (buḥēra).
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بحيرة | buḥēra, beḥēra | /bu.ħaj.ra/ /ba.ħiː.ra/ |
Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| بُحَيْرَة | buḥayra | feminine | |
| بُحيرَة | buḥēra | Hijazi Arabic, feminine | |
| ضاية | ḍāya | Moroccan Arabic |
The term refers to a body of water.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard form بُحَيْرَة is a diminutive of the word for sea, literally meaning 'little sea'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moroccan Arabic, the word ضاية is used to refer to a lake or a pond.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for lake is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bu.ħaj.ra/.
Did you know?
- The word بركة, which some dialects use to describe a small lake or pond, is also the common word for 'blessing'.
- The root of بحيرة is shared with the word for 'sea' بحر, which is used poetically to describe a person possessing an 'ocean' of knowledge.
- Because the word بحر (sea) is used so broadly in some contexts, locals may refer to a very large lake simply as a 'sea' regardless of whether the water is salty.
Examples in context
- ما هي أكبر بحيرة في ألمانيا؟What's Germany's largest lake?This sentence is useful for asking about the size of a lake in Germany using بحيرة.Tatoeba #11978924 by dididodo, translation #1761862 by Amastan
- في اليابان، ليس بحيرة أكبر من بحيرة بيوا.In Japan, there is no lake bigger than Lake Biwa.This sentence is useful for comparing the size of lakes in Japan using بحيرة.Tatoeba #4144915 by eeyinn, translation #486280 by CM
- لدينا بحيرة جميلة في مدينتناWe have a beautiful lake in our city
- أريد أن أتمشى حول البحيرةI want to take a walk around the lake
- راح نروح نتمشى عند البحيرة؟Shall we go for a walk near the lake?
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are planning a weekend trip.
- أحمد Ahmedتحبي نروح رحلة لبحيرة الأسبوع ده؟tehebbi neroh rehla le bohayra el-osbou' da?Would you like to go on a trip to a lake this week?
- ليلى Laylaيا ريت، أنا بحب الهدوء هناك.ya reit, ana baheb el-hodou' honak.I would love that, I love the quiet there.
- أحمد Ahmedفي بحيرة قريبة من هنا ممكن نروحها.fi bohayra orayeba men hona momken nerouhaha.There is a lake near here we can go to.
- ليلى Laylaتمام يا أحمد، اتفقنا.tamam ya Ahmed, ettafaqna.Alright Ahmed, it's a deal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lake” translations and entries بحيرة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
