Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| زَرَعَ | zaraʕa |
| غَرَسَ | ḡarasa |
The verb is used to describe the act of placing something in soil or a substrate so that it may live and grow. When referring to the organism itself, the noun نَبَات is used. Related to this, the noun مَزْرَعَة refers to a farm.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two main verbs depends on what is being planted. Use زَرَعَ when referring to planting crops, seeds or activities related to large-scale agriculture. Use غَرَسَ when planting a single sapling, a tree or when the focus is on the physical act of pushing or embedding something into the ground.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, the word نبتة is frequently used to mean plant.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of زَرَعَ is يَزْرَعُ (he plants / he is planting), while the present tense form of غَرَسَ is يَغْرِسُ (he plants / he is planting).
How do you pronounce it?
zaraʕa
Did you know?
- While غَرَسَ means to plant a sapling, it is also the exact word used for 'embedding' a knife or a sword into a surface.
- In some poetic contexts, غَرَسَ is used to describe the 'planting' of values or morals in children during their upbringing.
- The verb غَرَسَ conveys a sense of depth and firmness, which is why it is the preferred word for planting things like flags or permanent markers into the ground.
Examples in context
- أحب دراسة النباتات في الجامعة.I love studying plants at university.
- زَرَعَ الفلاحُ القمحَ في الحقلِ.Zara'a al-fallāḥu al-qamḥa fī al-ḥaql.The farmer planted wheat in the field.
- زَرَعَ الطِّفلُ بذورَ الوردِ في الأصيصِ.Zara'a al-ṭiflu budhūra al-wardi fī al-aṣīṣ.The child planted rose seeds in the pot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plant” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
