Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سَاكِن | sākin | masculine |
| ثَابِت | ṯābit | masculine |
| مُسْتَقِرّ | mustaqirr | masculine |
The word سَاكِن is an adjective used to describe something that is not moving or is calm.
Which one should you use?
Arabic uses different words depending on the type of 'still' you mean. Use سَاكِن to describe a physical state of being motionless, such as a still person or still water. Use ثَابِت to describe something that is fixed, steady or constant, like a still position or a constant value. Use مُسْتَقِرّ to describe a state of being settled or stable, which is often used in a political, economic or emotional sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Levant, the word لسَّه is commonly used in informal speech to mean 'still'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine adjectives have feminine forms: سَاكِن becomes سَاكِنَة, ثَابِت becomes ثَابِتَة and مُسْتَقِرّ becomes مُسْتَقِرَّة.
How do you pronounce it?
sākin
Did you know?
- The word سَاكِن shares a linguistic root with the term 'Sukūn', which is the symbol in Arabic grammar used to indicate the absence of a vowel on a letter.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word ثَابِت is used to describe a 'fixed' price that cannot be negotiated. A 'still' price is one that does not move during haggling.
- The word ثَابِت is used in Islamic theology to describe 'firm' or 'unwavering' faith. Here, 'stillness' represents a spiritual strength that cannot be shaken.
Examples in context
- هو لا يزال يقرأ الكتاب.He is still reading the book.
- أنا لسَّه مش مستعد.I am still not ready.
- البحر سَاكِن اليوم.al-baḥru sākin al-yawm.The sea is still today.
- الجو سَاكِن جداً هنا.al-jawwu sākin jiddan hunā.The air is very still here.
Example conversation
Maryam and Ahmed are looking at a lake.
- مريم Maryamانظر يا أحمد، الماء سَاكِن.Unzur ya Ahmed, al-ma' sakin.Look Ahmed, the water is still.
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، إنه هادئ وجميل.Na'am, innahu hadi' wa jamil.Yes, it is calm and beautiful.
- مريم Maryamلا يوجد أي ريح هنا.La yujad ay rih huna.There is no wind here.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا يجعل المنظر رائعاً.Hadha yaj'al al-manzar ra'i'an.That makes the view wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “still” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
