مُدِير
mudīrmasculine
The English phrase "principal" (referring to a school administrator) is translated into Arabic as مُدِير (mudīr). Wiktionary also lists مُدِيرَة (mudīra).
Meaning: chief administrator of a school (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مُدِير | mudīr | masculine |
| مُدِيرَة | mudīra | feminine |
In a school context, مُدِير is used to refer to the principal. Note that this word is also the standard term for a "manager" in a business context. If you wish to be more formal when referring to the head of a school, you may use رئيس المدرسة.
What does it mean word for word?
The word مُدِير literally means "manager" or "director".
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the noun and the adjective: مُدِير is the noun for the person in charge, while the related adjective رَئِيسِيّ is used for meanings such as "principal" or "main" (for example, "the principal reason").
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form مُدِير is masculine. Use the feminine form مُدِيرَة when the principal is a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
mudīr
Did you know?
- The word مُدِير comes from the root meaning 'to turn' or 'to rotate'. This suggests that a manager is someone who keeps the wheels of an organization turning.
- While مُدِير is the standard term, in some dialects you may hear the word ناظر used for a school principal, which literally means 'the observer' or 'the looker'.
- In some Arab countries, students might address their principal as أستاذ 'professor' or أستاذي 'my professor' regardless of whether the principal is currently teaching a class.
Examples in context
- المدرسة النموذجية تعمل بجهود كبيرة تحت إشراف رئيس المدرسة.The exemplary school works hard under the supervision of the school principal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “principal” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
