شِتَاء
šitāʔmasculine
The English word "winter" is translated into Arabic as شِتَاء (šitāʔ). Wiktionary also lists شتا (šita) and شتوية (šatawiyye, šatwiyye).
Meaning: fourth season, marked by short days and the lowest temperatures (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شِتَاء | šitāʔ | masculine |
| شتا | šita | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| شتوية | šatawiyye, šatwiyye | South Levantine Arabic, masculine |
The term refers to the fourth season, which is characterized by short days and the lowest temperatures.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is شِتَاء. In the Egyptian dialect, the final glottal stop is often dropped, resulting in the form شتا. In certain South Levantine dialects, the word uses a different phonetic structure and ending, appearing as شتوية.
Is it said differently in some regions?
شتا is common in Egyptian Arabic. شتوية is used in certain South Levantine Arabic dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
šitāʔ
Did you know?
- In many Arabic speaking cultures, the word شتاء is closely associated with rain rather than snow, because rain is the defining characteristic of the season across the Middle East.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the arrival of شِتَاء is often poetically linked to the concept of 'blessings' because the rain brings life to the desert.
- In the Levant, the arrival of شتاء is often celebrated with specific seasonal foods, such as roasted chestnuts and salads made with pomegranates.
Examples in context
- التقيت بها ذات شتاء قبل عدة سنوات.I met her in the winter several years ago.The sentence is useful for mentioning a specific winter in the past using شتا.Tatoeba #1406717 by alanood, translation #1370496 by CN
- أحب الشتاء بسبب برودته ومعجزاته الثلجية.I love winter because of its coldness and snowy miracles.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter” translations and entries شتا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
