Word of the Week, Issue #011

Pregnant = حَامِلٌ

The word for "pregnant" in Arabic is حَامِلٌ (haamil). It is the active participle from the verb حَمَلَ , which means to carry. Although this is the masculine form, we can use it as an adjective for a female, so we can say both اِمْرَأَةٌ حَامِلٌ  and اِمْرَأَةٌ حَامِلَةٌ  a pregnant woman. Similarly, we can say both هِيَ حَامِلٌ and هِيَ حَامِلَةٌ she is pregnant. However, if we are using the active participle with its standard meaning (i.e. carrier or carrying), then we would have to use the feminine form when referring to the female, e.g. هِيَ حَامِلَةٌ الْكُتُبَ  she is carrying the books.