Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| طالب | ṭāleb | /tˤaː.lib/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| طَالِب | ṭālib | masculine | |
| طَالِبَة | ṭāliba | feminine | |
| تِلْمِيذ | tilmīḏ | masculine | |
| تِلْمِيذَة | tilmīḏa | feminine | |
| طَالِب عِلْم | ṭālib ʕilm | masculine | |
| طَالِبَة عِلْم | ṭālibat ʕilm | feminine | |
| تلميذ | tilmīz | /til.miːð/ | South Levantine Arabic, feminine |
The term 'student' refers to a person enrolled at a school, university or other education institution.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase طَالِب عِلْم literally translates to 'seeker of knowledge' and is used to describe a student of religious or classical sciences.
Which one should you use?
In standard Arabic, طَالِب is typically used for students in higher education or general contexts. In contrast, تِلْمِيذ specifically refers to a pupil or a younger student, often in the context of elementary or middle school.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the pronunciation of the word طالب often shifts to طالب (ṭāleb).
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to groups, the masculine or mixed-gender plural of طالب is طُلَّاب. The feminine plural is طَالِبَات.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is ṭāleb (/tˤaː.lib/).
Did you know?
- The term طالب can also be used in a legal context to refer to a 'claimant' or 'petitioner' in a court of law, as both a student and a plaintiff are 'seeking' something.
- The plural طلاب is an example of a 'broken plural' in Arabic. Instead of adding a suffix, the internal structure of the word طالب is broken and rearranged to change it from singular to plural.
- In certain traditional circles, a طالب علم may be accorded higher social status than a professional worker. This is because the pursuit of knowledge is regarded as a lifelong religious obligation.
Examples in context
- هل انت طالب مستجد؟You're a new student?This sentence is useful for confirming if someone is a new student using طالب.Tatoeba #4224524 by Alaakhalid, translation #528203 by fanty
- أمدرّس أنت أم طالب؟Are you a teacher or a student?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a teacher or a student using طالب.Tatoeba #370762 by saeb, translation #370763 by saeb
- هو طالب في القانون.He's a law student.This sentence is useful for stating someone is a law student using طالب.Tatoeba #11877011 by Amastan, translation #8275035 by Amastan
- الطلبة يدرسون.The students are studying.
- الطُلَّاب ذكيّون.The students are intelligent.
- هَلْ أَنْتَ طَالِب؟Are you a student?
- أنا طالب جامعي.I am a university student.
- سارة طالبة.Sarah is a student.
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are talking about their friend's job.
- زياد Ziadهو طالب في الجامعة.huwa talib fil gama'a.He is a student at the university.
- سارة Saraبجد؟ هو طالب شاطر؟bgad? huwa talib shater?Really? Is he a good student?
- زياد Ziadأيوه، هو طالب مجتهد جداً.aywa, huwa talib mogtahid giddan.Yes, he is a very hardworking student.
- سارة Saraما شاء الله، ربنا يوفقه.ma sha' Allah, rabena yewaff'o.Mashallah, may God grant him success.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “student” translations and entries طالب, تلميذ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
