قَصِيدَة
qaṣīdafeminine
The Arabic word for poem is قَصِيدَة (qaṣīda). Wiktionary also lists شِعْر (šiʕr) and نَظْم (naẓm).
Meaning: literary piece written in verse (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| قَصِيدَة | qaṣīda | feminine |
| شِعْر | šiʕr | masculine |
| نَظْم | naẓm | masculine |
Arabic uses different words depending on whether you are referring to a single specific piece of literature, the art form itself or the technical process of composing verse.
Which one should you use?
Use قَصِيدَة to refer to a specific, individual poem. In contrast, شِعْر refers to the concept of poetry in general or the genre. The term نَظْم is used to describe the technical act of composing verse that follows strict meter, often in a formal or academic context.
How does it change in a sentence?
قَصِيدَة is a feminine noun, and its plural form is قَصَائِد. شِعْر is a masculine noun used as an uncountable noun for 'poetry' and does not change form to indicate plurality. نَظْم is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
qaṣīda
Did you know?
- An ancient form of Arabic poetry, the مُعَلَّقَات, consists of poems so beautiful that they were said to be 'suspended' or 'hung' on the walls of the Kaaba in Mecca.
- The word شِعْر shares a linguistic root with the concept of 'knowing' or 'perception', implying that poetry is a form of deep, intuitive awareness rather than just rhythmic speech.
- While شِعْر is the general word for poetry, the term نَظْم specifically describes poetry that is 'strung together' like beads on a necklace, emphasizing the rhythmic connectivity of the words.
Examples in context
- هَذِهِ قَصِيدَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ جِدًّا.hādhihi qaṣīdatun jamīlatun jiddan.This is a very beautiful poem.
- قَرَأْتُ قَصِيدَةً لِشَاعِرٍ مَشْهُورٍ.qara'tu qaṣīdatan li-shā'irin mashhūrin.I read a poem by a famous poet.
- كَتَبَتْ لَيْلَى قَصِيدَةً عَنِ الطَّبِيعَةِ.katabat Laylā qaṣīdatan 'ani al-ṭabī'ah.Layla wrote a poem about nature.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are talking about a literature class.
- زياد Ziadيَا لَيْلَى، هَلْ كَتَبْتِ قَصِيدَةً لِلْفَصْلِ؟Ya Layla, hal katabti qasidatan lil-fasl?Layla, did you write a poem for the class?
- ليلى Laylaنَعَمْ يَا زِياد، لَقَدْ أَنْهَيْتُهَا أَمْسِ.Na'am ya Ziyad, laqad anhaytuha amsi.Yes Ziad, I finished it yesterday.
- زياد Ziadهَلْ يُمْكِنُنِي قِرَاءَتُهَا الآنَ؟Hal yumkinuni qira'atuha al-an?Can I read it now?
- ليلى Laylaبِالطَّبْعِ، تَفَضَّلْ يَا زِياد.Bi-ttab'i, tafaddal ya Ziyad.Of course, go ahead Ziad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poem” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
