حَرِير
ḥarīrmasculine
The English word silk is حَرِير (ḥarīr) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists إبْرِيسِم (ʔibrīsim) and إبْرَيْسَم (ʔibraysam).
Meaning: fabric (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| حَرِير | ḥarīr | masculine |
| إبْرِيسِم | ʔibrīsim | masculine |
| إبْرَيْسَم | ʔibraysam | masculine |
The term refers to the fabric (noun).
Which one should you use?
حَرِير is the standard, most common word for silk used in everyday conversation and literature. The other forms provided are إبْرِيسِم and إبْرَيْسَم.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe something made of silk or having a silken texture, use the adjective form حَرِيرِيّ.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥarīr
Did you know?
- The term إبْرَيْسَم is believed to be a loanword from Ancient Greek 'serikos' or Persian 'abresham' rather than being purely Semitic.
- The variant إبْرَيْسَم is specifically mentioned in the Quran to describe the luxurious garments of paradise.
- In certain poetic contexts, حَرِير can be used to describe the texture of moonlight or light reflecting on water. This creates a visual imagery of 'silken' light in Arabic prose.
Examples in context
- في بلدي، يعتبر الحرير رمزًا للفخامة والجمال.In my country, silk is considered a symbol of luxury and beauty.
- عنا بالمنطقة بعض المصانع لإنتاج الحرير.We have some silk factories in the region.
- هل هذا القميص حَرِير حقيقي؟hal hadha al-qamis harir haqiqi?Is this shirt real silk?
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmed are shopping for clothes.
- ليلى Laylaانظر يا أحمد، هذا الوشاح من حَرِير.unzur ya ahmad, hadha al-wishah min harir.Look Ahmed, this scarf is made of silk.
- أحمد Ahmedإنه جميل جداً يا ليلى.innahu jamil jiddan ya layla.It is very beautiful, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaهل تعتقد أن حَرِير هو الأفضل؟hal ta'taqid anna harir huwa al-afdal?Do you think silk is the best?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، هو مريح وناعم.na'am, huwa murih wa na'im.Yes, it is comfortable and soft.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
