Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| صباح | ṣabāḥ | /sˤa.baːħ/ | Hijazi Arabic, masculine |
| صَبَاح | ṣabāḥ | masculine | |
| غُدْوة | ḡudwa | feminine | |
| صُبْح | ṣubḥ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| صُبُح | ṣubuḥ | Hijazi Arabic, masculine |
The word refers to the part of the day between dawn and midday.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form صَبَاح is the standard default. The feminine form غُدْوة is also used. In Egyptian Arabic, the masculine form صُبْح is used, while in Hijazi Arabic, you may encounter either صباح or the variation صُبُح.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Gulf dialects, such as those spoken in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, people use the phrase Sabah al-ward, which literally means "morning of roses". In Egyptian Arabic, the form صُبْح is used.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ṣabāḥ. It consists of 2 syllables. The IPA transcription is /sˤa.baːħ/.
When do people say it?
When greeting someone with the standard صباح الخير (Good morning), a common and polite response is to say صباح النور (morning of light).
Did you know?
- In traditional Arabic poetry, the 'morning' is often personified as a messenger or a witness to the lovers' longing, rather than just a time of day.
- Beyond the standard 'light' and 'roses' replies, some people respond to صباح الخير with صباح العسل, which means 'morning of honey'.
- The Arabic word صباح is a cognate of the Ge'ez word ጽበሕ, linking the language to the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia.
Examples in context
- صباح الخير يا سكر.Good morning, gorgeous.This example uses صباح to show a friendly way to say Good morning.Tatoeba #11643596 by dididodo, translation #10241030 by Amastan
- صباح الخير يا جزائر.Good morning, Algeria.This example uses صباح as a greeting to a country.Tatoeba #10739730 by Amghar, translation #10096890 by Amastan
- قابلت بوب صباح اليوم.I saw Bob this morning.This example uses صباح to demonstrate how to say "this morning".Tatoeba #375713 by saeb, translation #253424 by CN
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking in their kitchen before work.
- أحمد Ahmedصباح الخير يا ليلى.sabah al-khair ya Layla.Good morning, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaصباح النور يا أحمد.sabah an-nur ya Ahmad.Good morning, Ahmad.
- أحمد Ahmedكيف حالك هذا الصباح؟kayf halak hadha as-sabah?How are you this morning?
- ليلى Laylaأنا بخير، شكراً.ana bikhair, shukran.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “morning” translations and entries صباح, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries صباح, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
