Directions (اتجاهات) #
Nouns that describe spatial or geographical directions الاتجاهات (al-ittiǧāhāt) such as north, south, east, west, right, and left.
They are not true adverbs, but they are often used in adverbial expressions with prepositions like:
- إِلَى (to / towards)
- مِنْ (from)
- فِي (in)
- نَحْوَ (towards)
Main Directions (الاتجاهات الرئيسية) #
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| شَمَال | shamāl | north | ذَهَبَ إِلى الشَّمَالِ – He went to the north. |
| جَنُوب | janūb | south | سَافَرَ إِلى الجَنُوبِ – He travelled to the south. |
| شَرْق | sharq | east | الشَّمْسُ تَطْلُعُ مِنَ الشَّرْقِ – The sun rises from the east. |
| غَرْب | gharb | west | تَغْرُبُ فِي الغَرْبِ – It sets in the west. |
%% Mermaid flowchart diagram — compass flowchart TB style CENTER fill:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px N[شَمَال<br/>North] -->|↑| CENTER((●)) S[جَنُوب<br/>South] -->|↓| CENTER W[غَرْب<br/>West] -->|←| CENTER E[شَرْق<br/>East] -->|→| CENTER CENTER --> R[يَمِين<br/>Right] CENTER --> L[يَسَار<br/>Left] classDef dir fill:#f2f8ff,stroke:#2b6cb0; class N,S,W,E,R,L dir;
↔️ Horizontal Directions (الاتجاهات الجانبية) #
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| يَمِين | yamīn | right | الجَانِبُ اليَمِين – The right side |
| يَسَار / شِمَال | yasār / shimāl | left | الجَانِبُ اليَسَار – The left side |
💡 Note: Both يَسَار and شِمَال mean “left,” though يَسَار is more common in Modern Standard Arabic.
🧩 Intercardinal Directions (الاتجاهات الفرعية) #
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| شَمَال شَرْق | shamāl sharq | northeast | المَدِينَةُ فِي الشَّمَالِ الشَّرْقِيِّ – The city is in the northeast. |
| شَمَال غَرْب | shamāl gharb | northwest | البَيْتُ فِي الشَّمَالِ الغَرْبِيِّ – The house is in the northwest. |
| جَنُوب شَرْق | janūb sharq | southeast | المَدْرَسَةُ فِي الجَنُوبِ الشَّرْقِيِّ – The school is in the southeast. |
| جَنُوب غَرْب | janūb gharb | southwest | الجَبَلُ فِي الجَنُوبِ الغَرْبِيِّ – The mountain is in the southwest. |
Compass Mnemonic (لتذكّر الاتجاهات) #
To remember the four main directions easily:
شَ – جَ – شَ – غَ
(Shamāl, Janūb, Sharq, Gharb)
“Shamāl → cold north ❄️, Janūb → warm south ☀️, Sharq → sunrise 🌅, Gharb → sunset 🌇.”
Related Vocabulary #
| Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| طَريق | road / path |
| جِهَة | side / direction |
| خَريطَة | map |
| بُوصْلَة | compass |
| مَنْزِل | home / location |
| مَكان | place / position |