أَدَب
ʔadabmasculine
The English word literature is أَدَب (ʔadab) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists أَدَبِيَّات (ʔadabiyyāt).
Meaning: body of all written works (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أَدَب | ʔadab | masculine |
| أَدَبِيَّات | ʔadabiyyāt | feminine, plural |
The term refers to the body of all written works.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of the word أَدَب also carries the meaning of refinement, manners or etiquette.
Which one should you use?
The singular form أَدَب is used to refer to the general concept or field of literature, whereas the plural أَدَبِيَّات is often used to refer to specific bodies of literature or academic literatures.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form of the noun is أَدَبِيّ.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔadab
Did you know?
- Arabic uses the same root for the word أَدَب as it does for the verb meaning to discipline or educate a child.
- The term أَدَب was historically used to describe the specific training in poetry and rhetoric required for members of the royal courts.
- In classical Arabic, an أَديب is not just a writer or a man of letters, but someone who possesses a high degree of moral cultivation and social grace.
Examples in context
- الأدب العربيArabic literature
- أساتذة الأدبLiterature professors
- كتب الأدب العالميWorld literature books
- أحب الأدبI love literature
Sources
- Wiktionary, “literature” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
