ضَائِع
ḍāʔiʕ
To say lost in Arabic when you cannot find your way, use ضَائِع (ḍāʔiʕ). If unsure, use ضَائِع. Wiktionary also lists مَفْقود (mafqud).
Meaning: unable to find one's way (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ضَائِع | ḍāʔiʕ |
| مَفْقود | mafqud |
To tell someone I am lost, say أنا ضائع. The word also describes feeling lost in a mental or spiritual sense.
Which one should you use?
Use ضَائِع for a person who has lost their way. Use مَفْقود (mafqud) for a missing person or for an object that has been misplaced.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic people say انا ضايع for I am lost. In casual speech you may also hear مش لاقي الطريق, which means I can't find the way.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine forms are ضَائِعَة (ḍāʔiʕa) and مَفْقودَة (mafquda). A woman describing herself uses the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said ḍāʔiʕ.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, particularly Egyptian, if you say you are ضايع ('ḍāyeʕ'), you might actually be saying you are 'wasted' or 'exhausted' rather than just 'lost'.
- The root letters of ضَائِع (ḍ-y-ʕ) are also used to form the word for 'waste', such as when saying time or effort has been 'lost' or wasted.
- In some cultural contexts, saying one is 'lost' in a spiritual sense is closely tied to the concept of الغُربة (al-ghurba), which describes the feeling of being a stranger even in one's own home.
Examples in context
- أنا ضائع. هل يمكنك مساعدتي بالوصول إلى المعرض؟I am lost. Can you help me find the way to the exhibition?
- أنا ضايعة! ما عرفت وين الكافيه الجديدI am lost! I don't know where the new café is.
- أنا ضَائِع في هذه المدينة.Ana da'i' fi hadhihi al-madina.I am lost in this city.
- لقد شَعرتُ أنني ضَائِع بدون خريطة.Laqad sha'artu annani da'i' bidun kharita.I felt lost without a map.
Example conversation
Omar and Layla are walking in a new neighborhood.
- عمر Omarليلى، أعتقد أنني ضَائِع.Laylā, a'taqid anna nī dā'i'.Layla, I think I am lost.
- ليلى Laylaحقاً؟ أين نحن الآن؟Haqqan? Ayna nahnu al-ān?Really? Where are we now?
- عمر Omarلا أعرف هذا الشارع أبداً.Lā a'rif hādhā ash-shāri' abadan.I don't know this street at all.
- ليلى Laylaسأستخدم الخريطة لمساعدتك يا عمر.Sa-astakhdim al-kharīṭah li-musā'adatik yā 'Umar.I will use the map to help you, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lost” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
