غراب
ḡurāb/ɣu.raːb/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The Arabic word for raven is غراب (ḡurāb). Wiktionary also lists غُرَاب (ḡurāb).
Meaning: any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| غراب | ḡurāb | /ɣu.raːb/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| غُرَاب | ḡurāb | masculine |
The term refers to any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus characterized by lustrous black plumage.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form غراب is used in Egyptian Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine. To refer to two ravens, use the dual form غرابين. The broken plural for multiple ravens is غربان.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɣu.raːb/. The romanization is ḡurāb.
Did you know?
- The word غراب appears in the Quran in the story of Cain and Abel, where a raven shows Cain how to bury his dead brother.
- Arabic has specific descriptors for the 'blackness' of a غراب, using the bird as a benchmark for the deepest shade of black.
- The phrase غراب البين (the raven of separation) is a classical poetic metaphor used to describe a bird that brings news of parting or heartbreak.
Examples in context
- رأيت غرابا.I saw a raven.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of the word غراب.Tatoeba #12304805 by Lwennas, translation #12328201 by Miktsoanit
- غُرَابٌ أسودBlack raven
- شبهت حركات الغُرَابِ بحركات السحلية السوداءI likened the raven's movements to those of a black lizard
- سمعت صوت غراب.sem'et sōt ghorāb.I heard the sound of a raven.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are walking in a garden.
- نور Nourبص يا أحمد، في غراب فوق الشجرة!boss ya aḥmad, fī ghorāb fō' el-shagara!Look Ahmed, there is a raven on the tree!
- أحمد Ahmedفعلاً، الغراب ده كبير أوي.fe'lan, el-ghorāb dah kebir awy.Indeed, that raven is very large.
- نور Nourشكله بيطير بعيد دلوقتي.shaklo beyitīr ba'īd delwa'ti.It looks like it's flying away now.
- أحمد Ahmedيا نور، هو طار خلاص.ya nour, hūwa ṭār khalaṣ.Nour, it has already flown away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “raven” translations and entries غراب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
