Toll
عدد الخسائر (adad al-khasā'ir) literally means 'number of losses' and is used to describe the toll or count of casualties, damages, or losses resulting from an event, disaster, or conflict. This phrase combines the noun 'number' (عدد) with 'losses' (الخسائر) to quantify the extent of harm or destruction. It is commonly used in news reporting, official statements, and discussions about accidents, wars, or natural disasters.
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بلغ عدد الخسائر في الحادث مائة شخص.
Balagha adad al-khasā'ir fi al-ḥādith mi'at shakhṣ.
The toll of the accident reached one hundred people.
لا يزال عدد الخسائر يرتفع كل ساعة.
Lā yazāl adad al-khasā'ir yartafi' kull sā'ah.
The toll continues to rise every hour.
حاولت الحكومة إخفاء عدد الخسائر الحقيقي.
Ḥāwalat al-ḥukūmah ikhfā' adad al-khasā'ir al-ḥaqīqī.
The government tried to hide the true toll.
كان عدد الخسائر أكثر مما توقعنا.
Kān adad al-khasā'ir akthar mimmā tawaqqa'nā.
The toll was greater than we anticipated.
أعلنت السلطات عن عدد الخسائر الرسمي.
A'lanat al-sulṭāt 'an adad al-khasā'ir al-rasmī.
The authorities announced the official toll.
In Arab media and official communications, عدد الخسائر is a frequently used phrase when reporting on conflicts, natural disasters, accidents, and crises. The accurate reporting of casualty figures is culturally significant and often subject to political sensitivities. Understanding this phrase is essential for comprehending Arabic news reports, official statements, and discussions about major events affecting Arab societies.
Remember that عدد الخسائر is a formal, grave phrase typically used in serious contexts such as news reporting and official statements. The word عدد (number) is always followed by a genitive construction (إضافة), so it's always عدد الخسائر, not عدد من الخسائر in this context. When learning this phrase, note that الخسائر can encompass human lives, property damage, or economic losses depending on context.
عدد الخسائر (adad al-khasā'ir) is an Arabic phrase that literally translates to 'number of losses' and is used to express the concept of 'toll' in English. The phrase combines two key elements: عدد (adad), meaning 'number,' and الخسائر (al-khasā'ir), the plural of خسارة (khasārah), meaning 'loss.' Together, this phrase quantifies the extent of damage, casualties, or losses resulting from a specific event or situation.
In modern Arabic usage, عدد الخسائر is most commonly employed when discussing human casualties, property damage, or economic losses resulting from disasters, accidents, conflicts, or crises. It is a formal and often somber phrase, reflecting the gravity of the situations it describes.
The phrase عدد الخسائر appears frequently in Arabic media, news broadcasts, official government statements, and humanitarian reports. It is essential vocabulary for anyone seeking to understand Arabic news coverage of major events. For instance, when reporting on traffic accidents, natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, or armed conflicts, Arabic news outlets regularly use this phrase to communicate casualty figures to the public.
The phrase is grammatically constructed using the Arabic إضافة (possessive construction), where عدد (number) is in the nominative case and is followed by الخسائر in the genitive case. This construction is fundamental to Arabic grammar and appears in many similar phrases where a quantity or number precedes a noun.
Several closely related phrases convey similar meanings:
Several expressions frequently appear with عدد الخسائر:
In Arab media and public discourse, عدد الخسائر carries significant cultural and political weight. The accurate reporting or concealment of casualty figures can be politically sensitive, particularly in contexts involving armed conflicts or government-related disasters. Different parties may dispute official toll figures, leading to debates about the 'true' toll versus reported numbers.
Understanding this phrase and its usage is crucial for comprehending how Arabic media reports on crises, conflicts, and disasters. The tone and frequency with which this phrase appears in media can also reflect public concern and media emphasis on particular events.
When learning عدد الخسائر, remember that it is a formal phrase typically used in serious, official contexts rather than casual conversation. The grammatical structure (عدد + genitive noun) is a pattern that repeats in many other Arabic phrases, such as عدد السكان (population) or عدد الطلاب (number of students).
Pay attention to the verbal phrases that commonly accompany عدد الخسائر, such as ارتفع (rose), انخفض (declined), or بلغ (reached), as these verbs help convey the dynamic nature of casualty reporting in news contexts.
عدد الخسائر is an essential phrase for understanding Arabic news media and official discourse surrounding major events. While it may seem like a straightforward translation of 'toll,' its usage in Arabic reflects specific cultural, political, and journalistic conventions that English speakers should understand to fully appreciate Arabic language and media.