ورق
wáraʔ/wa.raq/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The English word paper is translated into Arabic as ورق (wáraʔ). Wiktionary also lists وَرَق (waraq) and قِرْطَاس (qirṭās).
Meaning: sheet material (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ورق | wáraʔ | /wa.raq/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| وَرَق | waraq | feminine | |
| قِرْطَاس | qirṭās | masculine | |
| كَاغِد | kāḡid | masculine | |
| ورقة | wriga | /wa.ra.qa/ | Gulf Arabic, feminine |
| كاغط | kāḡiṭ | Moroccan Arabic |
In Arabic, the term for paper can change depending on whether you are referring to the material itself or a specific sheet. For instance, you can use the adjective وَرَقِيّ to describe something made of paper.
Which one should you use?
The form ورق is used for the uncountable material 'paper', while the form ورقة is used for the countable 'a sheet of paper'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
وَرَقَة is a formal way to say paper and قِرْطَاس is a more classical or formal term used in literary or religious contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word is pronounced ورق (wáraʔ) and in Moroccan Arabic, كاغط is commonly used to refer to paper.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is wáraʔ. It has two syllables and is romanized as wáraʔ.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for 'money' is actually the same as the word for 'paper', specifically ورق.
- The Arabic word ورق originally meant 'leaf' in the sense of a plant's foliage before it was used to describe sheets of paper.
- In some Levantine dialects, the phrase 'give me a paper' أعطيني ورقة can be used colloquially to ask for a napkin or a tissue.
Examples in context
- زيري بحاجة إلى ورق.Ziri needs paper.This sentence shows how to express a need for the material ورق.Tatoeba #10234654 by Amastan, translation #10212961 by Amastan
- علي أن أكتب رسالة. هل لديك ورق؟I have to write a letter. Do you have some paper?This sentence shows how to ask if someone has the material ورق for writing.Tatoeba #1580599 by Amastan, translation #6117 by CK
- أعطاني توم ورقة مكتوب عليها عنوانه.Tom handed me a piece of paper with his address written on it.This sentence uses the form ورقة to indicate a single piece of paper.Tatoeba #4459112 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #4198274 by CK
- أحتاج ورقة لكتابة ملاحظاتي.I need a paper to write my notes.
- هَل لَديكَ وَرَقَة؟ أحتاجها للرَسْم.Do you have any paper? I need it for drawing.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Youssef and Sarah are in an office looking for supplies.
- سارة Saraيا يوسف، فين الورق؟ya youssef, fein el waraq?Youssef, where is the paper?
- يوسف Youssefالورق موجود في الدرج.el waraq mawgood fil dorg.The paper is in the drawer.
- سارة Saraشكراً، كنت محتاجة ورق للطباعة.shokran, kont mehtaga waraq lel tiba'a.Thanks, I needed paper for printing.
- يوسف Youssefتمام، خدي الورق كله.tamam, khody el waraq kollo.Okay, take all the paper.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paper” translations and entries ورق, ورقة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ورق, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
