ضَرُورِيّ
ḍarūriyy
The English word 'necessary' can be translated into Arabic as ضَرُورِيّ (ḍarūriyy). Wiktionary also lists لَازِم (lāzim).
Meaning: needed, required (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ضَرُورِيّ | ḍarūriyy |
| لَازِم | lāzim |
Both ضَرُورِيّ and لَازِم are used to express that something is needed or required.
Which one should you use?
While ضَرُورِيّ is the standard term for 'necessary', لَازِم is very common in spoken dialects to mean 'necessary' or 'needed'.
How do you pronounce it?
ḍarūriyy
Did you know?
- In Islamic jurisprudence, ضَرُورَة refers to a legal state of necessity that can temporarily override a general prohibition, such as eating forbidden food to avoid starvation.
- The word لَازِم comes from the same Arabic root as the word 'to stick' or 'to adhere', suggesting that something necessary is something that 'clings' to you and cannot be shaken off.
- The word ضَرُورِيّ is closely related to the Arabic root for 'harm' or 'damage', implying that something is necessary because its absence might cause harm.
Examples in context
- لازم نتواصل بعد الاجتماع.It's necessary to communicate after the meeting.
- زيارة العائلة من الواجبات الضرورية لدينا.Visiting the family is one of our necessary duties.
Example conversation
Sarah and Youssef are discussing a project at work.
- يوسف Youssefهل نحتاج إلى اجتماع جديد؟hal nahtaj ila ijtima' jadid?Do we need a new meeting?
- سارة Saraنعم، هذا ضَرُورِيّ لإنهاء العمل.na'am, hadha daruriyy li-inha' al-amal.Yes, this is necessary to finish the work.
- يوسف Youssefمتى يكون الوقت مناسباً؟mata yakun al-waqt munasiban?When would the time be suitable?
- سارة Saraغداً في الساعة العاشرة.ghadan fi as-sa'a al-ashira.Tomorrow at ten o'clock.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “necessary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
