الإمارات
al-ʾimārāt
The English phrase UAE is translated into Arabic as الإمارات (al-ʾimārāt).
While English speakers use the initialism 'UAE', Arabic speakers almost exclusively use the full name الإمارات even in casual conversation.
Meaning: initialism of United Arab Emirates (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The word الإمارات is the plural of imara, meaning 'emirates' or 'principalities' and is preceded by the definite article 'al-' (the).
How do you pronounce it?
al-ʾimārāt
Did you know?
- In the الإمارات, you will rarely see the initialism 'UAE' used in Arabic script because the Arabic language does not traditionally use acronyms or initialisms to name countries.
- The word إمارة is a cognate of the English word 'emir', meaning a prince or ruler, which was adopted into English via Persian and Spanish.
- In Arabic, the term الإمارات is a feminine plural, which affects the gender of every adjective used to describe the country in a sentence.
Examples in context
- أشتاق جدّا لأخي لقد تزوّج وسافرَ إلى دولة الإمارات.I miss my brother so much. He got married and moved to the UAE.This sentence is useful for seeing how to mention moving to the الإمارات.Tatoeba #9574088 by issadouba, translation #9574289 by issadouba
- أنا أعيش في دولة الإمارات.Ana a'eeshu fee dawlat al-Imarat.I live in the United Arab Emirates.
- سافرتُ إلى الإمارات العام الماضي.Safartu ila al-Imarat al-'am al-madi.I traveled to the UAE last year.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel plans at a cafe.
- عمر Omarهل زرتِ الإمارات من قبل؟Hal zurti al-Imarat min qabl?Have you visited the UAE before?
- مريم Maryamنعم، زرتُ الإمارات في الصيف.Na'am, zurtu al-Imarat fee al-sayf.Yes, I visited the UAE in the summer.
- عمر Omarمريم، هل أعجبتكِ الرحلة؟Maryam, hal a'jabatki al-rihla?Maryam, did you like the trip?
- مريم Maryamنعم، كانت رحلة رائعة جداً.Na'am, kanat rihla ra'ia jiddan.Yes, it was a wonderful trip.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
