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Decade
العقد (al-ʿaqd) means 'decade' and refers to a ten-year period. It is commonly used in discussions about time, history, and aging. The word can also mean 'contract' or 'agreement' in different contexts, making it a versatile term in modern Arabic.
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عاش في التسعينيات وهو أفضل عقد في حياته.
ʿāsha fī at-tisʿīniyyāt wa-huwa ʾafḍal ʿaqd fī ḥayātih.
He lived in the nineties, which was the best decade of his life.
بدأت العقود الأخيرة من القرن العشرين بتغييرات كبيرة.
Badaʾat al-ʿuqūd al-ʾakhīrah min al-qarn al-ʿishrīn bi-taghyīrāt kabīrah.
The last decades of the twentieth century began with major changes.
في العقد الأول من هذا القرن، حدثت ثورة تكنولوجية.
Fī al-ʿaqd al-ʾawwal min hādhā al-qarn, ḥadathat thawrah taknūlūjiyyah.
In the first decade of this century, a technological revolution occurred.
سأكمل دراستي في العقد القادم.
Saʾukmil dirāsatī fī al-ʿaqd al-qādim.
I will complete my studies in the next decade.
العقد السادس من العمر يعتبر من أهم مراحل الحياة.
Al-ʿaqd as-sādis min al-ʿumr yuʿtabar min ʾahm marāḥil al-ḥayāh.
The sixth decade of life is considered one of the most important stages of existence.
In Arabic-speaking cultures, decades are commonly referenced when discussing historical events, personal milestones, and generational characteristics. For example, '80s babies' or people from a particular decade share cultural references and experiences. The word العقد is frequently used in media, literature, and historical discussions to frame periods of significant social, political, or economic change.
When using العقد to mean 'decade,' remember it is masculine and follows standard singular noun patterns. It's often preceded by ordinal numbers (الأول = first, الثاني = second) or descriptive phrases. Be careful not to confuse it with its other meaning 'contract/agreement,' which appears in business and legal contexts. Native speakers often use ordinal adjectives before العقد when discussing specific decades.
The Arabic word العقد (al-ʿaqd) is a fundamental term used to describe a ten-year period of time. While this word has multiple meanings in Arabic (including 'contract' or 'agreement' in legal contexts), its temporal meaning as 'decade' is widely used in contemporary Arabic discussions about history, personal development, and societal changes.
العقد literally means a "tied knot" or "binding," but in the context of time, it refers to ten consecutive years forming a distinct period. For example, the 1990s would be called "العقد التسعينات" (the nineties decade), or more specifically "عقد التسعينيات" (the decade of the nineties). The word is masculine in gender and follows standard Arabic noun declension patterns.
When using العقد to reference decades, it is typically accompanied by:
The plural form العقود (al-ʿuqūd) is used when discussing multiple decades, such as "العقود الأخيرة" (the recent decades) or "عبر العقود" (across decades).
Arabic speakers frequently use decades as reference points for historical events and social changes. For instance:
Generational identifiers are also created using decades, similar to English terms like "millennials" or "Gen X." Young people born in a particular decade often share collective cultural experiences and are referenced by their birth decade.
منذ عقد من الزمان (mundhu ʿaqd min az-zamān) - "A decade ago" is a popular expression used when discussing events from ten years past. في العقد الماضي (fī al-ʿaqd al-māḍī) - "In the past decade" is commonly used in news reports and academic discussions.
It's important to distinguish العقد from related time words:
In contemporary Arabic media, education, and business, العقد is extensively used when discussing:
English speakers learning Arabic should remember that while English and Arabic both use "decade" as a time measurement, Arabic speakers often emphasize ordinal positioning (first decade, second decade) more explicitly. Additionally, the alternative meaning of العقد as 'contract' appears frequently in business contexts, so learners should be aware of polysemy and context-dependent meanings in Arabic vocabulary.