Arabic vocabulary
سَاعَةٌHour in Arabic
سَاعَةٌ is how you say “Hour” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root س و ع (s-w-ʿ)noun, feminine (pl. سَاعَات, سُوَاع)Pronounced sāʿah
Meaning of Hour in Arabic
- hour, one of the 24 divisions of a day and night — an astronomical hour of fixed length, as opposed to sense 2
- a while, a moment, an indefinite short time — the everyday sense — 'jalastu ʿindaka sāʿah' = I sat with you a while
- the Resurrection, or the time of it — with the article, السَّاعَة; Qur'anic usage, e.g. 54:1, 7:187
- the moment of death, of a person or a generation — figurative extension of the resurrection sense
سَاعَة is used both literally, for a fixed hour, and loosely, for any short while or moment. With the definite article, السَّاعَة can mean simply 'now, the present time,' but in the Qur'an it is often a fixed term for the Resurrection or its appointed Hour.
Words from the same root
- سَاعَto be left to roam untended, of camels
- أَسَاعَto neglect, leave alone, or lose
- مُسَاوَعَةٌhiring or working paid by the hour
- سَوْعٌa period, or portion, of the night
- سَاعٌan hour, or period of time
Common questions
- How do you say "hour" in Arabic?
- سَاعَة (sāʿah).
- Why does السَّاعَة sometimes mean "the Resurrection" rather than "the hour"?
- In Qur'anic usage the definite السَّاعَة is a set term for the Resurrection or its appointed time, since it will come suddenly, in an instant.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
باب مفتوح من السماء من أبواب الجنة ينزل من الجنات الرحمة على بيت المقدس كل صباح حتى تقوم الساعة
A gate from the gates of Paradise is open in the heavens, from which mercy descends upon Bayt al-Maqdis every morning until the Hour is established.
السَّاعَةُ — the Hour. al- = 'the'; saa means 'the Hour (of Judgment)'; the '-u' ending marks it as the subject.
From: Angels at al-Aqsa →وهو من أشراط الساعة،
It is one of the signs of the Hour.
السَّاعَةِ — the Hour.. Genitive owner of 'portents' — 'the Hour' (the Last Day); the signs of the Hour.
From: Avoiding Scholarly Disputation →وكم
Related words
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