Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بَدِيهِيّ | badīhiyy |
| بَدَهِيّ | badahiyy |
| وَاضِح | wāḍiḥ |
| مُبِين | mubīn |
| بَيِّن | bayyin |
In Arabic, different words for 'obvious' are used depending on whether you mean something is intuitively self-evident or simply easy to see and perceive.
Which one should you use?
The form بَدِيهِيّ is used specifically for things that are self-evident or intuitive, such as a logical truth or a mathematical axiom. In contrast, وَاضِح is the most common way to express that something is 'obvious' in the sense of being clear, visible or easy to perceive.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal contexts, you can use وَاضِح or ظاهِر to convey the meaning of 'obvious'. The term مُبِين is a highly formal or classical word, often used in legal or religious contexts to describe something that is manifest or clearly evident.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word طبيعي is used to convey the idea of 'obvious'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a feminine noun using the adjective وَاضِح, you should use the feminine form وَاضِحَة.
How do you pronounce it?
badīhiyy
Did you know?
- The adjective ظاهِر used for 'obvious' is the direct opposite of باطِن, which refers to the hidden, internal, or mystical essence of a thing.
- The word بَدِيهِيّ is derived from the root word for 'sudden' or 'immediate', reflecting the idea that a self-evident truth is grasped instantly without the need for reasoning.
- In the Egyptian dialect, saying طبيعي to mean 'it is obvious' actually translates literally to 'natural'.
Examples in context
- من الواضح أن الطريقة التي اقترحتها أكثر فعالية.It is obvious that the method I suggested is more effective.
- يبدو واضحًا أنهم لم يقدموا الإجابة النهائية.It seems obvious that they did not provide the final answer.
- الحقيقة واضحة وظاهرة للعيان.The truth is clear and obvious.
- إنه أمر ظاهِر، لا يختلف عليه اثنان.It is an obvious matter that no two people disagree on.
- بديهي أن الحاجة هي أم الاختراع.It is obvious that necessity is the mother of invention.
- الموضوع واضح جداً وطبيعي.The matter is very obvious and natural.
- هَذَا السُّؤَالُ بَدِيهِيّ.hadha al-su'al badihiy.This question is obvious.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ziad are solving a math problem together.
- سارة Saraلا أفهم كيف وجدنا هذه النتيجة.La afham kayfa wajadna hadhihi al-natijah.I don't understand how we got this result.
- زياد Ziadانظري للرقم، الحل بَدِيهِيّ يا سارة.Unzuri lil-raqam, al-hal badihiyyun ya Sarah.Look at the number, the solution is obvious, Sarah.
- سارة Saraأوه، الآن رأيتها!Oh, al-an ra'aytuha!Oh, now I see it!
- زياد Ziadنعم، الأمر بسيط جداً.Na'am, al-amr basit jiddan.Yes, the matter is very simple.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “obvious” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
