Learn Arabic › B1 › رِيح
رِيح
wind /ˈriːħ/
nounB1#1434 most common
Also: breeze, smell, odor (colloquial), strength, morale (figurative)
Example sentences
الرِّيحُ بارِدةٌ.
The wind is cold.
تَهُبُّ الرِّيحُ مِنَ البَحرِ.
The wind blows from the sea.
أَغلَقتُ النّافِذةَ لِأَنَّ الرِّيحَ قَوِيّةٌ.
I closed the window because the wind is strong.
حَمَلتِ الرِّيحُ أوراقَ الشَّجَرِ إلى كُلِّ مَكانٍ.
The wind carried the tree leaves everywhere.
اِشتَدَّتِ الرِّياحُ فَأَلغَتِ السُّلُطاتُ جَميعَ الرَّحَلاتِ الجَوِّيّةِ.
The winds grew stronger, so the authorities cancelled all flights.
في الأَمثالِ العَرَبِيّةِ، تَجري الرِّياحُ بِما لا تَشتَهي السُّفُنُ.
In Arabic proverbs, the winds blow against what the ships desire.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | رِيحٌ | رِياحٌ |
| Genitive | رِيحٍ | رِياحٍ |
| Accusative | رِيحًا | رِياحًا |
| Vocative | يا رِيحُ | يا رِياحُ |
Word family
رُوحsoul, spirit
رائِحةsmell, scent
مِرْوَحةfan
رَاحةrest, comfort
تَرَوَّحَto take a rest, to fan oneself
Etymology
رِيح comes from the Semitic root r-w-ḥ, which covers breath, air, and spirit. The same root yields رُوح (soul) and رائِحة (scent), so wind and breath share one core idea. Hebrew רוּחַ and Aramaic rūḥā are direct cognates, each meaning both wind and spirit.
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