هَاتِف
hātifmasculine
The English word telephone is translated into Arabic as هَاتِف (hātif). Wiktionary also lists تِلِفون (telefōn).
Meaning: telecommunication device which converts data or sounds into electrical signals which are then transmitted to enable two or more people to communicate with each other over a distance (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| هَاتِف | hātif | masculine |
| تِلِفون | telefōn | masculine |
The term refers to a telecommunication device used to communicate over a distance. To specifically refer to a mobile phone, you can use the phrase هَاتِف مُحْمُول, which literally means mobile telephone.
Which one should you use?
هَاتِف is the standard linguistic term, whereas تِلِفون is a loanword from English or French used more commonly in everyday speech and colloquial contexts. Additionally, جَوّال is an informal term meaning mobile or portable, used to refer to mobile phones or cellphones.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the formal word هَاتِف is هَاتِفَات. If you are using the loanword, its plural is تِلِفُونَات. Both primary forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
hātif
Did you know?
- The formal word هَاتِف is derived from a root meaning 'to call' or 'to shout', and historically referred to an unseen voice or a ghostly caller in mythology.
- The term جَوّال for a mobile phone literally translates to 'one who wanders' or 'a traveler'.
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, the word for 'mobile' can vary wildly by region, such as using مُوبَايْل in Egypt, which is a direct phonetic borrowing from English.
Examples in context
- من فضلك، هل لي بلحظة على الهاتف؟Excuse me, may I have a moment on the telephone, please?
- بدي أشتري تِليفون جديد.I want to buy a new telephone.
- ما في شبكة عالجَوّال.There's no network on the cellphone.
- اعمل ريستارت للهاتِف المحمول.Perform a restart on the mobile phone.
- هَذَا هَاتِفٌ جَدِيدٌ.hadha hatifun jadid.This is a new telephone.
- أَيْنَ هَاتِفُكَ؟ayna hatifuka?Where is your telephone?
- فَقَدْتُ هَاتِفِي فِي المَكْتَبِ.faqadtu hatifi fil-maktab.I lost my telephone in the office.
Example conversation
Nour is looking for her device while talking to Ziad.
- نور Nourيَا زِيَاد، أَيْنَ هَاتِفِي؟ya Ziad, ayna hatifi?Ziad, where is my telephone?
- زياد Ziadهَلْ هَاتِفُكِ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ؟hal hatifuki 'ala al-tawila?Is your telephone on the table?
- نور Nourلَا، لَا أَرَاهُ هُنَا.la, la arahu huna.No, I don't see it here.
- زياد Ziadسَأُسَاعِدُكِ فِي البَحْثِ عَنْ هَاتِفِكِ.sa-usa'iduki fil-bahthi 'an hatifiki.I will help you look for your telephone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “telephone” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
