Learning the parts of the hand in Arabic is an essential step for beginners. Hands are not only important for everyday actions like writing, holding, or washing, but they also appear in many cultural expressions and phrases. This guide will help you master hand vocabulary with practical examples, making it easier to communicate in real-life situations.
Our interactive course presentation introduces you to various parts of the hand with clear images and audio pronunciations by native speakers. Click on the audio icons to listen and repeat, and practice using these terms in real-life situations. Share your experiences in the comments section!
Parts of the Hand in Arabic
- يد (Yad) – Hand
- مثال: هذه يدي. (This is my hand.)
- إصبع (Iṣbaʿ) – Finger
- مثال: لدي خمسة أصابع في يدي. (I have five fingers on my hand.)
- إبهام (Ibham) – Thumb
- مثال: الإبهام هو أقصر أصبع. (The thumb is the shortest finger.)
- سبابة (Sabbābah) – Index Finger
- مثال: السبابة تُستخدم للإشارة. (The index finger is used for pointing.)
- وسطى (Wusṭā) – Middle Finger
- مثال: الأصبع الوسطى هي الأطول. (The middle finger is the longest.)
- بنصر (Binaṣr) – Ring Finger
- مثال: الناس يلبسون الخواتم في البنصر. (People wear rings on the ring finger.)
- خنصر (Khinsir) – Little Finger
- مثال: الخنصر هو أصغر أصبع. (The little finger is the smallest finger.)
- راحة اليد (Rāḥat al-Yad) – Palm
- مثال: راحة اليد هي الجزء الداخلي من اليد. (The palm is the inside part of the hand.)
- مفصل (Mafṣal) – Knuckle
- مثال: المفاصل تربط الأصابع براحة اليد. (Knuckles connect the fingers to the palm.)
The Hand – اليد (al-yad)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| اليد | al-yad | hand | اغسل يدك جيدًا | ighsil yadak jayyidan | Wash your hand well | Handwashing is emphasized in daily hygiene and religious rituals. |
| اليد | al-yad | hand | أعطني يدك | a‘ṭinī yadak | Give me your hand | Common when offering help or greeting children. |
Fingers – الأصابع (al-asābi‘)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| الإصبع الكبير | al-iṣba‘ al-kabīr | thumb | ضع إصبعك الكبير هنا | ḍa‘ iṣba‘ak al-kabīr hunā | Place your thumb here | Used in instructions or physical activities. |
| الإصبع السبابة | al-iṣba‘ al-sabbāba | index finger | أشر إلى الكتاب بإصبعك السبابة | ash-shir ilā al-kitāb bi-iṣba‘ak al-sabbāba | Point at the book with your index finger | Pointing is generally acceptable but avoid pointing directly at adults in formal situations. |
| الإصبع الأوسط | al-iṣba‘ al-mu’awwasṭ | middle finger | ضع إصبعك الأوسط هنا | ḍa‘ iṣba‘ak al-mu’awwasṭ hunā | Place your middle finger here | Neutral in educational context. |
| الإصبع البنصر | al-iṣba‘ al-bunṣur | ring finger | ضع الخاتم في إصبعك البنصر | ḍa‘ al-khātim fī iṣba‘ak al-bunṣur | Put the ring on your ring finger | Ring finger is associated with marriage. |
| الإصبع الصغير | al-iṣba‘ al-ṣaghīr | little finger | ضع إصبعك الصغير على الطاولة | ḍa‘ iṣba‘ak al-ṣaghīr ‘alā aṭ-ṭāwila | Place your little finger on the table | In gestures, sometimes used for drinking tea elegantly. |
Palm – راحة اليد (rāḥat al-yad)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| راحة اليد | rāḥat al-yad | palm | ضع الكتاب على راحة يدك | ḍa‘ al-kitāb ‘alā rāḥat yadak | Place the book on your palm | Holding items on the palm is common when showing respect or presenting objects. |
| راحة اليد | rāḥat al-yad | palm | افرك يديك في راحة اليد | afrukh yadayk fī rāḥat al-yad | Rub your hands in your palm | Often used when cleaning hands or preparing for prayer. |
Back of the Hand – ظهر اليد (ẓahr al-yad)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ظهر اليد | ẓahr al-yad | back of the hand | ضع كريم على ظهر يدك | ḍa‘ karīm ‘alā ẓahr yadak | Put cream on the back of your hand | Often mentioned in skincare instructions. |
| ظهر اليد | ẓahr al-yad | back of the hand | امسح الغبار عن ظهر يدك | imsaḥ al-ghubār ‘an ẓahr yadak | Wipe the dust off the back of your hand | Useful in describing cleaning gestures. |
Wrist – المعصم (al-mi‘ṣam)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| المعصم | al-mi‘ṣam | wrist | ضع الساعة على معصمك | ḍa‘ as-sā‘a ‘alā mi‘ṣmak | Put the watch on your wrist | Wearing watches is common; this phrase is practical for beginners. |
| المعصم | al-mi‘ṣam | wrist | لف رباطًا حول معصمك | laff ribāṭan ḥawla mi‘ṣmak | Wrap a band around your wrist | Often used in sports or medical contexts. |
Knuckles – مفاصل الأصابع (mafāsil al-asābi‘)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| مفاصل الأصابع | mafāsil al-asābi‘ | knuckles | اضغط على مفاصل أصابعك | iḍghaṭ ‘alā mafāsil asābi‘ak | Press on your knuckles | Often mentioned in medical or fitness contexts. |
| مفاصل الأصابع | mafāsil al-asābi‘ | knuckles | افرك مفاصل أصابعك قبل التمرين | afrukh mafāsil asābi‘ak qabl at-tamrīn | Rub your knuckles before exercise | Prepares muscles for activity. |
Fingernails – الأظافر (al-aẓāfir)
| Arabic | Transliteration | Translation | Example Phrase | Transliteration | Translation | Cultural Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| الأظافر | al-aẓāfir | fingernails | قص أظافرك | quss aẓāfirak | Trim your fingernails | Personal hygiene is important in daily life and religious practice. |
| الأظافر | al-aẓāfir | fingernails | نظف أظافرك | naẓẓif aẓāfirak | Clean your fingernails | Often mentioned when teaching children hygiene habits. |
Conclusion
Learning the parts of the hand in Arabic equips beginners to use practical phrases in everyday life. By combining vocabulary with real-life examples, you can:
- Describe actions like washing, holding, or pointing.
- Understand cultural gestures and etiquette.
- Communicate naturally in Arabic-speaking environments.
Remember, practice makes perfect. Try repeating the words and sentences aloud, and imagine using them in daily conversations. Your hands—and your language skills—will thank you!
If you want to find out the transliteration of any Arabic word, you can use our Arabic Transliteration tool. Type or paste your Arabic text to get the Latin Transliterated script, and hear it by our Arabic text to speech online tool. This Arabic transliteration tool has been developed to help English speakers get the Transliteration script of Arabic speech with the highest accuracy.
