زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس
zahrat aš-šamsfeminine
The English word sunflower is translated into Arabic as زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس (zahrat aš-šams). Wiktionary also lists دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس (dawwār aš-šams).
Meaning: flower (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس | zahrat aš-šams | feminine |
| دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس | dawwār aš-šams | masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The form زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس literally means 'flower of the sun'. The masculine form دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس literally translates to 'sun turner', which describes how the plant follows the sun.
Which one should you use?
زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس uses the feminine noun for flower to refer to the plant, while دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس uses a masculine noun and is often used in botanical or more descriptive contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس is a feminine noun, whereas دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
zahrat aš-šams
Did you know?
- The word دَوَّار in دَوَّار اَلشَّمْس comes from the root for 'turning' or 'rotating' and is also the word used for a 'roundabout' or 'traffic circle' in many Arabic cities.
- The root of the word زَهْرَة is shared with the word for 'brightness' or 'splendor', meaning a sunflower is linguistically linked to the concept of glowing light.
- The word for sunflower, dawwar aš-šams, shares its root with the Arabic word for 'cyclone' or 'whirlwind', reflecting the spinning motion of the plant.
Examples in context
- المزرعة مليئة بـزهور الشمس الجميلة.The farm is filled with beautiful sunflowers.
- تنمو عباد الشمس بجوار المنزل.Sunflowers are growing next to the house.
Example conversation
Ziad and Noor are walking through a flower garden.
- زياد Ziadاُنْظُرِي يَا نُور إِلَى زَهْرَة اَلشَّمْس تِلْكَ!Unzuri ya Noor ila zahrat al-shams tilka!Look, Noor, at that sunflower!
- نور Nourإِنَّهَا كَبِيرَةٌ وَمُشْرِقَةٌ جِدًّا.Innaha kabira wa mushriqa jiddan.It is very big and bright.
- زياد Ziadأَظُنُّ أَنَّهَا تَتْبَعُ الضَّوْءَ.Azhunnu annaha tattaba' al-daw'I think it follows the light.
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، هَذَا مُمَيِّزٌ جِدًّا.Na'am, hadha mumayyiz jiddan.Yes, this is very special.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunflower” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
