Arabic word sheet
سَمَاءٌ
Sky
- Type
- noun
- Root
- س م و
Meaning and usage
Sky
The expanse that lies above the earth and covers it. This is the most common meaning of the word.
نَظَرَ سَامِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ.
Sami looked at the sky.
Ceiling, roof
What covers a house, a room or a tent from above. Said of anything that is overhead and gives shelter.
نَظَّفَ الْجَارُ سَمَاءَ الْبَيْتِ.
The neighbour cleaned the ceiling of the house.
Clouds
The clouds, so called because they are high up.
حَجَبَتِ السَّمَاءُ الشَّمْسَ.
The clouds hid the sun.
Rain
Rain, because it falls from the sky. Said of one particular shower as well as of rain in general.
بَلَّلَتِ السَّمَاءُ ثِيَابَ رَامِي.
The rain soaked Rami's clothes.
Plural
سَمَاوَاتٌ
Word family
What the root means س م و
The root carries the idea of rising, of being high. From it come the verb “to rise”, the noun “height, loftiness” and the sky itself, that which is above everything.
to rise, to be high
سَمَا
height, loftiness
سُمُوٌّ
the outline of a thing, what is seen of it standing up
سَمَاوَةٌ
Synonyms
roof, ceiling
سَقْفٌ
It names only the covering of a building, never the sky.
clouds
سَحَابٌ
It is the ordinary word for clouds, whereas the headword names them only by extension.
rain
مَطَرٌ
It is the everyday word for rain; the headword names it after the place it falls from.
Opposites
earth, ground