دولة
dawla/daw.la/
The English word 'state' translates to Arabic as دولة (dawla).
دولة is used to refer to a political entity, such as a nation or a country. For example, you can use it in the phrase دولة لبنان to mean 'The state of Lebanon' or الدولة العثمانية to mean 'The Ottoman state/empire'.
Meaning: political entity (noun)
Which one should you use?
While دولة refers specifically to a political state or nation, the word بلد is more commonly used when you want to refer to a country in a geographical or cultural sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun دولة is دول.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /daw.la/.
Did you know?
- The term الدولة is sometimes used as a slang term in some dialects to refer specifically to the police or the security apparatus rather than the whole government.
- The root of دولة is related to the concept of 'turn' or 'rotation', which originally referred to the changing cycles of power or fortune.
- Arabic has a specific phrase دولة في دولة, meaning 'a state within a state'. This is used to describe a powerful organization or entity that operates independently of the official government.
Examples in context
- في عام ١٩٤٨م ، تأسست دولة يهودية.In 1948, a Jewish state was founded.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe the founding of a state.Tatoeba #372059 by saeb, translation #372060 by saeb
- هل يمكن للجزائر أن تصبح دولة فيدرالية؟Can Algeria become a federal state?This sentence is useful for asking about the political structure of a country.Tatoeba #11668951 by dididodo, translation #10134233 by Amastan
- لكل فرد حرية التنقل واختيار محل إقامته داخل حدود كل دولة.Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.This sentence is useful for discussing rights and borders within a state.Tatoeba #823688 by Samer, translation #554699 by jakov
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmed are discussing geography during a study session.
- ليلى Laylaما هي أكبر دولة في العالم؟Ma hiya akbar dawla fil-alam?What is the largest state in the world?
- أحمد Ahmedأعتقد أنها روسيا.A'taqid annaha Rusya.I think it is Russia.
- ليلى Laylaنعم، هي أكبر دولة من حيث المساحة.Na'am, hiya akbar dawla min haythu al-misaha.Yes, it is the largest state in terms of area.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا صحيح يا ليلى.Hadha sahih ya Layla.That is correct, Layla.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry دولة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
