How to say "free" in Arabic
CognateMeaningfree
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
ḥurrחר
حر
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
khofshiخُوفْشِي
How the two words are related
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ح-ر-رHebrew root
ח-ר-רThe everyday Hebrew word for free is chofshi, but the Semitic root survives in cherut (חרות), 'freedom' — from Israel's Declaration of Independence — and ben chorin (בן חורין), 'a free man,' both matching Arabic ح-ر-ر letter for letter. Classical Arabic lexicons also file ḥārr, 'hot' (see that entry), under this same triliteral — though whether 'free/noble' and 'hot' are truly one Proto-Semitic root or just a coincidental look-alike pair is debated.
Related Hebrew word:חרותkherutخِرُوت
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In a phrase
a free country
Plural
broken plural aCCāC — al-aḥrār, 'the free', is a common phrase in political rhetoric