فَتْرَة
fatrafeminine
In Arabic, the word for period is فَتْرَة (fatra). Wiktionary also lists مُدَّة (mudda).
Meaning: interval of time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| فَتْرَة | fatra | feminine |
| مُدَّة | mudda | feminine |
Both فَتْرَة and مُدَّة are feminine nouns used to describe an interval of time.
Which one should you use?
فَتْرَة (fatra) is used to describe a specific stage or a stretch of time, whereas مُدَّة (mudda) emphasizes the total duration or length of that time.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the feminine noun فَتْرَة is فَتَرَات. The plural form of the feminine noun مُدَّة is مُدَد.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is fatra.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'period' can refer to a menstrual cycle, Arabic uses the specific term دَوْرَة شَهْرِيَّة, which literally means 'monthly cycle'.
- The word فَتْرَة is used in the Quran to describe a specific interval of time between the missions of two prophets where no revelation was received.
- The word فَتْرَة shares a root with the concept of 'fatigue' or 'lethargy' in classical Arabic, originally implying a momentary slackening or a pause in activity.
Examples in context
- يتألف العام الدراسي من فترتين رئيسيتين.The academic year consists of two main periods.
- مشان تضبطي المواعيد وعشان تعرفي متى بتجيك البيريود، لازم تستخدمي تقويم.In order to manage your appointments and know when your period comes, you need to use a calendar.
- أنا مهتمة بتعلم تفاصيل دورة النساء الشهرية.I am interested in learning details about the menstrual cycle.
- فَتْرَة زَمَنِيَّةA period of time
- كانت فَتْرَةً صعبةً.kānat fatratan ṣa'batan.It was a difficult period.
- هذه فَتْرَةٌ رائعةٌ في حياتي.hādhihi fatratun rā'i'atun fī ḥayātī.This is a wonderful period in my life.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are talking about their travel history.
- سارة Saraهل كنت في باريس لفَتْرَةٍ طويلة؟hal kunta fī bārīs li-fatratin ṭawīlatin?Were you in Paris for a long period?
- زياد Ziadنعم، قضيت هناك فَتْرَةً من السنة الماضية.na'am, qaḍaytu hunāka fatratan min as-sanah al-māḍiyah.Yes, I spent a period there last year.
- سارة Saraكانت فَتْرَةً ممتعةً بالتأكيد.kānat fatratan mumti'atan bit-ta'kīd.It was a fun period for sure.
- زياد Ziadحقاً، لقد استمتعت كثيراً.ḥaqqan, laqad istamta'tu kathīran.Really, I enjoyed it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “period” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
