Loading...
Alarmist
القلق (al-qalaq) means "anxiety" or "worry" and refers to a state of unease, nervousness, or apprehension about something uncertain or potentially negative. It describes an emotional condition rather than a person who is alarmist, and is commonly used in everyday Arabic to express concern or stress. This word encompasses both mild worry and more intense feelings of dread or unease.
Worksheets, games, and lesson plans for Years 1-11
Get a new Arabic word delivered to your inbox every day — with pronunciation, meaning, and cultural context.
أشعر بالقلق بشأن الامتحان النهائي.
Ash'ur bil-qalaq bisha'n al-imtihan al-nihāʾī.
I feel anxious about the final exam.
والدتي تشعر بالقلق على صحتي.
Wālidatī tash'ur bil-qalaq ʿalā siḥḥatī.
My mother worries about my health.
لا داعي للقلق، كل شيء سيكون بخير.
Lā dāʿī lil-qalaq, kull shayʾ sayakūn bikhayr.
There's no need to worry, everything will be fine.
القلق الشديد يؤثر على نومي.
Al-qalaq al-shadīd yuʾaththir ʿalā nawmī.
Severe anxiety affects my sleep.
كان هناك قلق كبير في المجتمع حول الأحداث الأخيرة.
Kān hunāka qalaq kabīr fī al-mujtamaʿ ḥawl al-aḥdāth al-ākhīrah.
There was great concern in society about recent events.
In Arab culture, expressing concerns about family members' wellbeing is a common and expected part of social interaction, and the word القلق is frequently used in this context. The concept of worry is deeply tied to family bonds and communal responsibility, reflecting the importance of family connections in Arab societies. Additionally, discussions about political or social concerns often employ this word in news media and public discourse throughout the Arab world.
Remember that القلق refers to the emotion of anxiety itself, not to a person who is alarmist (which would require different vocabulary like قلق—the adjective form meaning anxious). Use this noun when describing the feeling of worry or when talking about collective concern. Note that it can be used with prepositions like ب (about) or على (about/over) to indicate what causes the worry.
The Arabic word القلق (al-qalaq) is a fundamental vocabulary item that describes the emotional state of anxiety, worry, or unease. It's one of the most commonly used emotion words in Arabic and appears frequently in daily conversations, literature, and media.
القلق literally translates to "anxiety" or "worry" and encompasses a range of emotional states from mild concern to intense apprehension. It describes an internal emotional condition characterized by uncertainty, fear about potential negative outcomes, or concern about something specific or general. Unlike momentary fear, القلق often describes a sustained state of unease.
As a noun, القلق is masculine and can be used with various grammatical structures:
The word القلق is extensively used in everyday Arabic conversation when people discuss their emotional states or concerns:
While القلق specifically refers to anxiety or worry, related Arabic words include:
In Arab culture, the expression of concern and worry about loved ones is considered a natural and important part of family relationships. Mothers are stereotypically portrayed as worrying about their children, and this is generally viewed as a positive expression of care rather than excessive concern. Public discourse in Arab media frequently uses القلق when discussing economic, political, or social issues affecting communities.
Several common expressions use القلق in various contexts:
English speakers should note that while "alarmist" might seem like a translation option, it's important to distinguish between the emotional state (القلق) and a person who habitually expresses excessive alarm. The word القلق focuses on the emotion itself rather than personality traits. Additionally, Arabic speakers often use this word more freely than English speakers might use "anxiety," making it essential to become comfortable with its frequency in natural speech.
In contemporary Arabic, especially in media and literature, القلق is used to describe collective anxiety in society. Terms like "climate anxiety" (القلق من تغير المناخ) or "economic anxiety" (القلق الاقتصادي) reflect how the word adapts to modern concerns while maintaining its core meaning of worry and unease.