نَافِذَة
nāfiḏafeminine
To say window in Arabic, use نَافِذَة (nāfiḏa), the standard word for an opening that lets in light and air. If unsure, use نَافِذَة. Wiktionary also lists شُبَّاك (šubbāk) and طَاقَة (ṭāqa).
Meaning: opening for light and air (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نَافِذَة | nāfiḏa | feminine | |
| شُبَّاك | šubbāk | masculine | |
| طَاقَة | ṭāqa | feminine | |
| شباك | arz | /ʃub.baːk/ /ʃab.baːk/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| دريشة | afb | Gulf Arabic, feminine | |
| طاقة | acw | /tˤaː.qa/ | Hijazi Arabic, dated, feminine |
| تاقة | ary | Moroccan Arabic, feminine | |
| شبيك | ary | Moroccan Arabic, masculine | |
| شرجم | ary | Moroccan Arabic, masculine | |
| سرجم | ary | Moroccan Arabic, masculine | |
| سرجب | ary | Moroccan Arabic, masculine | |
| شرجب | ary | Moroccan Arabic, masculine |
نافذة is the word for window in Modern Standard Arabic, used in writing and formal speech.
Which one should you use?
نَافِذَة is the formal term, while شُبَّاك (šubbāk) is more common in everyday spoken Arabic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
شُبَّاك is used in some Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain and also in Egypt. دريشة is specifically a Gulf word for window. In Moroccan Arabic a common word is شرجم.
How does it change in a sentence?
نَافِذَة is feminine, while شُبَّاك is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced nāfiḏa, with a long a in the first syllable and a th sound as in this in the middle.
Did you know?
- The variation دريشة used in the Gulf is believed to be a loanword from Portuguese da janela or Persian, showing how maritime trade influenced the language of architecture.
- The word طَاقَة (ṭāqa) can refer to a window opening, but it is also the standard word for 'energy' in modern Arabic.
- The word شُبَّاك comes from the root شَبَكَ, which means 'to intertwine'. This reflects an era when windows were not made of glass but were lattices of intertwined wood or metal.
Examples in context
- بتقدر تسكِّر الشباك؟Can you close the window?
- هَذِهِ نَافِذَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ.hadhihi naafidhatun kabeera.This is a large window.
Example conversation
Omar and Leila are in a living room.
- عمر Omarيا ليلى، هل نُغلق نَافِذَة الغُرْفَة؟Ya Leila, hal nughliq nafidhat al-ghurfah?Leila, shall we close the room window?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، الجو بارد بالخارج.Na'am, al-jaww barid bil-kharij.Yes, it is cold outside.
- عمر Omarسأقوم بإغلاقها الآن.Sa-aqum bi-ighlaqiha al-an.I will close it now.
- ليلى Laylaشُكراً لك يا عمر.Shukran laka ya Omar.Thank you, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “window” translations and entries شباك, طاقة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شباك, CC BY-SA 4.0.
