The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to 'freedom' in English. Getty Images
The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to 'freedom' in English. Getty Images
The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to 'freedom' in English. Getty Images
The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to 'freedom' in English. Getty Images

'Hurriyeh': the Arabic word for freedom - from the personal to the potted


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

The Arabic word of the week is hurriyeh - which, like its English translation “freedom”, can be used in contexts that range from the personal to the profound.

The word has been adopted in campaigns for greater political freedom and respect for human rights. It can be seen in slogans and heard in songs.

The debut 2012 studio album by Tunisian protest singer Emel Mathlouthi is named Kelmti Horra (My Word is Free). The 2011 song Sout Al Houreya (Sound of Freedom) by Amir Eid and Hany Adel has a chorus with the lines “bikul share biladi, sowt el huriye binadi” or “in every street in my country, the sound of freedom is calling".

On that note, huriyet al tabir is freedom of expression/speech. Huriyet al raai is freedom of opinion. Huriyet al ikhtiyar is freedom of choice.

If you feel someone is being too critical of your decisions, you could tell them ana hur. But use the phrase once too often, and you’ll soon find yourself being described as stubborn.

Hur has applications in the marital domain. A woman who has recently been divorced could be said to have nalat huriyatiha, which translates to “earned her freedom”. For a man, the expression would be nal huriyato.

The word can also be used when describing someone's relationship status. Hurra can be said of a single woman, whereas it would be hur for a man.

Hurriyeh has been worked into the titles of films and series, too, from the 1967 Nour El-Demerdash film Thaman el Huriyeh (The Price of Freedom), based on a work by Naguib Mahfouz, to the 2016 drama series Sqoot Hur (Free Fall), starring Nelly Karim.

The word also has uses in the economic sphere. A free zone such as Jebel Ali is known as manteqa al hurra. A duty-free shop is known as souq al hurra. Freelancers or people who are their own boss can be said to work in professions that are mihan hurra.

For honey that has no added sugar, it's asal hur.

To be as free as a bird is to be taer hur.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Employees: 170

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Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride

She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.

Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years

Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves

She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in

The biog

Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.

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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them

Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand

Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat  

Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar

Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices

Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants

Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique

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Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
While you're here
Health Valley

Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
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Updated: February 04, 2022, 6:03 PM