سِكْرِتِير
sekretērmasculine
The English phrase "secretary" is translated into Arabic as سِكْرِتِير (sekretēr). Wiktionary also lists سِكْرِتِيرَة (sekretēra) and كَاتِب (kātib).
Meaning: person keeping records and handling clerical work (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سِكْرِتِير | sekretēr | masculine |
| سِكْرِتِيرَة | sekretēra | feminine |
| كَاتِب | kātib | masculine |
| كَاتِبَة | kātiba | feminine |
This term refers to a person who keeps records and handles clerical work. You can use the loanword to describe a secretary in modern business settings, or the term for a clerk or writer in more traditional administrative contexts.
Which one should you use?
The form سِكْرِتِير is a loanword from English or French used in modern business. In contrast, كَاتِب literally means "writer" and is used to refer to a clerk or secretary in a more traditional or formal sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word for secretary is سكرتير.
How does it change in a sentence?
Similarly, the feminine form of كَاتِب is كَاتِبَة.
How do you pronounce it?
sekretēr
Did you know?
- While سِكْرِتِير is used for office staff, the word أَمِين سِر describes a 'secretary' in a political or diplomatic sense. It literally translates to 'trustee of the secret'.
- In classical Arabic literature, a كَاتِب was often a highly educated person who served as a diplomat or advisor to kings.
- The word كَاتِب shares the same three-letter root as the word for 'book' كِتَاب and 'library' مَكْتَبَة. In Arabic, this means any 'secretary' is linguistically tied to the act of writing and the physical object of the book.
Examples in context
- السكرتير مُنَظِّم جداً في إدارة المكتب.The secretary is very organized in managing the office.
- أحتاج للتحدث مع الأمين العام على وجه السرعة.I need to speak with the general secretary urgently.
- هُوَ سِكْرِتِيرٌ جَدِيدٌ فِي الشَّرِكَةِ.huwa sikritīrun jadīdun fī ash-sharikati.He is a new secretary in the company.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “secretary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
