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Ribs
الأضلاع (al-aḍlāʿ) is the Arabic plural noun meaning 'ribs,' referring to the elongated curved bones that form the rib cage in the human and animal body. This anatomical term is commonly used in medical, scientific, and everyday contexts when discussing the skeletal structure or physical injuries. The word carries both literal anatomical meaning and can be used metaphorically in poetry and literature.
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كسر الرياضي أحد أضلاعه أثناء المباراة.
Kasara al-riyāḍī aḥad aḍlāʿihi athnaʾ al-mubāraah.
The athlete broke one of his ribs during the match.
عدد الأضلاع عند الإنسان اثنتا عشرة ضلعاً من كل جانب.
ʿAdad al-aḍlāʿ ʿind al-insān ithnataʾ ʿasharah ḍilʿan min kull jānib.
The number of ribs in humans is twelve on each side.
شعر المريض بألم حاد في الأضلاع السفلى.
Shaʿara al-marīḍ bi-alam ḥādd fī al-aḍlāʿ al-suflá.
The patient felt a sharp pain in his lower ribs.
الأضلاع تحمي الأعضاء الداخلية مثل القلب والرئتين.
Al-aḍlāʿ taḥmī al-aʿḍāʾ al-dākhiliyyah mithl al-qalb wa-al-riʾatayn.
The ribs protect internal organs such as the heart and lungs.
في الفحص الطبي، فحص الطبيب أضلاع المريض بعناية.
Fī al-faḥṣ al-ṭibbī, faḥaṣa al-ṭabīb aḍlāʿ al-marīḍ bi-ʿināyah.
During the medical examination, the doctor carefully examined the patient's ribs.
In Arabic medical and scientific discourse, understanding anatomical terminology like الأضلاع is essential for healthcare professionals and educated speakers. The word appears frequently in classical Arabic poetry where ribs are sometimes used metaphorically to represent structure, support, or vulnerability. In traditional Arabic medicine, knowledge of the rib cage was part of ancient Islamic medical scholarship as documented in works by physicians like Al-Razi and Ibn Sina.
Remember that الأضلاع is always plural in form; the singular is الضلع (al-ḍilʿ). When discussing medical conditions or anatomy, this word is typically used in professional or formal contexts. Pay attention to gender agreement when using adjectives with this word, as it's feminine plural in Arabic grammar, so modifying adjectives must match this form (e.g., الأضلاع المكسورة 'the broken ribs').