أُسْبُوع
ʔusbūʕmasculine
The English word 'week' is translated into Arabic as أُسْبُوع (ʔusbūʕ). Wiktionary also lists جُمْعَة (jumʕa) and اسبوع (ʔesbūʕ).
Meaning: period of seven days (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أُسْبُوع | ʔusbūʕ | masculine | |
| جُمْعَة | jumʕa | feminine | |
| اسبوع | ʔesbūʕ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine | |
| إسبوع | ʔisbūʕ | Gulf Arabic, masculine | |
| أُسبوع | ʔusbūʕ | Hijazi Arabic, masculine | |
| سيمانة | sīmāna | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| جمعة | jamʕa | /d͡ʒu.mu.ʕa/ /d͡ʒum.ʕa/ |
Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
The term refers to a period of seven days.
Which one should you use?
In Moroccan Arabic, جُمْعَة can be used to mean 'week', whereas in Standard Arabic, this word typically refers to 'Friday' or a 'gathering'. Additionally, the Moroccan word سيمانة is a common way to express 'a week'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egypt, the form اسبوع is used. In the Gulf, إسبوع is common. In Morocco, you will hear both سيمانة and جمعة.
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard form أُسْبُوع is masculine, while the Moroccan forms جُمْعَة and سيمانة are feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔusbūʕ
Did you know?
- The Moroccan word سيمانة is not native to Arabic but is a loanword borrowed from the Spanish word 'semana'.
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, the 'weekend' does not fall on Saturday and Sunday, but instead on Friday and Saturday.
- The word أُسْبُوع shares a root with words meaning 'to bind' or 'to tie', suggesting the seven days are bound together as a single unit.
Examples in context
- تصدر المجلة كل إسبوع.The magazine comes out every week.This sentence shows how to use the form إسبوع to express frequency.Tatoeba #5115287 by damascene, translation #47741 by CK
- أنا أخذت تلك الصورة قبل إسبوع.I took that photo a week ago.This sentence uses the form إسبوع to indicate a point in time in the past.Tatoeba #1876452 by Asma, translation #1875916 by CK
- هو قرأ ترجمة القرآن بالعبرية فى أقل من إسبوع.He read the translation of the Quran in Hebrew in less than a week.This sentence uses the form إسبوع to specify a duration of time.Tatoeba #1907299 by Asma, translation #1840795 by Amastan
- هذا النص كُتب في الأسبوع الماضي.This text was written last week.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are discussing their upcoming vacation plans.
- أحمد Ahmedمتى ستبدأ إجازتك يا نور؟matā satabda' ijāzatuki yā nūr?When does your vacation start, Nour?
- نور Nourستبدأ بعد أُسْبُوع واحد.satabda' ba'da usbū' wāhid.It starts in one week.
- أحمد Ahmedهل ستسافرين لمدة أُسْبُوع؟hal satusāfirīna li-muddat usbū'?Will you travel for a week?
- نور Nourنعم، سأبقى هناك أُسْبُوعاً كاملاً.na'am, sa'abqā hunāka usbū'an kāmilan.Yes, I will stay there for a full week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “week” translations and entries جمعة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
