ثَالِث
ṯāliṯmasculine
The English phrase "third" is translated into Arabic as ثَالِث (ṯāliṯ). Wiktionary also lists ثَالِثَة (ṯāliṯa).
Meaning: the ordinal form of the cardinal number three (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ثَالِث | ṯāliṯ | masculine |
| ثَالِثَة | ṯāliṯa | feminine |
ثَالِث is the ordinal form of the cardinal number three. It can be used as a noun to refer to a person or thing in the third position. If you want to express the fraction meaning "one third" (one of three equal parts of a whole), use the noun ثُلْث instead.
Which one should you use?
While ثَالِث means 'third' (the position), ثُلْث means 'one third' (the fraction/amount).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms تالت and تالتة are informal versions used in Egyptian Arabic and the Levant.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word depends on the gender of the noun it describes: use the masculine ثَالِث for masculine nouns and the feminine ثَالِثَة for feminine nouns. To say 'the third', you add the definite article 'al-' to the beginning of the word.
How do you pronounce it?
ṯāliṯ
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, the phrase 'the third' can be used in legal or religious contexts to refer to a 'third' of an inheritance, which is a legally protected portion in Sharia law.
- In Arabic, the concept of 'third' is deeply tied to the triliteral root system, meaning the essence of the number three is embedded in the very structure of the word.
- Arabic uses a specific mathematical pattern where the ordinal ثَالِث follows the 'fa'il' pattern, a template used for many active participants or positions in the language.
Examples in context
- الشارع الثالث على اليسارThe third street on the left.
- الرجل دا هو الراجل التالت في الصورةThis man is the third person in the picture.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “third” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
