How to say "black" in Arabic
New wordMeaningblack
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
أَسْوَد
aswadאסוד
أسود
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
שחור
shakhorشَاخُور
How the two words are related
New word
No Hebrew relative — learn it fresh.
Arabic root
س-و-دLearn it
On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
إِسْوِد
iswidאסודCairo's shape: iswid.
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
كْحل
kḥelכחלA different word: kḥel, from the root of kuḥl, kohl.
In a phrase
قِطّ أَسْوَد
qiṭṭ aswadקט אסודa black cat
Plural
سُود
sūdסודcolor plural CuCC — like أحمر→حمر
Feminine
سَوْدَاء
sawdāʾסודאא