قطار
qiṭār/qi.tˤaːr/Gulf Arabic, masculine
The Arabic word for train is قطار (qiṭār). Wiktionary also lists قِطَار (qiṭār) and قطر (ʔaṭr).
Meaning: line of connected cars or carriages (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| قطار | qiṭār | /qi.tˤaːr/ | Gulf Arabic, masculine |
| قِطَار | qiṭār | masculine | |
| قطر | ʔaṭr | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
When referring to a line of connected cars or carriages, the standard noun is قطار. In some contexts, the term ترام may be used informally to refer specifically to a tram or light rail system.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is قطار. In Egyptian Arabic, the word is spoken as قطر.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word for train is pronounced قطر (ʔaṭr). In Gulf Arabic, the word قطار is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
qiṭār (two syllables).
Did you know?
- The word قطار is traditionally linked to the concept of a 'caravan' of camels or animals traveling together in a single line. This suggests that the modern machine is viewed through the ancient lens of a long, moving procession.
- The term سكة in سكة حديد (railway) was historically used to describe a 'mint' where coins were struck, relating to the 'striking' of metal.
- If you accidentally change the vowel way you pronounce قطار to sound more like قَطْر, you might suddenly be talking about 'rain' or 'drops' instead of a 'train'.
Examples in context
- أين أقرب محطة قطار؟Where's the closest train station?This sentence shows how to ask for the nearest train station using قطار.Tatoeba #489387 by saeb, translation #508381 by blay_paul
- هذا أسرع قطار في العالم.That is the fastest train in the world.This sentence uses قطار to describe a very fast train.Tatoeba #407024 by saeb, translation #67052 by Dejo
- قفز دان من قطار إلى آخر.Dan jumped across from his train to another one.This sentence demonstrates jumping from one قطار to another.Tatoeba #11962134 by dididodo, translation #3930844 by Amastan
- أريد أن أحجز تذكرة قطار إلى المدينة الكبيرة.I want to book a train ticket to the big city.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “train” translations and entries قطار, قطر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
