أَكْتُوبَر
ʔaktobarmasculine
October in Arabic is أَكْتُوبَر (ʔaktobar). Wiktionary also lists تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل (tišrīn al-ʔawwal).
Meaning: tenth month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أَكْتُوبَر | ʔaktobar | masculine |
| تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل | tišrīn al-ʔawwal | masculine |
Both forms refer to the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar.
What does it mean word for word?
The form تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل literally means the first Tishrin, which serves to distinguish it from the second month of the same name.
Which one should you use?
While أَكْتُوبَر is widely understood, تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل is the specific name used for October in the Levant and Iraq.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أَكْتُوبَر is a transliteration of the English/Latin name and is commonly used in media and in many Arabic-speaking countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل (or شهر تشرين الأول) is used primarily in Levantine Arabic, which includes Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔaktobar
Did you know?
- In the Levant, the name تِشْرِين is shared by both October and November, creating a pair of months called 'the first' and 'the second' تِشْرِين.
- The name تِشْرِين الْأَوَّل is actually a remnant of the ancient Syriac calendar, an older system used in the region long before the Gregorian calendar became standard.
- Unlike the English 'October', which is etymologically linked to the number 'eight', the term تِشْرِين carries no numerical meaning at all.
Examples in context
- في شهر تشرين الأول، تكون الأجواء معتدلة في لبنان.In October, the weather is moderate in Lebanon.
- عِيدُ مِيلَادِي فِي أَكْتُوبَر.ʿīd mīlādī fī ʾakṭūbar.My birthday is in October.
- سَنَبْدَأُ الْعَمَلَ الْجَدِيدَ فِي أَكْتُوبَر.sanabdaʾu al-ʿamala al-jadīda fī ʾakṭūbar.We will start the new work in October.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sara are discussing their upcoming vacation.
- زياد Ziadمَتَى سَتَذْهَبِينَ إِلَى مِصْرَ يَا سَارَة؟Mata satadhahabina ila Misra ya Sara?When will you go to Egypt, Sara?
- سارة Saraسَأَذْهَبُ فِي أَكْتُوبَر.Sa-adhhabu fi oktubar.I will go in October.
- زياد Ziadهذا وَقْتٌ مِثَالِي لِلزِّيَارَةِ.Hada waqtun mithali lil-ziyarah.That is a perfect time for a visit.
- سارة Saraأَنَا مُتَحَمِّسَةٌ جِدًّا لِلرِّحْلَةِ.Ana mutahammisatun jiddan lil-rihlah.I am very excited for the trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “October” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
