Learn Arabic › B2 › حَرَج
حَرَج
embarrassment /ˈħa.radʒ/
nounB2#3106 most common
Also: awkward predicament, blame or sin (as in the legal formula 'no fault'), distress
Example sentences
لا حَرَج في ذلك.
There is no harm in that.
شعرتُ بالحَرَج الشديد.
I felt deeply embarrassed.
وضعني سؤاله في حَرَج كبير.
His question put me in a very awkward position.
لا تتردد في السؤال، فلا حَرَج عليك.
Don't hesitate to ask; you won't be blamed.
حاول أن يتجنب الحَرَج أمام ضيوفه.
He tried to avoid embarrassment in front of his guests.
أقرّ الفقهاء بأنه لا حَرَج شرعًا في الجمع بين الصلاتين عند السفر.
Jurists have ruled that there is no religious fault in combining the two prayers while traveling.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | حَرَجٌ | |
| Genitive | حَرَجٍ | |
| Accusative | حَرَجًا | |
| Vocative |
Word family
حرِج (ḥarij)critical, precarious, delicate (of a situation)
أحرج (aḥraja)to embarrass, to corner, to put in a difficult spot
تحرّج (taḥarraja)to feel scruples, to hesitate for fear of wrongdoing
إحراج (iḥrāj)the act of embarrassing; an embarrassing situation
حرجة (ḥarja)thicket, dense wood
Etymology
حَرَج comes from the Semitic root ح ر ج, whose core sense is narrowness or constriction. From that physical image of a tight, closed-in space, the word grew into a figurative one: the tightness of chest that comes with distress, guilt, or embarrassment. Classical Arabic used it heavily in legal and religious speech, where 'لا حرج' means 'no blame' or 'no sin.' Modern usage has narrowed it mostly to social embarrassment or an awkward spot.
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