Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| غرب | ġarb | /ɣa.ra.ba/ /ɣa.ru.ba/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| غَرْب | ḡarb | masculine | |
| مَغْرِب | maḡrib | masculine |
غَرْب names the compass point west. To say to the west of a place, put the place after it, as in the hotel example below.
Which one should you use?
غَرْب is the compass direction. مَغْرِب (maḡrib) comes from the root meaning to set, as the sun does and literally means the place of sunset. It is also the word for sunset time and the sunset prayer. With the article, الْغَرْب means the West, the Western world.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic the word is written غرب and the pronunciation often differs from the classical ḡarb.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use it as an adverb meaning westward, add the ending that gives غَرْبًا (ḡarban).
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ɣa.ra.ba/, beginning with a soft gargled g sound made at the back of the throat.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use مَغْرِب for the compass direction in everyday sentences. Use غَرْب instead.
Did you know?
- The root of غرب is connected to the ancient Akkadian word for the Euphrates Poplar. This links the modern word for west to a specific tree found along one of the most famous rivers of antiquity.
- The word المغرب for Morocco literally means 'the west' or 'the place of sunset'. This name reflects the country's position as the westernmost point of the Arab world.
- Because the word مغرب refers to the time of sunset, it is used to name one of the five daily Islamic prayers. This prayer is timed specifically to the sun's disappearance below the western horizon.
Examples in context
- يجب أن تذهب غرباYou should head west.غربا here means westward, telling someone which way to go.Tatoeba #6705904 by amrnd4, translation #3342759 by CK
- تقع المحطة غرب الفندق.The station is to the west of the hotel.غرب followed by the hotel means to the west of the hotel.Tatoeba #373050 by saeb, translation #26040 by CK
- تحد الجزائر غربا المغرب.To the west, Algeria borders Morocco.غربا means to the west, and المغرب at the end is Morocco.Tatoeba #11665263 by dididodo, translation #8167313 by Amastan
- تغرب الشمس في الغرب.The sun sets in the west.
- أعيش في الجهة الغربية من المدينة.I live on the west side of town.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are looking at a map while traveling.
- نور Nourالمدينة فين بالظبط؟el medina fen bel zabt?Where exactly is the city?
- زياد Ziadهي في اتجاه الغرب.heya fi itigah el gharb.It is in the west direction.
- نور Nourيعني لازم نمشي غرب؟ya'ni lazem nemshi gharb?So we have to go west?
- زياد Ziadأيوه، بالظبط كده.aywa, bel zabt keda.Yes, exactly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “west” translations and entries غرب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries غرب, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
