كَأْس عَالَم
kaʔs ʕālammasculine
The English phrase "world cup" can be translated into Arabic as كَأْس عَالَم (kaʔs ʕālam). If unsure, use كَأْس عَالَم. Wiktionary also lists كَأْس الْعَالَم (kaʔs al-ʕālam) and مُونْدِيَال (mūndiyāl).
Meaning: international football tournament, other sports competitions similar to this (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| كَأْس عَالَم | kaʔs ʕālam | masculine |
| كَأْس الْعَالَم | kaʔs al-ʕālam | definite |
| مُونْدِيَال | mūndiyāl | masculine |
The term refers to an international football tournament or other similar sports competitions.
Which one should you use?
The form كَأْس عَالَم (kaʔs ʕālam) is the general term for a "world cup," while the definite form كَأْس الْعَالَم (kaʔs al-ʕālam) includes the definite article 'al-' (the) and specifically means "the World Cup."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
كَأْس الْعَالَم is the formal translation for "World Cup." In contrast, مُونْدِيَال (mūndiyāl) is a loanword used frequently in colloquial spoken Arabic and by sports media.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms كَأْس عَالَم and مُونْدِيَال are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
kaʔs ʕālam
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, football is referred to as الساحرة المستديرة, which translates to 'the round witch' due to the game's magical hold over fans.
- While كَأْس means 'cup' or 'trophy', it is also the everyday word for a drinking glass used for water or juice.
- The colloquial term مُونْدِيَال is derived from the French word 'mondial', reflecting the deep influence of French on the sports vocabulary of North African Arabic dialects.
Examples in context
- أنا في انتظار كأس العالم بشوق!I am eagerly waiting for the World Cup to begin!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “world cup” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
