Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ | bi-l-qurb mina |
| عِنْدَ | ʕinda |
| قَرِيب مِنَ | qarīb mina |
| جَنْبَ | janba |
Arabic uses different words for "near" depending on whether you want to use a prepositional phrase, an adjective or a more specific term for being beside something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ (bi-l-qurb mina) is composed of the preposition bi (in/with), the definite noun al-qurb (the proximity) and the preposition mina (from/of).
Which one should you use?
The phrase بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ is a prepositional phrase, whereas قَرِيب مِنَ uses the adjective qarīb to describe the state of being near. The term عِنْدَ (ʕinda) can mean "near" in terms of proximity, but it is more frequently used to mean "at" or "possessing" (for example, "I have" or "at the house of"). Finally, جَنْبَ (janba) is more specific than "near" and is used to mean "beside" or "next to" something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective qarīb to mean "near", it must be followed by the preposition mina to connect it to the object it is near.
How do you pronounce it?
bi-l-qurb mina
Did you know?
- The root of قَرِيب (qarīb) is also used to describe kinship. In Arabic, a 'relative' is literally someone who is 'near' to you in blood or family ties.
- The word عِنْدَ allows Arabic speakers to express possession without a verb. Instead of saying 'I have a book', they say 'at me a book', using the same word that means 'near' or 'at'.
- The word جَنْبَ (janba) comes from the word for 'side' or 'flank'. This reflects a physical perspective where being 'near' is specifically defined as being by someone's side.
Examples in context
- المطعم قريب من الفندق.The restaurant is near the hotel.
- أحتاج إلى مكان قرب المطار.I need a place near the airport.
- نلتقي قرب البيت؟Shall we meet nearby?
- يَسْكُنُ أَخي بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ المَدْرَسَةِ.yaskunu akhi bil-qurbi mina l-madrasati.My brother lives near the school.
- هَلْ هُوَ بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ المَحَطَّةِ؟hal huwa bil-qurbi mina l-mahattati?Is he near the station?
- وَضَعْتُ المِفْتَاحَ بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ البَابِ.wada'tu l-miftaha bil-qurbi mina l-babi.I put the key near the door.
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are looking for a pharmacy in the city.
- عمر Omarهَلْ تُوجَدُ صَيْدَلِيَّةٌ بِٱلْقُرْب مِنَ هُنَا؟Hal tujadu saydaliyyatun bil-qurb mina huna?Is there a pharmacy near here?
- سارة Saraنَعَمْ، هُنَاكَ وَاحِدَةٌ فِي الشَّارِعِ التَّالِي.Na'am, hunaka wahidatun fi ash-shari' at-tali.Yes, there is one in the next street.
- عمر Omarشُكْرًا لَكِ يَا سَارَة.Shukran laki ya Sarah.Thank you, Sarah.
- سارة Saraعَفْوًا يَا عُمَر.Afwan ya Omar.You're welcome, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “near” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
