كَرِيم
karīm
The English word 'noble' can be translated into Arabic using several forms such as كَرِيم (karīm), شَرِيف or نَبِيل.
Meaning: having honorable qualities (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| كَرِيم | karīm |
| شَرِيف | šarīf |
| نَبِيل | nabīl |
The terms used for 'noble' in Arabic vary depending on whether you are emphasizing generosity, social lineage or high moral ideals.
Which one should you use?
While كَرِيم means noble, it is most commonly used in everyday Arabic to mean 'generous'. شَرِيف emphasizes honor, reputation and lineage, often describing someone with high social standing or integrity. نَبِيل is the most direct equivalent to the English sense of 'noble' when referring to someone's character or high ideals. Additionally, both نَبِيل and شَرِيف can be used as nouns to mean 'aristocrat'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a feminine noun, the adjectives must change their endings: كَرِيم becomes كَرِيمَة, نَبِيل becomes نَبِيلَة and شَرِيف becomes شَرِيفَة.
How do you pronounce it?
karīm
Did you know?
- The word شَرِيف has a specific historical meaning referring to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who held a high noble status in various Islamic caliphates.
- The word كَرِيم is one of the 99 names of God in Islam, where it represents the attribute of being 'The Most Generous'.
- The adjective شَرِيف is also used to describe 'honest' or 'decent' work, such as عمل شريف, to distinguish it from immoral or illegal labor.
Examples in context
- هو شخص شريفHe is a noble person.
- لقد أظهر تصرفًا كريمًاHe displayed a noble gesture.
- لديه صفات أصيلةHe has noble qualities
- قلبك كريمYou have a noble heart.
- هو رجل كَرِيم.huwa rajulun karīm.He is a noble man.
- أنتِ امرأة كَرِيمَة.anti imra'atun karīma.You are a noble woman.
- هذا فعل كَرِيم.hādhā fi'lun karīm.This is a noble act.
Example conversation
Sara and Omar are discussing a friend's kindness.
- سارة Saraعمر، هل رأيت ماذا فعل خالد؟Omar, hal ra'ayta mādhā fa'ala Khalid?Omar, did you see what Khalid did?
- عمر Omarنعم، لقد كان موقفاً كَرِيماً منه.Na'am, laqad kāna mawqifan karīman minhu.Yes, it was a noble gesture from him.
- سارة Saraإنه دائماً يساعد الجميع بصمت.Innahu dā'iman yusā'idu al-jamī' bi-samtan.He always helps everyone silently.
- عمر Omarهذا هو معنى النبل الحقيقي.Hādhā huwa ma'nā al-nubl al-haqīqī.That is the meaning of true nobility.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “noble” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
