Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ثانية | sānya | /θaː.ni.ja/ /ˈθɑːnjə/ (Kuwait) |
Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| ثَانِيَة | ṯāniya | feminine | |
| ثانْية | ṯānya | Hijazi Arabic, feminine | |
| تانية | tāniya, tānya | Moroccan Arabic |
When referring to the SI unit of time (one-sixtieth of a minute), use the noun ثانية. If you are referring to the ordinal number meaning 'second' in a sequence or ranking (e.g., second place), you should use the related forms such as ثاني.
Which one should you use?
The word ثانية refers to the unit of time, whereas the related form ثاني refers to the ordinal number 'second' (e.g., second place).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term for 'second' is commonly expressed as تاني. In Hijazi Arabic, the word ثانْية is used. In Moroccan Arabic, the form تانية is used. In Gulf Arabic, the term ثانية is used for the concept of a second in both formal and informal contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form of the ordinal number 'second' is ثاني.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ثانية is /θaː.ni.ja/.
Did you know?
- Historians believe the Latin terms for 'minute' and 'second' were actually influenced by Arabo-Islamic terminology rather than the other way around.
- In many Arabic dialects, the 'th' sound in ثانية shifts to a 't' sound, which is why you will hear تانية in Egypt and Morocco.
Examples in context
- سيكون هنا في أي ثانيةHe'll be here any second.This sentence shows how to use ثانية to express 'any second'.Tatoeba #6670050 by marhabaan, translation #1453546 by Spamster
- أغلبنا يتحدث الأمازيغية كلغة ثانية.Berber is essentially our second language.This sentence uses ثانية to mean 'second language'.Tatoeba #12173130 by dididodo, translation #8149041 by Amastan
- لو هُيئ لي الولادةَ مرةً ثانية، لرغبت أن أكون كندياً.If I were to be born a second time, I would like to be Canadian.This sentence uses ثانية to mean 'a second time'.Tatoeba #5040619 by Crataegus, translation #5040440 by Hybrid
- أريد المزيد من الوقت لإتمام الأمر الثاني.I need more time to complete the second matter.
- هو حلّ في المركز الثاني في السباق.He finished in second place in the race.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are waiting for a phone call to connect.
- أحمد Ahmedاستني ثانية واحدة بس.estanni sanya wahda bas.Wait just one second.
- نور Nourأنا مستنية بقالي دقيقة.ana mestannya ba'ali da'i'a.I have been waiting for a minute.
- أحمد Ahmedالشبكة ضعيفة، ثانية وهتشتغل.el shabaka da'eefa, sanya we hatishtaghal.The network is weak, it will work in a second.
- نور Nourيا رب، أنا زهقت.ya rab, ana zehe'et.I hope so, I'm bored/tired of waiting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “second” translations and entries ثانية, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ثانية, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
