1 in Arabic = واحد (wāḥid)

The number 1 in Arabic is pronounced "WAH-hid" (with a guttural "h" sound in the middle and stress on the first syllable), written in Arabic script as "واحد", romanized as "wāḥid".

Quick Answer

Pronunciation

Wāḥid (واحد) has two syllables: wā-ḥid

Step by step:

1. "Wā" - Say "WAH" (like "wah" in "wahoo")
2. The "ā" is a long vowel, held longer than a short vowel
3. "ḥi" - Say "hid" with a guttural "ḥ" (like clearing your throat gently)
4. The "ḥ" (ح) is made deep in the throat, not like English "h"
5. Put stress on the first syllable: WĀ-ḥid

The crucial "ḥ" sound:

• This is NOT a regular "h" sound
• Place your tongue low and constrict your throat
• It's like breathing out heavily from deep in your throat
• Think of fogging a mirror from your throat, not your mouth

Common mistakes:

• Using a regular "h" instead of the guttural "ḥ"—it should come from your throat
• Not holding the "ā" long enough—it's a long vowel
• Stressing the second syllable—it should be WĀ-ḥid, not wā-ḤID
• Pronouncing it like "wah-heed"—the final vowel is short "i" not long "ee"

Regional pronunciation differences:

• Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): WAH-hid
• Egyptian: WAA-hid (may soften the "ḥ" slightly)
• Levantine (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan): WAA-had or WA-had
• Gulf Arabic: WAA-hid (clear guttural "ḥ")
• Maghrebi (Morocco, Algeria): WA-hed (different vowel quality)

The Word "Wāḥid" (واحد)

Arabic script: واحد

• Written right to left
• Four letters: و (wāw) + ا (alif) + ح (ḥā') + د (dāl)
• Masculine noun

Origin: From the Arabic root و-ح-د (w-ḥ-d) meaning "one" or "unity"

Gender forms: Unlike most Arabic words, the number 1 DOES change for gender:

• Masculine: واحد (wāḥid)
• Feminine: واحدة (wāḥida) - adds a "ta marbuta" (ة) at the end

Usage with nouns:

• One book (masculine) = كتاب واحد (kitāb wāḥid) - word for "one" comes AFTER the noun
• One house (feminine) = بيت واحد (bayt wāḥid) OR دار واحدة (dār wāḥida)

Eastern Arabic Numeral

In Arabic script, the numeral for 1 is: ١

Important note: The Eastern Arabic 1 looks different from Western 1:

• Eastern Arabic: ١ (looks like a small vertical line or hook)
• Western/European: 1

Eastern Arabic numerals (0-9): ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩

These are used in most Arab countries (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, etc.).

Practical Usage

Counting: When counting: واحد، اثنان، ثلاثة، أربعة، خمسة... (wāḥid, ithnān, thalātha, arba'a, khamsa...)

Phone numbers: Each digit is pronounced separately:

• 1 = واحد (wāḥid)
• Example: 151 = واحد-خمسة-واحد (wāḥid-khamsa-wāḥid)

Prices:

• 1 riyal/dinar = ريال واحد / دينار واحد
• €1 = يورو واحد (yūrū wāḥid)
• Note: The number comes AFTER the noun in Arabic

Times:

• 1:00 = الساعة الواحدة (as-sā'a al-wāḥida) - "the one hour" (feminine because ساعة is feminine)
• 1:15 = الساعة الواحدة والربع
• 1:30 = الساعة الواحدة والنصف

Dates:

• The 1st = الأول (al-awwal) - uses ordinal, NOT واحد
• January 1st = الأول من يناير (al-awwal min yanāyir)
• Unlike other dates, the 1st ALWAYS uses the ordinal form "al-awwal"

Ages:

• 1 year old = سنة واحدة (sana wāḥida) - "year" is feminine, so uses واحدة

Addresses:

• Room 1 = غرفة رقم واحد (ghurfa raqm wāḥid)
• Apartment 1 = شقة رقم واحد (shaqqa raqm wāḥid)

Compound Numbers with 1

11-19:

• 11 = أحد عشر (aḥada 'ashar) - masculine / إحدى عشرة (iḥdā 'ashrata) - feminine
• 21 = واحد وعشرون (wāḥid wa-'ishrūn)
• 31 = واحد وثلاثون (wāḥid wa-thalāthūn)

Numbers ending in 1: For compound numbers (21, 31, 41, etc.), Arabic uses "and" (و):

• 21 = واحد وعشرون (literally "one and twenty")
• 91 = واحد وتسعون (literally "one and ninety")

Regional Dialect Variations

Egyptian Arabic:

• Pronunciation: WAA-hid
• Feminine: WAH-da
• Very commonly used

Levantine Arabic (Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Jordanian):

• Pronunciation: WAA-had
• The final "d" may sound more like "d" or softer
• Feminine: WAH-de

Gulf Arabic (Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti):

• Pronunciation: WAA-hid
• Very close to MSA
• Clear guttural "ḥ"

Maghrebi Arabic (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian):

• Pronunciation: WA-hed (Morocco) / WAH-ed (Algeria)
• Quite different vowel patterns
• Often use Western numerals (1) instead of Eastern (١)

Iraqi Arabic:

• Pronunciation: WAA-hid
• Similar to Gulf Arabic

Common Phrases with 1

واحد واحد (wāḥid wāḥid): One by one

واحد بواحد (wāḥid bi-wāḥid): One for one, tit for tat

ولا واحد (wa-lā wāḥid): Not a single one

كل واحد (kull wāḥid): Each one, everyone

الواحد الأحد (al-wāḥid al-aḥad): The One (name of God in Islam, meaning "The Unique")

من واحد لعشرة (min wāḥid li-'ashara): From one to ten

مرة واحدة (marra wāḥida): One time, once

يوم واحد (yawm wāḥid): One day

شخص واحد (shakhs wāḥid): One person

Grammar Notes

Gender agreement:

• Masculine nouns: use واحد (wāḥid)
• Feminine nouns: use واحدة (wāḥida)

Word order: In Arabic, the number 1 comes AFTER the noun:

• English: "one book"
• Arabic: "book one" = كتاب واحد

With indefinite nouns: When counting, the noun is usually indefinite (without "the"):

• كتاب واحد (a/one book) NOT الكتاب واحد

Ordinal vs Cardinal:

• Cardinal (counting): واحد (wāḥid) = one
• Ordinal (first): أول (awwal) / الأول (al-awwal) = first
• For dates, ALWAYS use أول for "the 1st"

Writing Numbers

Eastern Arabic:

• Written as: ١
• In a phone number: ١٥١٠ (1510)

In text:

• Numbers are written left-to-right
• So 21 in Eastern Arabic numerals: ٢١ (read left to right: 2-1)

Special Note: "Aḥad" (أحد)

There's another word for "one" in Arabic: أحد (aḥad), which means "one" in the sense of "someone" or "anyone." It's also used in:

• الأحد (al-aḥad) = Sunday (literally "the first")
• أحد عشر (aḥada 'ashar) = 11
• الواحد الأحد = One of God's names (The One and Only)

Quick Takeaways

• 1 in Arabic is واحد (wāḥid), pronounced "WAH-hid" with a guttural "ḥ"
• The Eastern Arabic numeral is ١
• The "ḥ" (ح) is a deep throat sound, not a regular "h"
• Has gender forms: واحد (masculine) / واحدة (feminine)
• In Arabic, the number comes AFTER the noun
• For "1st" in dates, use الأول (al-awwal), not واحد
• Stress is on the first syllable: WĀ-ḥid
• Regional variations mostly affect vowel quality and the strength of "ḥ"
• Comes from the root و-ح-د meaning "unity"

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