Arabic vocabulary
وَسَطmiddle in Arabic
وَسَط is how you say “middle” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root و س ط (w-s-ṭ)noun (substantive)Pronounced wasaṭ
Meaning of middle in Arabic
- the middle, midst, or central part of a thing — properly the part equally distant from the sides (e.g. the middle finger, or the centre of a circle); more loosely, the part enclosed by the other parts even if not exactly equidistant
- the best, most excellent, or most balanced part of a thing — from the sense of being in the part of a thing most remote from either extreme
Beyond a spatial 'middle,' the root carries a moral sense: to occupy the wasaṭ of one's people is to hold their best or most honorable standing in truth and equity, since the middle part of a thing is also its part most remote from either extreme. From this comes tawassaṭa, 'to mediate' — literally to place oneself in the middle between two sides.
Words from the same root
- وَسَطَto be, sit, or become situated in the middle of a people or place
- وَسْطadverb 'in the middle of, among' (does not denote a true component part, unlike wasaṭ)
- وَسَطٌthe middle, midst, or middle part of a thing
- وسّطهُto put it in the middle; also, to cut it into two halves
- تَوَسَّطَto be situated in the middle; to mediate or intercede between people; to take a middle, moderate course
- وَسَاطَةٌmediation, intercession; also, holding a middle or worthy standing among one's people
- أَوْسَطُthe middle-most; the best (elative, of one who holds the middle, most excellent rank)
- مُتَوَسِّطٌmiddling, moderate; one who mediates
Common questions
- How do you say "middle" in Arabic?
- وَسَط (wasaṭ).
- What does تَوَسَّطَ (tawassaṭa) mean?
- It means to be situated in the middle, and by extension to mediate or intercede between people, or to take a moderate, middle course.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
وأوسطها صلوات الملائكة على العبد لِيُخْرجه الله مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النور،
The middle stage involves the angels’ prayers for the servant to be brought out from darkness to light by God.
وَأَوْسَطُهَا — and its middle. wa- = 'and'; awsat means 'the middle one'; the ending '-ha' adds 'its' (the stages) — 'and the middle of them'.
From: Knowledge, Reverence, Obedience →وَقَوْلُهُمْ خَيْرُ الْأُمُورِ أَوْسَاطُهَا، مَذْكُورٌ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ
And their saying: 'The best of matters is its middle' is mentioned in His saying: 'And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor open it completely.'
أَوْسَاطُهَا — is its middle. This is 'middle, midpoint' carrying the attached 'its', a possessive, the middle belonging to the matters. It is the predicate, 'is their middle course', joined with no verb 'is'. The suffix points back to the affairs, so it means the middle of them.
Related words
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