بحر
bḥar/baħr/Moroccan Arabic
The English word for sea is بحر (bḥar) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists بَحْر (baḥr) and يَمّ (yamm).
Meaning: body of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بحر | bḥar | /baħr/ /ba.ħar/ |
Moroccan Arabic |
| بَحْر | baḥr | masculine | |
| يَمّ | yamm | masculine | |
| بَحَر | baḥər | Gulf Arabic |
Which one should you use?
While بحر is the standard term, يَمّ is a more poetic or literary term for a large body of water, often used in classical texts and the Quran.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic dialects, the vowel in the second syllable of the word for sea is often shifted to an 'e' sound (baḥər) as بَحَر. In Moroccan Arabic, the pronunciation of the word for sea often involves a different vowel structure (bḥar) as بحر.
How does it change in a sentence?
The broken plural form of بَحْر (sea) is بِحار (seas).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /baħr/.
Did you know?
- In Arabic poetry, the word بحر is used to describe the 'meter' or rhythmic pattern of a poem, comparing the flow of a verse to the waves of the 'sea'.
- In Arabic, the word بحر can also be used as a metaphor for a person with vast knowledge, suggesting they are an 'ocean' of wisdom.
- Arabic uses the word بحر to refer to both a 'sea' and an 'ocean', whereas English distinguishes between the two by size and geography.
Examples in context
- لا يوجد بحر في أرمينياThere is no sea in Armenia.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific country has no sea, using the form بحر.Tatoeba #11626948 by dididodo, translation #1781642 by Amastan
- الْبَحْرُ أَخْضَرُ.The sea is green.This sentence is useful for describing the color of the sea, using the form بَحْر.Tatoeba #2691342 by Lameen, translation #2504015 by _undertoad
- البحر جميل.The sea is beautiful.
- هل تحب السباحة في البحر؟Do you like swimming in the sea?
- النهاردة هنروح نقضي يوم جميل على بحر العافية.Today, we will spend a lovely day at the sea of well-being.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea” translations and entries بحر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
