Election in Arabic
Ustazah Alaa · October 26, 2026 · 4 min read
Quick Answer
Election in Arabic is اِنْتِخَابَات (intikhābāt), and in Malay it is pilihan raya. To vote is صَوَّتَ (ṣawwata). These words are Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the Arabic of news and formal speech.
Introduction
In October 2026, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly was dissolved, paving the way for the 13th Sarawak state election (pilihan raya negeri). Election words are all over Malaysian news, so how do you say them in Arabic? Here are the words you need most, with sentences to practise.
How do you say "election" in Arabic?
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اِنْتِخَابَات | intikhābāt | election (pilihan raya) |
| اِنْتِخَابَاتُ الْوِلَايَةِ | intikhābāt al-wilāya | state election (pilihan raya negeri) |
الِانْتِخَابَات: Arabic normally uses the plural, even for one single election.
ā and ī are long vowels, ṣ is a heavy "s", ḥ is a soft breathy "h", and ʿ is a deep sound from the throat.
What is the difference between انتخابات, اقتراع and تصويت?
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اِنْتِخَابَات | intikhābāt | the election as a whole |
| اِقْتِرَاع | iqtirāʿ | casting ballots on polling day |
| تَصْوِيت | taṣwīt | voting in general |
| صَوْت | ṣawt | one vote (undi); also "voice" |
Which election words should you learn first?
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| حَلُّ الْمَجْلِسِ | ḥall al-majlis | dissolving the assembly |
| نَاخِب | nākhib | voter (pengundi) |
| مُرَشَّح | murashshaḥ | candidate (calon) |
| حِزْب | ḥizb | party (parti) |
| حَمْلَة اِنْتِخَابِيَّة | ḥamla intikhābiyya | election campaign (kempen) |
| يَوْمُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ | yawm al-iqtirāʿ | polling day (hari mengundi) |
| صُنْدُوقُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ | ṣundūq al-iqtirāʿ | ballot box (peti undi) |
| نَتَائِج | nataʾij | results (keputusan) |
What useful sentences can you use?
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أَيْنَ مَرْكَزُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ؟ | Ayna markaz al-iqtirāʿ? | Where is the polling centre? |
| سَأُصَوِّتُ صَبَاحًا. | Sa-uṣawwitu ṣabāḥan. | I will vote in the morning. |
| حُلَّ الْمَجْلِسُ التَّشْرِيعِيُّ. | Ḥulla al-majlis at-tashrīʿī. | The legislative assembly was dissolved. |
Commands change for a man and a woman: صَوِّتْ! (Ṣawwit!) to a man, and صَوِّتِي! (Ṣawwitī!) to a woman. It means "Vote!"
Can you follow a short dialogue?
- سَارَة: مَتَى يَوْمُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ؟ (When is polling day?)
- أَحْمَد: تُحَدِّدُ لَجْنَةُ الِانْتِخَابَاتِ الْمَوْعِدَ. (The election commission sets the date.)
- سَارَة: لَا تَنْسَ بِطَاقَةَ الْهُوِيَّةِ! (Don't forget your ID!)
- أَحْمَد: شُكْرًا، سَأُصَوِّتُ صَبَاحًا. (Thanks, I will vote in the morning.)
Quick Quiz
- What is "election" in Arabic?
- Which word means "ballot box"?
- How do you tell a woman "Vote!"?
Answers: 1) اِنْتِخَابَات. 2) صُنْدُوقُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ. 3) صَوِّتِي!
Did You Know?
Many election words grow from one root: ن-خ-ب. It gives اِنْتِخَاب (election), نَاخِب (voter) and مُنْتَخَب (elected). You can explore more word families by spinning a root in Rooto, LangPage's tool for learning Arabic through its roots.
Summary
- Election = اِنْتِخَابَات (pilihan raya).
- To vote = صَوَّتَ; voter = نَاخِب; candidate = مُرَشَّح.
- Polling day = يَوْمُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ; ballot box = صُنْدُوقُ الِاقْتِرَاعِ.
- Commands change: صَوِّتْ for a man, صَوِّتِي for a woman.
FAQ
How do you say "early voting" in Arabic?
Say التَّصْوِيتُ الْمُبَكِّرُ (at-taṣwīt al-mubakkir). In Malay it is undi awal.
How do you say "candidate" for a woman?
Say مُرَشَّحَة (murashshaḥa).
Is this the Arabic people speak every day?
Not exactly. This is MSA, used in news and official speech. In daily conversation Arabs speak a dialect, such as Syrian/Levantine Arabic. MSA helps you read the news, and a dialect helps you talk to people.
Keep Learning
Not sure whether to learn MSA or a dialect first? Read Syrian Dialect vs MSA: What Should You Learn?. If you want to speak with people, my book Master Levantine Arabic teaches everyday Syrian/Levantine Arabic, and its audio library has recordings of the book's lessons to listen to as you read.
Sources: Bernama; The Vibes; New Straits Times.