فِلَسْطِينِيّ
filasṭīniyymasculine
The English term Palestinian is translated into Arabic as فِلَسْطِينِيّ (filasṭīniyy). Wiktionary also lists فِلَسْطِينِيَّة (filasṭīniyya).
Meaning: inhabitant of Palestine or Arab of Palestinian descent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فِلَسْطِينِيّ | filasṭīniyy | masculine |
| فِلَسْطِينِيَّة | filasṭīniyya | feminine |
This term is used as a noun to refer to an inhabitant of Palestine or an Arab of Palestinian descent. It can also function as an adjective meaning of, from or pertaining to Palestine or the Palestinian people.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form is فِلَسْطِينِيّ, while the feminine form is فِلَسْطِينِيَّة.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the region of Jerusalem, the term مقدسي is used to refer to Palestinians specifically from Jerusalem. Similarly, people hailing from the city of Nablus are sometimes called نابلسي.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form is فِلَسْطِينِيُّونَ, which is formed by adding the suffix -ūn to the base.
How do you pronounce it?
filasṭīniyy
Did you know?
- The word فِلَسْطِينِيّ shares a root with the name of the region, which is believed to be derived from the 'Philistines' who lived on the coast thousands of years ago.
- The word فِلَسْطِينِيّ is a 'nisba' adjective, a specialized grammatical tool in Arabic used to turn any noun into a descriptor of origin, nationality or affiliation.
- In Arabic, the same word فِلَسْطِينِيَّة used to describe a woman can also describe an abstract entity like 'Palestinian identity' or 'Palestinian nationality'.
Examples in context
- صديقي فلسطينيMy friend is Palestinian.
- الفلسطينيون معروفون بقوتهم ومقاومتهمPalestinians are known for their resilience.
- لنجري نقاشاً محترماً حول قضية الفلسطينيينLet's have a respectful discussion about the Palestinian cause.
- هُوَ فِلَسْطِينِيّ.huwa filasṭīnī.He is Palestinian.
- أَنَا فِلَسْطِينِيّ مِنَ الْقُدْسِ.ana filasṭīnī mina al-quds.I am a Palestinian from Jerusalem.
- هَلْ أَنْتَ فِلَسْطِينِيّ؟hal anta filasṭīnī?Are you Palestinian?
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are introducing their families to each other.
- عمر Omarأبي فِلَسْطِينِيّ وأمي مصرية.Abi filastiniyy wa ummi misriyya.My father is Palestinian and my mother is Egyptian.
- نور Nourهذا جميل جداً يا عمر.Hada jamil jiddan ya Omar.That is very beautiful, Omar.
- عمر Omarمن أين عائلتك يا نور؟Min ayna 'ailatuki ya Nour?Where is your family from, Nour?
- نور Nourعائلتي من لبنان.Ailati min Lubnan.My family is from Lebanon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “palestinian” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
