أُغْنِيَّة
ʔuḡniyyafeminine
The English word "song" is translated into Arabic as أُغْنِيَّة (ʔuḡniyya). Wiktionary also lists أُغْنِيَة (ʔuḡniya) and اغنية (oḡneya).
Meaning: music with words (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أُغْنِيَّة | ʔuḡniyya | feminine |
| أُغْنِيَة | ʔuḡniya | feminine |
| اغنية | oḡneya | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| غنوة | ḡenwa | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
The term refers to music with words.
Which one should you use?
The forms أُغْنِيَّة and أُغْنِيَة are both feminine variations used for song. In the Egyptian dialect, the pronunciation often shifts to اغنية and the word غنوة is also used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal way to say song in Arabic is أغنية. In Egyptian Arabic, the pronunciation often shifts to اغنية.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, غنوة is a common way to say song.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the standard form is أُغْنِيَّات.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔuḡniyya
Did you know?
- The root of أُغْنِيَّة is related to the word غِنَى, which means 'wealth' or 'sufficiency'. Historically, singing was seen as a form of spiritual or emotional abundance.
- In many Arabic cultures, a 'song' is often categorized as طرب 'tarab', which refers not just to the music but to the state of emotional ecstasy it induces in the listener.
- Arabic music often uses 'quarter tones', meaning a أُغْنِيَّة can contain notes that sound 'out of tune' to an English speaker but are precise mathematical intervals in Arabic.
Examples in context
- اصبحت اغنية " انا امرأة " لهيلين ريدي النشيد الغير رسمي لحركة تحرير المرأة.The song "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy became the unofficial anthem of the Women's Liberation Movement.This sentence shows how اغنية can be used to refer to an anthem or a specific musical piece.Tatoeba #4108103 by fadi, translation #3806344 by patgfisher
- أحب سماع الأغاني العربية.I love listening to Arabic songs.
- هذه أُغْنِيَّة جَمِيلَة جِدًّا.hādhihi ughniyya jamīla jiddan.This is a very beautiful song.
- هَلْ سَمِعْتِ أُغْنِيَّةً جَدِيدَةً اليَوْمَ؟hal sami'ti ughniyyatan jadīdatan al-yawm?Did you hear a new song today?
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are talking about music in a cafe.
- عمر Omarما رأيك في هذه الـ أُغْنِيَّة يا سارة؟Ma ra'yuki fi hadhihi al-ughniyya ya Sarah?What do you think of this song, Sarah?
- سارة Saraإنها رائعة، أحب كلماتها.Innaha ra'i'a, uhibbu kalimatiha.It is wonderful, I love its lyrics.
- عمر Omarأنا أيضاً أحب هذا النوع من الموسيقى.Ana aydan uhibbu hadha al-naw' min al-musiqa.I also love this kind of music.
- سارة Saraهل يمكنك إرسال الـ أُغْنِيَّة لي؟Hal yumkinuka irsal al-ughniyya li?Can you send the song to me?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “song” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
