عُطْلَة
ʕuṭlafeminine
The English word 'vacation' can be translated into Arabic as عُطْلَة (ʕuṭla) or إِجَازَة.
Meaning: period of leisure time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| عُطْلَة | ʕuṭla | feminine |
| إِجَازَة | ʔijāza | feminine |
Both terms refer to a period of leisure time. You can use the phrase عُطْلَة نِهَايَة الأُسْبُوع (uṭlat nihāyat al-usbūʕ) specifically to mean 'weekend'.
Which one should you use?
عُطْلَة is a general term often used for a public holiday or a scheduled break from school or work. In contrast, إِجَازَة is more commonly used in professional contexts to refer to an official leave of absence or a personal vacation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun عُطْلَة becomes عُطْلَات (uṭlāt) in the plural. The feminine noun إِجَازَة becomes إِجَازَات (ijāzāt) in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
ʕuṭla
Did you know?
- The word عُطْلَة shares a semantic space with the concept of 'defect' or 'fault' in certain linguistic roots, implying a break in functionality.
- The word إِجَازَة is also the term used in academic settings for an 'ijazah', which is a traditional certification or license to teach a specific text or branch of knowledge.
- When discussing a 'weekend', saying عُطْلَة نِهَايَة الأُسْبُوع is perfectly formal, but in casual conversation, people often just use the English word 'weekend' or the French 'weekend' depending on the country.
Examples in context
- أنا سأخذ إجازة الأسبوع القادم.I will take a vacation next week.
- هَذِهِ عُطْلَةٌ طَوِيلَةٌ جِدًّا.hadhihi 'utlatun tawilatun jiddan.This is a very long vacation.
- هَلْ كَانَتْ عُطْلَةً سَعِيدَةً؟hal kanat 'utlatan sa'idatan?Was it a happy vacation?
Example conversation
Ziad and Leila are discussing their upcoming plans.
- زياد Ziadهل خططتِ لـ عُطْلَة هذا العام يا ليلى؟Hal khattatti li utla hadha al-am ya Leila?Have you planned a vacation for this year, Leila?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، أريد السفر إلى البحر.Naam, uridu as-safar ila al-bahr.Yes, I want to travel to the sea.
- زياد Ziadهذه فكرة ممتازة!Hadhihi fikra mumtaza!That is an excellent idea!
- ليلى Laylaشكراً يا زياد، وأنت أيضاً.Shukran ya Ziyad, wa anta aydan.Thank you Ziad, and you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vacation” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
