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Acre
الفدّان (al-fiddān) is an Arabic noun meaning 'acre,' a unit of land measurement commonly used in Arab countries, particularly in Egypt and the Levant. It represents a specific area of agricultural land, typically equivalent to approximately 4,200 square meters or about 1.038 acres in English measurement. The word is essential in discussions about agriculture, real estate, and land ownership in Arabic-speaking regions.
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يملك المزارع عشرة أفدنة من الأرض الخصبة.
Yamliku al-muzāri'u 'asharat afdina min al-ardi al-khāsiba.
The farmer owns ten acres of fertile land.
تبيع الحكومة الأرض بسعر مائة ألف جنيه للفدان الواحد.
Tabī'u al-hukūma al-ardi bissi'r mi'at alf junnayh lil-fiddān al-wāhid.
The government sells land at a price of one hundred thousand pounds per acre.
المحصول من هذا الفدان وفير جداً هذا الموسم.
Al-mahsūl min hādhā al-fiddān wāfir jiddan hādhā al-mawsim.
The harvest from this acre is very abundant this season.
اشترت الشركة خمسين فدّاناً لبناء مجمع سكني.
Ishtarat al-sharika khamsīn fiddānan li-binā' majmac' sakani.
The company purchased fifty acres to build a residential complex.
إنتاجية الفدان الواحد زادت بفضل الأسمدة الحديثة.
Intāj'iyyat al-fiddān al-wāhid zādat bifadl al-asmida al-hadītha.
The productivity of a single acre increased thanks to modern fertilizers.
The feddān is deeply rooted in Egyptian and Levantine culture, where agriculture has been central to civilization for millennia. In Egypt particularly, land measurement in feddāns is still the standard in agricultural commerce and government transactions, reflecting the country's historical dependence on the Nile River for farming. The term carries cultural significance beyond mere measurement, as land ownership and agricultural productivity are closely tied to wealth and social status in rural Arab communities.
When learning this word, remember that it is primarily used in formal and agricultural contexts, particularly in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. The plural form is 'أفدنة' (afdina) or 'فدادين' (fadadīn), so familiarize yourself with both. In modern contexts, you may hear it used alongside metric measurements like 'هكتار' (hectare), so understanding the relationship between these units will help with comprehension in real-world conversations about land and agriculture.
الفدّان (al-fiddān) is an Arabic noun that refers to an acre, a unit of land measurement widely used throughout the Arab world, particularly in Egypt and the Levant region. One feddān measures approximately 4,200 square meters, which is roughly equivalent to 1.038 English acres or 0.42 hectares. This measurement unit has been used for centuries in Arab agricultural contexts and remains the standard in many countries today.
The term feddān has deep historical roots in Arab culture, especially in Egypt where the Nile River's annual flooding has shaped agricultural practices for thousands of years. Land measurement in feddāns reflects the importance of agriculture in Arab economies and societies. In Egypt, the government still uses feddāns as the official unit for agricultural land transactions, making it essential for anyone involved in farming, real estate, or agricultural commerce in the region.
الفدّان is a masculine noun in Arabic. The plural forms are أفدنة (afdina) or فدادين (fadadīn), with afdina being more commonly used in modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian colloquial Arabic. When used with numbers, the word follows specific grammatical rules: for example, "عشرة أفدنة" (ten acres) uses the plural form after the number ten.
Today, فدّان remains the primary unit for discussing agricultural land in formal and informal contexts throughout Arab countries. Real estate agents, farmers, government officials, and agricultural economists all use this term regularly when discussing land prices, crop productivity, and land ownership. For instance, when discussing agricultural investments or land sales in Egypt, prices are typically quoted per feddān rather than per square meter or hectare.
Understanding the feddān requires familiarity with related agricultural terms. The word المزرعة (al-mazra'a) means farm, while الحقل (al-haql) refers to a field. المحصول (al-mahsūl) means harvest or crop, and الزراعة (al-zirā'a) refers to agriculture as a whole. These terms often appear together with فدّان in agricultural discussions.
In agricultural commerce, you might hear phrases like "سعر الفدان" (the price per acre) or "إنتاجية الفدان" (productivity per acre). Farmers discussing their holdings would say "أملك عشرين فدّاناً" (I own twenty acres). Real estate transactions frequently reference measurements in feddāns, especially in rural areas and agricultural regions.
While the feddān remains standard in Egypt and many Arab countries, some regions increasingly use the hectare (هكتار - hektār), the metric unit. Understanding both measurements is helpful for modern Arabic learners: one feddān equals 0.42 hectares, and one hectare equals approximately 2.38 feddāns. However, the feddān remains deeply embedded in local commerce and cultural practice.
For English speakers learning Arabic, remembering that الفدّان is specifically an agricultural measurement helps with context retention. When encountering this word, it typically appears in discussions about agriculture, land sales, or farming productivity. Practicing the plural forms (أفدنة and فدادين) is important, as these appear frequently in real conversations. Additionally, learning common phrases like "سعر الفدان" and "قطعة أرض بمساحة فدان" will help you participate in conversations about land and agriculture.
الفدّان is a crucial vocabulary word for anyone interested in Arab agriculture, economics, or rural culture. Its continued use despite globalization demonstrates the deep connection between language and cultural practices in the Arab world. Mastering this term and its related vocabulary opens doors to understanding agricultural discussions, real estate transactions, and rural life throughout the Arab region.