Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| رِحْلَة | riḥla | feminine |
| سَفَر | safar | masculine |
| سِيَاحَة | siyāḥa | feminine |
| جَوْلَة | jawla | feminine |
The term رِحْلَة is used to describe a specific trip or excursion. For example, you can say رِحْلَة مَدْرَسِيَّة to mean a school trip by combining رِحْلَة with مَدْرَسِيَّة (school-related). Note that the related verb هَذَى is a different word entirely, meaning to experience a state of reverie or to hallucinate.
Which one should you use?
While رِحْلَة refers to a specific trip or excursion, سَفَر refers to the general concept of travel or the act of journeying. If you want to describe a tour, a circuit or a round, such as a sightseeing tour or a patrol, use جَوْلَة. If you are referring to the industry or the general activity of tourism, use سِيَاحَة.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf countries, رِحْلَة is the most commonly used term for both formal and informal situations.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the feminine noun رِحْلَة is رِحْلَات.
How do you pronounce it?
riḥla
Did you know?
- While سَفَر means 'travel', its root is linked to the word for 'uncovering' or 'revealing'. This suggests that traveling is a way of uncovering the world or revealing one's true character.
- In some Arabic dialects, the vocabulary used for a physical 'trip' can be repurposed to describe a person's transition to the afterlife. This turns a mundane word for travel into a profound metaphor for a spiritual departure.
- The word رِحْلَة shares the same root as the word for 'saddle' or 'traveling gear', رَحْل. Historically, a 'trip' was defined by the act of packing and mounting the gear for a journey.
Examples in context
- سأقوم برحلة إلى القاهرة.I will take a trip to Cairo.
- نحتاج إلى ترتيبات لرحلتنا القادمة.We need arrangements for our upcoming trip.
- في العطلة القادمة نفكر في عمل رحلة.During the upcoming vacation, we are thinking of taking a trip.
- كَانَتْ رِحْلَةً طَوِيلَةً.kānat riḥlatan ṭawīlatan.It was a long trip.
- أُخَطِّطُ لِرِحْلَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ.uḫaṭṭiṭu li-riḥlatin jadīdatin.I am planning a new trip.
Example conversation
Laila and Ahmed are discussing their recent travel experience.
- ليلى Laylaكَيْفَ كَانَتْ رِحْلَتُكَ يَا أَحْمَدُ؟kayfa kānat riḥlatuka yā aḥmad?How was your trip, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedكَانَتْ رِحْلَةً رَائِعَةً.kānat riḥlatan rā’i‘atan.It was a wonderful trip.
- ليلى Laylaهَلْ أَعْجَبَتْكَ الرِّحْلَةُ؟hal a‘jabatka ar-riḥlatu?Did you like the trip?
- أحمد Ahmedنَعَمْ، كَانَتْ جَمِيلَةً جِدًّا.na‘am, kānat jamīlatan jiddan.Yes, it was very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trip” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
