نهر
nahr/nahr/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The Arabic word for river is نهر (nahr). Wiktionary also lists نَهْر (nahr) and أَنْهَار (ʔanhār).
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نهر | nahr | /nahr/ /na.har/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| نَهْر | nahr | masculine | |
| أَنْهَار | ʔanhār | plural | |
| أَنْهُر | ʔanhur | plural | |
| واد | wād | /waː.din/ | Moroccan Arabic |
The word refers to a large stream which drains a landmass.
Which one should you use?
While نهر is the singular form, there are two plural forms available: أَنْهَار is the standard broken plural and أَنْهُر is an alternative broken plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moroccan Arabic, the word واد is used to refer to a river or valley. In Egyptian Arabic, نهر is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word نهر is a masculine noun. For plurals, you can use either أَنْهَار or أَنْهُر.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is romanized as nahr and pronounced /nahr/.
Did you know?
- The word نهر can also be used as a verb meaning 'to scold' or 'to drive away with a shout'.
- The term واد (wadi) was borrowed directly into English to describe a specific type of desert valley and stream.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word واد refers to a dry riverbed or a valley that may only flow during rainy seasons, which can differ significantly from the permanent flowing rivers implied by نهر.
Examples in context
- كم من بلد يمر عبره نهر الفرات؟How many countries does the Euphrates river cross?This sentence shows how to use نهر when naming a specific river.Tatoeba #11677404 by dididodo, translation #2535342 by Amastan
- متى كانت آخر مرة عبرت فيها نهرا؟When was the last time you crossed a river?This sentence uses نهر to describe crossing a river.Tatoeba #11677656 by dididodo, translation #1751310 by Amastan
- يعيش توم وماري في بيت بمحاذاة نهرTom and Mary live in a house by the river.This sentence uses نهر to describe a location near a river.Tatoeba #6120063 by Feyza, translation #6119614 by Hybrid
- في نهر قرب بيتي.There's a river near my house.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Sarah are planning a trip to Cairo.
- أحمد Ahmedعايز أروح أتمشى على النهر.Ayiz arouh atmasha ala el-nahr.I want to go for a walk by the river.
- سارة Saraتقصد نهر النيل في القاهرة؟Teqsed nahr el-Nil fi el-Qahira?Do you mean the Nile river in Cairo?
- أحمد Ahmedأيوه، المنظر هناك جميل جداً.Aywa, el-manzar honak gamil geddan.Yes, the view there is very beautiful.
- سارة Saraيلا بينا نروح بكرة.Yalla bina nrouh bokra.Let's go tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries نهر, واد, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
