لُخْم
luḵmmasculine
The English word "shark" is translated into Arabic as لُخْم (luḵm), قِرْش, سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش or ركان.
Meaning: fish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لُخْم | luḵm | masculine |
| قِرْش | qirš | masculine |
| سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش | samakatu l-qirš | feminine |
| ركان | rekān | masculine |
All these terms refer to the predatory fish known as a shark.
What does it mean word for word?
The feminine form سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش literally translates to "shark fish" (the fish of the shark).
Which one should you use?
While لُخْم is a dictionary term, قِرْش is the much more common and standard word used in modern Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The words لُخْم, قِرْش and ركان are masculine, while سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
luḵm
Did you know?
- The common word for shark قِرْش is also the name of the smallest unit of currency in Egypt and Syria. In these countries, the word literally means 'piastre'.
- Depending on the dialect, the pronunciation of the letter 'qaf' in قِرْش can change from a deep 'k' sound to a glottal stop or even a 'g' sound.
- While لُخْم is found in classical dictionaries, it is almost never heard in modern daily conversation and would likely confuse a native speaker today.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmed are looking at a fish tank at an aquarium.
- سارة Saraانظر يا أحمد، هناك لُخْم!Unzur ya Ahmad, hunaka lukhm!Look Ahmed, there is a shark!
- أحمد Ahmedواو، إنه يبدو مخيفاً.Wow, innahu yabdu mukhifan.Wow, it looks scary.
- سارة Saraأنا أحب اللُخْم كثيراً.Ana uhibbu al-lukhm kathiran.I like sharks very much.
- أحمد Ahmedأنا أفضل الأسماك الصغيرة.Ana ufaddilu al-asmak al-sag hira.I prefer small fish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shark” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
