Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لَمْبَة | lamba | feminine |
| مِصْبَاح | miṣbāḥ | masculine |
| مِصْبَاح كَهْرَبَائِيّ | miṣbāḥ kahrabāʔiyy | masculine |
| مِصْبَاح كَهْرُبَائِيّ | miṣbāḥ kahrubāʔiyy | masculine |
Arabic uses different terms for a light bulb depending on whether you are using formal Modern Standard Arabic or a spoken dialect. The word مِصْبَاح is the standard term, but it broadly refers to any lamp or light source. To specify an electric light bulb specifically, you can use the more descriptive phrases مِصْبَاح كَهْرَبَائِيّ or مِصْبَاح كَهْرُبَائِيّ.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase مِصْبَاح كَهْرَبَائِيّ literally translates to 'electric lamp'.
Which one should you use?
لَمْبَة is a colloquial loanword used in many dialects, while مِصْبَاح is the formal, standard Arabic term. While مِصْبَاح can mean a light bulb, in its broader sense in Modern Standard Arabic, it refers to any lamp or light source.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term for light bulb is لَمْبَة.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the colloquial term لَمْبَة is لَمْبَات. The plural of the formal term مِصْبَاح is مَصَابِيح.
How do you pronounce it?
lamba
Did you know?
- The term كَهْرَبَائِيّ used for 'electric' is derived from كَهْرَباء, which is the Arabic word for 'amber', because static electricity was first observed in rubbing amber.
- The root of مِصْبَاح comes from صَبَح, which relates to the 'morning' or the 'breaking of dawn', linking the idea of light to the start of a new day.
- If you are reading classical Arabic literature, you might encounter مِصْبَاح used to describe a person who is very wise or a source of truth, rather than a physical object.
Examples in context
- اشْتَرَيْتُ لَمْبَة جَدِيدَةً.ishtaraytu lamba jadīda.I bought a new light bulb.
Example conversation
Omar and Layla are in the living room.
- عمر Omarلَيْلَى، هَل تَرَيْنَ الـلَمْبَة؟Laylā, hal tarayna al-lamba?Layla, do you see the light bulb?
- ليلى Laylaنَعَمْ، لَكِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَلُ.Na'am, lākinnahā lā ta'mal.Yes, but it is not working.
- عمر Omarيَجِبُ أَنْ نُغَيِّرَ الـلَمْبَة.Yajibu an nughayyira al-lamba.We must change the light bulb.
- ليلى Laylaسَأُحْضِرُ لَمْبَةً جَدِيدَةً مِنَ المَخْزَنِ.Sa-uḥḍiru lamba jadīda min al-makhzan.I will bring a new light bulb from the storage.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “light bulb” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
