رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح
raqm ḡayr ṣaḥīḥmasculine
The English phrase "wrong number" is expressed in Arabic as رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح (raqm ḡayr ṣaḥīḥ). Wiktionary also lists رَقْم خَاطِئ (raqm ḵāṭiʔ).
Meaning: A call with a mistake in the number dialled (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح | raqm ḡayr ṣaḥīḥ | masculine |
| رَقْم خَاطِئ | raqm ḵāṭiʔ | masculine |
When you want to politely inform a caller that they have reached a wrong number, you can say عَفْوًا، الرَّقْم غَيْر صَحِيح, which means "Excuse me, the number is not correct".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح literally translates to "number not correct".
Which one should you use?
رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح (raqm ḡayr ṣaḥīḥ) literally means "number not correct", while رَقْم خَاطِئ (raqm ḵāṭiʔ) is another way to say "wrong number".
How do you pronounce it?
raqm ḡayr ṣaḥīḥ
Did you know?
- The word صَحِيح (ṣaḥīḥ) in رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح does not just mean 'correct' in a factual sense, but also carries the connotation of being 'healthy' or 'sound' in a physical or spiritual sense.
- The word خَاطِئ (ḵāṭiʔ) is the active participle of a verb, meaning it literally describes the number as 'the one that is erring' or 'making a mistake'.
- Using the phrase رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح can sometimes sound overly formal, almost like a recorded voice on an automated phone system.
Examples in context
- عذرًا، أخطأت الرقم. كنت أبحث عن مكتب الشركة.Excuse me, I got the wrong number. I was looking for the company office.
- عفوًا، رقم غير صحيح. آسف للإزعاج.Excuse me, wrong number. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Example conversation
Omar calls Laila by mistake.
- عمر Omarمرحباً، هل أتحدث مع سامي؟Marhaban, hal atahaddath ma' Sami?Hello, am I speaking with Sami?
- ليلى Laylaلا، لقد اتصلت بـ رَقْم غَيْر صَحِيح.La, laqad ittasalta bi raqm ghayr sahih.No, you have called a wrong number.
- عمر Omarأنا آسف جداً يا ليلى.Ana asif jiddan ya Layla.I am very sorry, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaلا مشكلة، حصل خير.La mushkila, hasal khayr.No problem, it's okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wrong number” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
