الْأَرْبِعَاء
al-ʔarbiʕāʔmasculine
Wednesday in Arabic is expressed as الْأَرْبِعَاء (al-ʔarbiʕāʔ). Wiktionary also lists يَوْم الْأَرْبِعَاء (yawm al-ʔarbiʕāʔ).
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| الْأَرْبِعَاء | al-ʔarbiʕāʔ | masculine |
| يَوْم الْأَرْبِعَاء | yawm al-ʔarbiʕāʔ | masculine |
The term refers to the day of the week. While الْأَرْبِعَاء can stand alone, it is very common in both spoken and written Arabic to include the word for 'day' (yawm) before it when referring to the day in a sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
The word الْأَرْبِعَاء literally translates to "the fourth," as it is derived from the root for the number four, traditionally considering it the fourth day of the week.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify 'the day of Wednesday', the word for day (yawm) is placed before the noun for Wednesday (al-arbi'ā'), resulting in the construction يَوْم الْأَرْبِعَاء.
How do you pronounce it?
al-ʔarbiʕāʔ
Did you know?
- The root consonants of الْأَرْبِعَاء are also found in مُرَبَّع, which means 'square'. Both words relate to the number four, whether it is a day or a shape.
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, the work week begins on Sunday, meaning الْأَرْبِعَاء falls in the middle of the busiest part of the work cycle rather than near the weekend.
- The root of the word refers to the concept of 'four-ness', which is the same linguistic foundation used for the Arabic word for 'quarter'.
Examples in context
- الْأَرْبِعَاء يَوْمٌ مُزْدَحِمٌ جِدًّا.al-arbi'ā' yawmun muzdahimun jiddan.Wednesday is a very busy day.
- هَلْ نَلْتَقِي يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاء؟hal naltaqī yawma al-arbi'ā'?Shall we meet on Wednesday?
Example conversation
Sarah and Youssef are planning a lunch date.
- سارة Saraمتى نذهب إلى المطعم يا يوسف؟Mata nadhabu ila al-mat'am ya Youssef?When shall we go to the restaurant, Youssef?
- يوسف Youssefما رأيك في يوم الْأَرْبِعَاء؟Ma ra'yuka fi yawm al-arbi'a?How about Wednesday?
- سارة Saraهذا اليوم مناسب جداً.Hadha al-yawm munasib jiddan.That day is very convenient.
- يوسف Youssefاتفقنا، أراك حينها.Ittafaqna, araki hinaha.Agreed, I will see you then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wednesday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
