Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| عَمَل | ʕamal | masculine | |
| شُغْل | šuḡl | masculine | |
| خِدْمَة | ḵidma | feminine | |
| وَظِيفَة | waẓīfa | feminine | |
| شغل | šuḡl | /ʃuɣl/ /ʃaɣl/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| خدمة | ḵedma | /xid.ma/ | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
| وظيفة | waḍīfa | /wa.ðˤiː.fa/ | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
The word 'work' in Arabic can refer to general labor and occupation, a specific job position or a service. While عَمَل refers to the general concept of work or an act, وَظِيفَة is used for a specific professional position or post and خِدْمَة refers to a service, such as customer service or military service.
Which one should you use?
عَمَل is a general, formal term for work, labor or a specific deed. In contrast, وَظِيفَة specifically means a formal job or position within an organization. شُغْل is a colloquial term that often refers to one's immediate tasks or the state of being busy with work. خِدْمَة is distinct from the others as it means 'service' rather than an occupation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
عَمَل and وَظِيفَة are formal and standard terms used in professional or abstract contexts. شُغْل is an informal, colloquial way to say 'work'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, شغل is the standard way to refer to one's job or work in daily conversation. In Gulf Arabic, شغل is also commonly used to refer to work. In Moroccan Arabic, the forms خدمة and وظيفة are used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb اِشْتَغَلَ is frequently used across many dialects to mean 'to work' or 'to be working' or 'to be occupied with a task'.
How do you pronounce it?
ʕamal
Did you know?
- The formal word عَمَل is also the root for the word 'miracle' in certain religious and literary contexts, referring to a 'deed' performed by a divine power.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the phrase 'May God grant you success in your work' is a standard, polite way to conclude a conversation with someone starting a new business or job.
- While وَظِيفَة refers to a formal job, the word can also be used in an abstract sense to describe a 'function' or 'purpose' of an object, such as the function of a tool.
Examples in context
- بحث زيري عن وظيفة في مكان آخرZiri searched for work elsewhere.This sentence is useful for practicing the word وظيفة.Tatoeba #11752737 by dididodo, translation #10803143 by Amastan
- مَا هُوَ مَجَال عَمَلُك؟What's your field of work?This sentence is useful for practicing the word عَمَل.Tatoeba #10579977 by tatoeba_mb, translation #10582030 by Miktsoanit
- راح يَبدَأ شُغل جَديد بِشَركة كَبيرة.He's starting a new job at a big company.
- هو بيشتغل في شغل جامدHe works in a solid job.
- عنده شغل في شركة نفط.He has a job in an oil company.
- ما في شغل بعد الجُمعةThere's no work after Friday.
- هَذَا عَمَلٌ جَيِّدٌ جِدًّا.hādhā 'amalu jayyidun jiddan.This is very good work.
Example conversation
Omar and Noor are talking about their daily routines.
- عمر Omarمَتَى يَبْدَأُ عَمَلُكِ يَا نُور؟Mata yabda'u amaluki ya Noor?When does your work start, Noor?
- نور Nourيَبْدَأُ عَمَلِي فِي السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ.Yabda'u amali fi al-sa'ati al-tasi'ati.My work starts at nine o'clock.
- عمر Omarهَلْ تُحِبِّينَ عَمَلَكِ؟Hal tuhibbina amalaki?Do you love your work?
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، أَنَا أُحِبُّهُ كَثِيرًا.Na'am, ana uhibbuhu kathiran.Yes, I love it very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “work” translations and entries شغل, خدمة, وظيفة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
