Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| روح | rūḥ | /ruːħ/ /rawħ/ |
Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| رُوح | rūḥ | feminine, masculine | |
| نَفْس | nafs | feminine | |
| نفس | nafs | /nafs/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
Arabic uses different words for soul depending on whether you are referring to a divine spirit or the human psyche. روح is used for the spirit or essence of a person, often in a spiritual or metaphysical sense. نفس refers to the soul in the context of the self, the psyche or the seat of human personality and desires. In religious or metaphysical contexts, الرُّوح is often used with the definite article to mean 'the spirit' as a concept.
Which one should you use?
While both words can be translated as soul, رُوح typically refers to a divine or ethereal spirit. In contrast, نفس refers to the psyche, the self or the soul as it relates to human personality and desires.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, both روح and نفس are used as feminine nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of رُوح is أرواح, meaning souls or spirits. The plural form of نفس is أنفس, meaning souls or selves.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is rūḥ.
Did you know?
- The word روح is used in a common idiom meaning 'to go' or 'to leave', as the root shares a connection to movement.
- In many Arabic dialects, calling someone يا روح قلبي translates to 'oh soul of my heart' and is used as a term of endearment.
- The Arabic word روح shares a common root with the Hebrew word רוּחַ for 'spirit' or 'wind'.
Examples in context
- يتكوّن الإنسان من نفس و جسد.Man consists of soul and body.This sentence illustrates the relationship between the soul and the body using نفس.Tatoeba #7238347 by OsoHombre, translation #270298 by Ricardo14
- لقد قرأت كتاباً يناقش فلسفة النفس.I read a book discussing the philosophy of the soul.
- أصبحت الروح الفلسطينية رمزًا للقوة والصمود.The Palestinian soul has become a symbol of strength and resilience.
- نقاشات المجموعة تمسّ روحي.Group discussions touch my soul.
- تتجلى الروحانية في نفوس الصوفية.Spirituality manifests in the souls of the Sufis.
- هي عندها روح طيبة جداً.heya andaha rouh tayyiba geddan.She has a very kind soul.
Example conversation
Sara and Ziad are discussing a person who recently passed away.
- سارة Saraهي كانت شخصية جميلة، وروحها حلوة.heya kanet shakhseya gamila, we rouhaha helwa.She was a beautiful person, and her soul was lovely.
- زياد Ziadفعلاً، ربنا يرحم روحها.fe'lan, rabena yerham rouhaha.Truly, may God have mercy on her soul.
- سارة Saraيا رب، هي هتفضل في قلوبنا.ya rab, heya hatefdal fi olobna.Amen, she will stay in our hearts.
- زياد Ziadالذكرى بتاعتها مش هتتمسح.el-zekra bta'etha mesh hatetmaseh.Her memory will never be erased.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soul” translations and entries روح, نفس, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries روح, نفس, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
