Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نُوفِمْبِر | nufimbir | masculine |
| نُوفَمْبِر | nufambir | masculine |
| نُوفَمْبَر | nufambar | masculine |
| تِشْرِين الثَّانِِي | tišrīn aṯ-ṯāniī | masculine |
The term for the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar can be expressed either through transliterated versions of the English name or through the traditional month name used in specific parts of the Arab world.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term تِشْرِين الثَّانِي literally means 'the second Tishrin', which refers to it being the second of two months named Tishrin.
Which one should you use?
The transliterated forms نُوفِمْبِر, نُوفَمْبِر and نُوفَمْبَر are widely used across the Arabic-speaking world. In contrast, تِشْرِين الثَّانِي is the standard way to name the month in the Levant and Iraq.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term تِشْرِين الثَّانِي is specifically used in the Levant region and Mesopotamia (Iraq).
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of the word are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
nufimbir
Did you know?
- Arabic has two different calendar systems in use. While the Gregorian names like نُوفِمْبِر are used for business, the Islamic lunar calendar shifts dates every year, meaning November never falls on the same Islamic month twice.
- The use of تِشْرِين الثَّانِي is a linguistic marker of identity. A speaker using this term instead of نُوفِمْبِر is often immediately identified as being from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan or Palestine.
- The name تِشْرِين has ancient roots that pre-date the modern Gregorian calendar, connecting modern Arabic speech to much older Mesopotamian traditions.
Examples in context
- نُوفِمْبِر هُوَ شَهْرٌ بَارِدٌ.Nufimbir huwa shahrun barid.November is a cold month.
- سَأُسَافِرُ فِي نُوفِمْبِر.Sa'usafiru fi Nufimbir.I will travel in November.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are talking about their upcoming travel plans.
- أحمد Ahmedمَتَى سَتَذْهَبِينَ إِلَى الرِّيَاضِ؟Mata satadhhabina ila ar-riyad?When are you going to Riyadh?
- ليلى Laylaسَأَذْهَبُ فِي نُوفِمْبِر.Sa'adhhabu fi Nufimbir.I will go in November.
- أحمد Ahmedهَلْ هَذَا الشَّهْرُ جَيِّدٌ لِلسَّفَرِ؟Hal hadha ash-shahru jayyidun lis-safar?Is this month good for traveling?
- ليلى Laylaنَعَمْ، الْجَوُّ يَكُونُ جَمِيلاً.Na'am, al-jawwu yakunu jamilan.Yes, the weather will be beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “November” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
