عَلَى عَكْس
ʕalā ʕaks
The English word "unlike" can be translated into Arabic using عَلَى عَكْس (ʕalā ʕaks). Wiktionary also lists بِخِلَاف (bi-ḵilāf).
Meaning: different from (prep)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| عَلَى عَكْس | ʕalā ʕaks |
| بِخِلَاف | bi-ḵilāf |
The phrase is used as a preposition to mean "different from."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase بِخِلَاف is composed of the preposition بِـ (with/in) and خِلَاف (disagreement/dispute/difference), literally meaning "in contradiction/disagreement with."
Which one should you use?
عَلَى عَكْس is often used to mean "on the contrary" or to highlight a direct reversal of a situation. In contrast, بِخِلَاف is more commonly used to mean "unlike" in the sense of "in contrast to" a specific noun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The prepositional phrase بِخِلَاف is typically followed by a noun or a noun phrase to indicate the thing being contrasted.
How do you pronounce it?
ʕalā ʕaks
Did you know?
- The root of بِخِلَاف also appears in the word for 'successor' or 'caliph' خَلِيفَة, as both involve the idea of something following or replacing another.
- In certain dialects, the concept of being 'unlike' someone can be expressed by saying they are 'from a different mold', using the word for 'cast' or 'mold' قَالَب.
- The word عَكْس shares a root with the Arabic word for 'mirror', as both relate to the idea of reflection and inversion.
Examples in context
- هو ليس كالآخرينHe is not like the others.
- الجو اليوم عكس الأمسThe weather today is unlike yesterday.
- عَلَى عَكْسِ أَخِيهِ، هُوَ هَادِئٌ جِدًّا.ala 'aksi akhihi, huwa hadi'un jiddan.Unlike his brother, he is very calm.
- عَلَى عَكْسِ التَّوقُعَاتِ، جَاءَ الطَّقْسُ حَارًّا.ala 'aksi al-tawaqqu'at, ja'a al-taqsu harran.Unlike expectations, the weather came out hot.
Example conversation
Yusuf and Maryam are discussing their weekend plans.
- يوسف Youssefأريد الذهاب إلى الجبل هذا الأسبوع.Uridu ad-dhahab ila al-jabal hadha al-usbu'.I want to go to the mountains this week.
- مريم Maryamأنا أفضل البحر عَلَى عَكْس يوسف.Ana ufaddil al-bahr ala aks Yusuf.I prefer the sea, unlike Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefلكن الجبل أجمل في الخريف.Lakin al-jabal ajmal fi al-kharif.But the mountains are more beautiful in autumn.
- مريم Maryamهذا صحيح، ولكنني أحب السباحة.Hadha sahih, walakinnani uhibbu as-sibaha.That's true, but I love swimming.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unlike” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
