Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| رجل | rajol | /ra.d͡ʒul/ | South Levantine Arabic, formal, masculine |
| رَجُل | rajul | masculine | |
| راجِل | rāgil | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| ريال | rayyāl | /ri.jaːl/ | Gulf Arabic |
| رِجَّال | rijjāl | Hijazi Arabic, masculine | |
| زلمة | zálame | South Levantine Arabic, masculine |
The primary meaning of these terms is an adult male human. While رجل specifically refers to an adult male, the word إِنْسَان is used when referring more broadly to a human being regardless of gender. If you wish to express the idea of supplying someone with a staff or crew, the phrase زود بالجند is used.
Which one should you use?
The term رجل (rajul) is the standard way to specify an adult male. In contrast, إِنْسَان (insān) describes a human being in general. For different dialects and social contexts, several other forms are used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
رجل is the formal and standard way to say 'man'. In many spoken dialects, people use more informal terms. For instance, زلمة is used in South Levantine Arabic and in Egyptian Arabic, the informal راجل is common. If you are referring to a young man colloquially, you might use شب.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various regions have specific words for 'man': راجِل is used in Egyptian Arabic, ريال is used in Gulf Arabic, رِجَّال is used in Hijazi Arabic and both زلمة and رجل (rajol) are used in South Levantine Arabic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the standard Arabic word for man is رجال.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of رجل is /ra.dʒul/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Arabic, the word for 'foot' or 'leg' is رِجْل, which is spelled identically to the word for 'man' رَجُل in writing without vowel marks.
- The Gulf Arabic word ريال for 'man' is actually a loanword from the Spanish word 'real', which originally referred to a specific coin.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, calling someone a رجل (rajul) is not just a biological description, but a high compliment to their character, implying they are brave or dependable.
Examples in context
- توم رجل لطيف.Tom is a nice man.This sentence uses رجل to describe Tom.Tatoeba #3664452 by Alaakhalid, translation #3670246 by Shereen
- يبدو رجلا أمينا.He looks like an honest man.This sentence uses رجل to describe an honest man.Tatoeba #3664241 by Alaakhalid, translation #300426 by CK
- لا تنس أنّني رجل.Do not forget that I am a man.This sentence uses رجل to emphasize being a man.Tatoeba #7981721 by OsoHombre, translation #5353107 by joshodude_1308
- في الغرفة، كان الرجل يتحدث بشكل واضح ومؤثر.In the room, the man was speaking clearly and passionately.
- 92 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are talking about a new neighbor.
- عمر Omarهل تعرفين من يسكن في البيت المجاور؟Hal ta'rifina man yaskun fi al-bayt al-mujawir?Do you know who lives in the neighboring house?
- نور Nourنعم، إنه رجل مسن ولطيف جداً.Na'am, innahu rajul musinn wa latif jiddan.Yes, he is a very kind elderly man.
- عمر Omarمنذ متى يعيش هذا الرجل هنا؟Munthu mata ya'ish hadha al-rajul huna?Since when has this man been living here?
- نور Nourلقد انتقل إلى هنا منذ عام.Laqad intaqala ila huna munthu 'am.He moved here a year ago.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries رجل, ريال, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ريال, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
