سَائِح
sāʔiḥmasculine
The English word "tourist" is سَائِح (sāʔiḥ) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists سَائِحَة (sāʔiḥa).
Meaning: someone who travels for pleasure (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سَائِح | sāʔiḥ | masculine |
| سَائِحَة | sāʔiḥa | feminine |
The word refers to someone who travels for pleasure.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a participle derived from the root s-y-ḥ, which relates to wandering or traveling through a place.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of the noun is سَائِحُونَ. To refer to tourists in the feminine plural, use سَائِحَات.
How do you pronounce it?
sāʔiḥ
Did you know?
- In a religious context, the word سِيَاحَة derived from the same root as سَائِح can refer to a spiritual journey or the wandering of a ascetic for the sake of worship.
- The root of سَائِح also relates to the movement of water, such as a stream flowing or melting snow. In this sense, a 'tourist' is someone who flows through a landscape like water.
- In historical Arabic texts, the term سَائِح was often used to describe those who traveled to gain knowledge or wisdom, long before the modern concept of a 'holiday' existed.
Examples in context
- أرى السَّائحَ يستمتع في البازار.I see the tourist enjoying the bazaar.
- المُسافِر يزور الأماكن السياحية في المدينة.The tourist is visiting the tourist attractions in the city.
- أرى سائحًا على الشاطئ.I see a tourist on the beach.
- في فصل الصيف، تزداد أعداد الزوار والسُّيَّاح في هذه المدينة الساحلية.In the summer, the number of visitors and tourists increases in this coastal city.
- هَذَا السَّائِحُ يَزُورُ مِصْرَThis tourist is visiting Egypt.
- كُلُّ سَائِحٍ يُحِبُّ هَذَا المَكَانَ.kullu sa'ih yuhibbu hadha al-makan.Every tourist loves this place.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking at a hotel reception desk.
- نور Nourهَلْ أَنْتَ سَائِحٌ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ؟hal anta sa'ih fi hadhihi al-madinah?Are you a tourist in this city?
- زياد Ziadنَعَمْ، أَنَا سَائِحٌ وَأُرِيدُ رُؤْيَةَ المَتَاحِفِ.na'am, ana sa'ih wa uridu ru'yat al-matahif.Yes, I am a tourist and I want to see the museums.
- نور Nourالمَتَاحِفُ رَائِعَةٌ لِلْـسَّائِحِ.al-matahif ra'i'ah lil-sa'ih.The museums are wonderful for the tourist.
- زياد Ziadشُكْرًا لَكِ يَا نُورُ.shukran laki ya Nur.Thank you, Nur.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tourist” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
