دَفْتَر
daftarmasculine
The Arabic word for notebook is دَفْتَر (daftar). Wiktionary also lists مُذَكِّرَة (muḏakkira) and مُفَكِّرَة (mufakkira).
Meaning: empty book able to be used for notes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| دَفْتَر | daftar | masculine |
| مُذَكِّرَة | muḏakkira | feminine |
| مُفَكِّرَة | mufakkira | feminine |
The term refers to an empty book able to be used for notes.
Which one should you use?
دَفْتَر is the most common term for a standard notebook used for school or general writing. In contrast, مُذَكِّرَة is often used to refer to a memorandum, a journal or a more formal notebook for specific records, while مُفَكِّرَة is typically used to refer to a planner or a diary used for organizing thoughts and schedules.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, the common term دَفْتَر is widely used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the common word for notebook is دَفَاتِر. The plural form of the word for planner/notebook is مُفَكِّرَات.
How do you pronounce it?
daftar
Did you know?
- The word دَفْتَر is a loanword from the Persian word 'daftar', which originally referred to a register or a ledger used by government officials.
- The word دَفْتَر is used in many other languages, such as Turkish and Urdu, due to historical Ottoman influences.
- The word مُفَكِّرَة comes from the root meaning 'to think', so a notebook is literally seen as a 'thing of thinking'.
Examples in context
- أحتاج إلى دَفْتَر لكتابة الملاحظات.I need a notebook to take notes.
- قم بتسليم المُذَكِّرَة إلى المُعَلِّم.Hand the notebook to the teacher.
- أين وضعت دَفْتَرك؟Where did you put your notebook?
- أريد دَفْتَرًا جديدًا.urīdu daftaran jadīdan.I want a new notebook.
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmed are preparing for class in a library.
- ليلى Laylaيا أحمد، هل معك دَفْتَر إضافي؟Ya Ahmed, hal ma'aka daftar idafi?Ahmed, do you have an extra notebook?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، تفضلي هذا الدَفْتَر يا ليلى.Na'am, tafaddali hadha ad-daftar ya Layla.Yes, here is this notebook, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً جزيلاً لك.Shukran jazilan lak.Thank you very much.
- أحمد Ahmedعفواً، لا مشكلة.Afwan, la mushkila.You're welcome, no problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “notebook” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
