What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of ساعة (sā'ah), which means "hour" or "clock" and واحدة (wāḥidah), which is the feminine form of the number "one".
Which one should you use?
While ساعة واحدة is the standard way to express the specific quantity of one hour, the phrase ساعة واحدة كاملة is used to specifically mean "a full hour" in formal contexts. Additionally, ساعة بساعة is used for the idiomatic meaning of "hour by hour".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Levant region, the informal phrase ساعة وحدة is used to convey the meaning of "one hour".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because ساعة is a feminine noun, the number must match it by using the feminine form واحدة. In many contexts, you can simply say ساعة to mean "an hour" without explicitly adding the word for "one".
How do you pronounce it?
sā'ah wāḥidah
Did you know?
- The word ساعة is used in the Quran and classical literature to refer to the Day of Judgment, the end of time, or a specific moment in time rather than just a sixty-minute duration.
- The Arabic word ساعة shares a common ancestor with the Hebrew word שָׁעָה (šā'ā́), both tracing back to ancient Aramaic roots.
- In some contexts, calling something a ساعة can imply it is a 'moment' or a 'brief instance' rather than a full sixty minutes.
Examples in context
- أحتاج إلى ساعة واحدة لإنهاء العمل.I need one hour to finish the work.
- يمكننا حجز ساعة واحدة كاملة للإجتماع.We can reserve a full hour for the meeting.
- انتظرتُ ساعة واحدة في المحطة.Intazartu sa'atan wahidatan fi al-mahatta.I waited for one hour at the station.
- هل يمكننا العمل لمدة ساعة واحدة؟Hal yumkinuna al-'amal li-muddat sa'atin wahidatin?Can we work for one hour?
Example conversation
Yusuf and Sarah are discussing how long a movie lasts.
- سارة Saraكم مدة الفيلم يا يوسف؟Kam muddat al-film ya Yusuf?How long is the movie, Yusuf?
- يوسف Youssefالفيلم يستغرق ساعة واحدة.Al-film yastaghriqu sa'atan wahidatan.The movie takes one hour.
- سارة Saraهذا رائع، هو قصير جداً.Hadha ra'i', huwa qasir jiddan.That is great, it is very short.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، هل أنتِ مستعدة؟Na'am, hal anti musta'idda?Yes, are you ready?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ساعة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
