What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Arab?” Desert, camels, and an oasis, right? But here’s the thing: Arab is much more than that! Gone are the days when camels were the only means of Arabic transportation or وسائل النقل (wasayil alnaql). Now Arab has big cities with skyscrapers, the latest technology, and every type of transportation you could think of. You name it, they have it. To help you learn more about this topic, we’ll walk you through the Arabic words about transportation and its types. Let’s get started!
Arabic Words About Transportation
Land-Based Transportation Vocabulary
Land transportation is the most common means of transportation in Arab countries. The majority of people travel by car, which is usually a small sedan or station wagon. In the city, you might even feast your eyes on a few vintage cars, sports cars, and other luxury private vehicles that have been kept and maintained well. Bicycles and motorcycles are also standard modes of transportation in many Arab countries. However, note that they are used primarily for short trips rather than long distances.
So if you’re planning to engage in a conversation with the locals about these vehicles, be sure to use the words below.
English | Arabic | Romanization |
Autorickshaw | الريكاشة الآلية | Alriykashat Alalia |
Bicycle | دراجة | Daraaja |
Bike | دراجة هوائية | Daraajat Hawayiya |
Bus | أوتوبيس | Uwtubis |
Car | جمل | Jamal |
Scooter | سكوتر | Skutar |
Subway | مترو | Mitru |
Taxi | سيارة اجره | Sayaarat Ajirih |
Tractor | جرار زراعى | Jaraar Ziraeaa |
Train | قطار | Qitar |
Tram | نوع من القطارات | Nawe Min Alqitarat |
Truck | شاحنة | Shahina |
Van | سيارة نقل | Sayaarat Naql |
Sea-Based Transportation Vocabulary
Arab is a desert country, meaning you won’t see lakes and rivers, but that doesn’t mean Arab is behind the world considering water transport. Several ports and harbors surround the country, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
To help you get started, here is a list of all the water transportation vocabulary.
English | Arabic | Romanization |
Airboat | القارب الهوائي | Alqarib Alhawayiyu |
Boat | قارب | Qarib |
Coast Guard Ship | سفينة خفر السواحل | Safinat Khafr Alsawahil |
Ferry | العبارة | Aleibara |
Raft | طوف | Tawf |
Sea Plane | طائرة بحرية | Tayirat Bahria |
Ship | سفينة | Safina |
Submarine | غواصة | Ghawaasa |
Tankers | الناقلات | Alnaaqilat |
Tugboat | قاطرة | Qatira |
Yacht | يخت | Yakht |
Air-Based Transportation Vocabulary
Here is some useful air transportation vocabulary to help you express yourself better when speaking with the locals.
English | Arabic | Romanization |
Airplane | مطار | Matar |
Blimp | شخص ساذج | Shakhs Sadhij |
Glider | طائرة شراعية | Tayirat Shiraeia |
Gliders | الطائرات الشراعية | Altaayirat Alshiraeia |
Hang Glider | شنق طائرة شراعية | Shanq Tayirat Shiraeia |
Helicopter | هليكوبتر | Hilikubtar |
Jet | طائرة نفاثة | Tayirat Nafaatha |
Parachute | المظلة | Almizala |
Rocket | صاروخ | Sarukh |
Space Shuttle | مركبة فضائية | Markabat Fadayiya |
Spaceship | سفينة فضائية | Safinat Fadayiya |
Zeppelin | منطاد | Muntad |
Other Useful Phrases Related To Transportations
Now that you know about all the important vocabulary for transportation let’s learn some useful phrases.
English | Arabic | Romanization |
Can I find a railway station nearby? | هل يمكنني العثور على محطة سكة حديد قريبة؟ | Hal yumkinuni aleuthur ealaa mahatat sikat hadid qaribati? |
Do you prefer to travel by public or private transportation? | هل تفضل السفر بالمواصلات العامة أم الخاصة؟ | Hal tufadil alsafar bialmuasalat aleamat ‘am alkhasati? |
How far is the workshop? | كم تبعد الورشة؟ | Kam tabeid alwarshata? |
How long does it take to reach the other city? | كم من الوقت يستغرق للوصول إلى المدينة الأخرى؟ | Kam min alwaqt yastaghriq lilwusul ‘iilaa almadinat al’ukhraa؟ |
How much does renting a car cost per week? | كم تكلفة استئجار سيارة في الأسبوع؟ | Kam taklifat aistijar sayaarat fi al’usbuei? |
I have some safety concerns while using public transport. | لدي بعض المخاوف المتعلقة بالسلامة أثناء استخدام وسائل النقل العام. | Ladaya baed almakhawif almutaealiqat bialsalamat ‘athna’ aistikhdam wasayil alnaql aleami. |
I will go there by airplane. | سأذهب هناك بالطائرة. | Sa’adhhab hunak bialtaayirati. |
Is it true that your dad owns a plane? | هل صحيح أن والدك يمتلك طائرة؟ | Hal sahih ‘ana walidak yamtalik tayiratan? |
My car is out of oil right now. | نفد الزيت من سيارتي الآن. | Nafad alzayt min sayaarati alan. |
My flight is confirmed | تم تأكيد رحلتي | Tama takid rihlati |
The best way to commute from here is by jet. | أفضل طريقة للتنقل من هنا هي بالطائرة. | Afdal tariqat liltanaqul min huna hi bialtaayirati. |
We are launching a rocket soon. | نحن نطلق صاروخا قريبا. | Nahn nutliq sarukhan qariba. |
We need to get the vehicle to a repair shop. | نحن بحاجة لإحضار السيارة إلى ورشة الإصلاح. | Nahn bihajat li’iihdar alsayaarat ‘iilaa warshat al’iislahi. |
FAQ’s
Let’s look at some bonus questions that most people are asking nowadays.
How do you write transportation in Arabic?
The word for transportation in Arabic is وسائل النقل (wasayil alnaql). The word وسائل (wasayil) means ways/means, and نقل (naql) is the root word for movement/transportation.
What is the most popular Arabic word?
السلام عليكم (Assalam-o-Alaikum), meaning peace be upon you, is the most common phrase that everyone knows. It is used as a hello in the Arab world.
What are some essential words in Arabic?
The essential words in Arabic vocabulary are حب (hub) or love, سعادة (saada) or happiness, قط (qat) or cat, كلب (kalb) or dog, سعودي (Saudi) or “from Saudi Arabia,” and نعم (na’am) or yes.
Wrapping Up
You will encounter countless situations in your everyday life where you’d need to talk about transportation, so we hope you can use all that we covered above to your advantage. Want to dive deeper into this unique language? If yes, then you have to check out the Ling app!
The Ling app is the perfect platform for learning Arabic like a pro. You will get several incredible features: grammar lessons, a chatbot to improve conversation and pronunciation, quizzes, reminders of tasks, audio recordings, flashcards, and much more. Also, check out our blog posts about Arabic music and common Arabic slang terms.
Download the Ling App from Google Playstore or App Store now and start learning Arabic.