عَبْد
ʕabdmasculine
The English word 'slave' is translated into Arabic as عَبْد (ʕabd). Wiktionary also lists أَمَة (ʔama).
Meaning: person owned by another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عَبْد | ʕabd | masculine |
| أَمَة | ʔama | feminine |
The word refers to a person owned by another. The term is frequently used in the context of religious devotion, such as in the common name عَبْدُ الله (servant of God).
Which one should you use?
The masculine form عَبْد refers to a male slave, while the feminine form أَمَة refers to a female slave.
How does it change in a sentence?
The broken plural form of the masculine عَبْد is عَبِيد.
How do you pronounce it?
ʕabd
Did you know?
- The root letters ع-ب-د also form the basis for the word 'ibadah', which means 'worship' or 'acts of devotion'.
- The concept of being a 'slave to one's desires' uses the same linguistic root, meaning 'servitude' is used metaphorically for anyone lacking self-control.
- There is a linguistic distinction in old texts between a عَبْد and a مَمْلُوك, where the latter specifically emphasizes the state of being 'owned' as a piece of property.
Examples in context
- العبيد في المجتمع العربي القديم كانوا يقومون بأدوار مختلفة.Slaves in the ancient Arab society had various roles.
- كَانَ الْعَبْدُ يَعْمَلُ فِي الْقَصْرِ.kana al-'abdu ya'malu fi al-qasr.The slave worked in the palace.
- هَذَا الْعَبْدُ يُطِيعُ سَيِّدَهُ.hadha al-'abdu yuti'u sayyidahu.This slave obeys his master.
- وُلِدَ الْعَبْدُ فِي بَيْتٍ صَغِيرٍ.wulida al-'abdu fi baytin saghir.The slave was born in a small house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slave” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
