مدرسة حكومية
madrasa hukumiyya
In Arabic, "public school" is مدرسة حكومية (madrasa hukumiyya).
The term مدرسة حكومية is used to specify schools that are funded and managed by the government, as opposed to private or community-run institutions.
Meaning: publicly administered school (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of madrasa (school) and hukumiyya (governmental/state-run).
Which one should you use?
To express the opposite of a public school, use مدرسة خاصة (madrasa khassa) (private school).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egypt and Sudan, people often use the term المدرسة الحكومية to refer to public schools.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of 'public school' is مدارس حكومية (madaris hukumiyya).
How do you pronounce it?
madrasa hukumiyya
Did you know?
- The word مدرسة is the root for the English word 'madrasa', which specifically refers to an Islamic college or seminary in English, rather than any general school.
- The adjective حكومية (hukumiyya) shares a root with Hakim, a word used for both a ruler and a judge.
- While مدرسة حكومية is the formal term for a 'public school', many people in the Levant use the word رسمية (rasmiyya), meaning 'official', to describe the same concept.
Examples in context
- ابني يدرس في مدرسة حكومية.ibnī yadrusu fī madrasatin ḥukūmiyya.My son studies in a public school.
- هل هذه مدرسة حكومية أم خاصة؟hal hādhihi madrasatun ḥukūmiyya am khāṣṣa?Is this a public school or a private one?
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour are discussing school options for a child.
- زياد Ziadهل تريدين التسجيل في مدرسة حكومية؟hal turīdīna al-tasjīla fī madrasatin ḥukūmiyya?Do you want to enroll in a public school?
- نور Nourأفضل المدرسة الخاصة يا زياد.ufaddilu al-madrasa al-khāṣṣa yā Ziyād.I prefer the private school, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadلكن المدرسة الحكومية جيدة جداً.lakin al-madrasa al-ḥukūmiyya jayyida jiddan.But the public school is very good.
- نور Nourسأفكر في الأمر قليلاً.sa-ufakki-ru fī al-amr qalīlan.I will think about it for a bit.
