صفر
ṣifr/sˤifr/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The English word zero is translated into Arabic as صفر (ṣifr). Wiktionary also lists صِفْر (ṣifr) and ٠.
Meaning: cardinal number before 1, denoting nothing (num)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| صفر | ṣifr | /sˤifr/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| صِفْر | ṣifr | masculine | |
| ٠ | numeral | ||
| صِفِر | ṣifir | Gulf Arabic |
The term is used to denote the cardinal number before 1, representing nothing.
Which one should you use?
The phrase صِفْر is the standard masculine form. The symbol ٠ serves as the Arabic numeral for zero. In Gulf Arabic, a variation صِفِر is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the form صفر is used. In Gulf Arabic, you may encounter the pronunciation صِفِر.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard masculine noun is صِفْر.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ṣifr.
Did you know?
- The word for zero صفر shares a linguistic root with the Arabic word for 'yellow' أَصْفَر.
Examples in context
- الماء به صفر سعرات حرارية.Water has zero calories.This sentence shows how to use صفر when discussing calorie content.Tatoeba #8433989 by TheBahi, translation #4502850 by CK
- يتجمد الماء عند صفر درجة مئوية، أليس كذلك؟Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius, doesn't it?This sentence demonstrates the use of صفر in the context of temperature.Tatoeba #608275 by Samer, translation #2475 by Zifre
- النتيجة كانت صفر.el-natega kanit sifr.The result was zero.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sara are checking a student's test score.
- سارة Saraبص يا زياد، الدرجة صفر.boss ya Ziad, el-daraga sifr.Look, Ziad, the score is zero.
- زياد Ziadيا خبر! هو جاوب غلط في كل حاجة؟ya khabar! hwa gawib ghalat fi kol haga?Oh no! Did he answer everything wrong?
- سارة Saraأيوه، مفيش أي إجابة صح.aywa, mafish ay egaba sah.Yes, there isn't a single correct answer.
- زياد Ziadدي حاجة صعبة جداً.di haga sa'ba geddan.That is very difficult/sad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zero” translations and entries صفر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries صفر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
