مَوْضُوع
mawḍūʕmasculine
The Arabic word for topic is مَوْضُوع (mawḍūʕ). If unsure, use مَوْضُوع. Wiktionary also lists مَوَاضِيع (mawāḍīʕ).
Meaning: subject, theme (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مَوْضُوع | mawḍūʕ | masculine |
| مَوَاضِيع | mawāḍīʕ | masculine, plural |
مَوْضُوع means subject or theme. It is used in an academic sense to refer to a subject, but it is also commonly used in everyday conversation to mean a matter or an issue, such as saying "that is an interesting matter/topic".
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the root w-ḍ-' (و–ض–ع), which relates to the concept of placing or setting something down, as in placing a subject for discussion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun is مَوَاضِيع (mawāḍīʕ).
How do you pronounce it?
mawḍūʕ
Did you know?
- The letter ض (ḍād) in the root is so unique to Arabic that the language is often called 'the language of the ḍād'.
- In some dialects, مَوْضُوع can be used as a euphemism for a secret or a sensitive 'matter' that shouldn't be discussed openly. Mentioning 'the مَوْضُوع' implies everyone knows what is being hidden.
- Because the root relates to 'putting down', the same linguistic family gives us words for 'lowly' or 'humble' status. To be 'placed low' is the origin of these descriptors.
Examples in context
- أريد مناقشة موضوع البيئةI want to discuss the topic of the environment
- القضية الاقتصاديةThe economic issue
- أنا مهتم بموضوع الفن والثقافةI am interested in the topic of art and culture
- يجب أن نتحدث عن قضية التغير المناخيWe should discuss the topic of climate change
- هذا مَوْضُوعٌ مُهِمٌّ جِدًّا.hatha mawdu'un muhimmun jiddan.This is a very important topic.
- ما هُوَ مَوْضُوعُ الكِتَابِ؟ma huwa mawdu'u al-kitab?What is the subject of the book?
- لَيْسَ عِنْدِي مَوْضُوعٌ لِلْمُنَاقَشَةِ.laysa 'indi mawdu'un lil-munaqashah.I don't have a topic for discussion.
Example conversation
Youssef and Sarah are discussing a school project.
- يوسف Youssefيا سارة، هل اخترتِ مَوْضُوع البحث؟ya sara, hal ikhtarti mawdu' al-bahth?Sarah, have you chosen the research topic?
- سارة Saraليس بعد، أنا أفكر في عدة خيارات.laysa ba'd, ana ufakkir fi 'iddat khiyarat.Not yet, I am thinking of several options.
- يوسف Youssefيمكننا اختيار مَوْضُوع مشترك معاً.yumkinuna ikhtiyar mawdu' mushtarak ma'an.We can choose a common topic together.
- سارة Saraهذه فكرة رائعة يا يوسف.hadhihi fikra ra'i'a ya youssef.That is a great idea, Youssef.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “topic” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
