أسد
ʔasad/ʔa.sad/Hijazi Arabic, masculine
The Arabic word for lion is أسد (ʔasad). Wiktionary also lists أَسَد (ʔasad) and لَيْث (layṯ).
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أسد | ʔasad | /ʔa.sad/ | Hijazi Arabic, masculine |
| أَسَد | ʔasad | masculine | |
| لَيْث | layṯ | masculine | |
| أسَد | ʔásad | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| سبع | sabʕ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
The word refers to the big cat Panthera leo.
Which one should you use?
While أسد is the standard word for lion, لَيْث is a more poetic or literary synonym often used in classical Arabic literature.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use أسد or سبع. In Hijazi Arabic, the form أسد is used. In Egyptian Arabic, the form أسَد is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced with a glottal stop at the beginning, sounding like ʔasad. The syllables are ʔa-sad.
Did you know?
- Classical Arabic literature identifies over fifty different names for the lion, depending on its age, strength, or even its temperament.
- The word سبع is etymologically related to the number 'seven', سَبْعَة.
- The synonym لَيْث is frequently used in much of the Arab world to describe a person who is exceptionally brave or courageous.
Examples in context
- أطلق النار على أسد.He shot the lion.This sentence shows the use of أسد in a sentence about shooting.Tatoeba #11528645 by dididodo, translation #8277669 by Amastan
- سمع زيري أسدا يزأر.Ziri heard a lion roaring.This sentence shows the use of أسد in a sentence about a lion roaring.Tatoeba #11528672 by dididodo, translation #11370277 by Amastan
- هجم عليه أسد و أكله.He was attacked and eaten by a lion.This sentence shows the use of أسد in a sentence about an attack.Tatoeba #11528963 by dididodo, translation #8416951 by Amastan
- هَل رَأَيت الأَسَد فِي حَديقةِ الحيوانات؟Did you see the lion in the zoo?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla and Youssef are looking at animals in a zoo.
- ليلى Laylaشوف يا يوسف، هذا أسد كبير!Shouf ya Youssef, hadha asad kabeer!Look Youssef, this is a big lion!
- يوسف Youssefفعلاً، الأسد شكله قوي جداً.Fe'lan, al-asad shaklo qawi jiddan.Indeed, the lion looks very strong.
- ليلى Laylaتفتكر الأسد ينام كثير؟Tifattikir al-asad yanam katheer?Do you think the lion sleeps a lot?
- يوسف Youssefإيوه، الأسد يحب النوم والراحة.Aywa, al-asad yuhib al-nom wal-raha.Yes, the lion loves sleep and rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries أسد, سبع, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سبع, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
