Syriac Word Glossary

Tip

This glossary lists the most frequently used Syriac words in our hymn collection, ordered by frequency of use. Focus on learning these common words first to understand hymns more quickly.

How to Use This Glossary

• Words are listed from most to least frequently used in a table format
• The “Count” column shows how many times the word appears
• The “Hymns” column shows in how many different hymns it appears
• Use the browser’s search function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to find specific words
• The transliteration helps with pronunciation

Common Prepositions and Particles

These single-letter words and particles appear very frequently in Syriac texts:

Basic Prepositions

• ܘ

  w- = and

• ܡܶܢ

  men = from/of

• ܥܰܠ

  ‘al = on/upon/about

• ܠ

  l- = to/for

• ܕ

  d- = of/that/which

• ܒ

  b- = in/with/by

Common Pronouns & Suffixes

• ܠܰܢ

  lan = to us/for us

• ܠܶܗ

  leh = to him/for him

• ܠܳܟ

  lokh = to you

• ܒܶܗ

  beh = in him/by him

• ܥܠܰܝܢ

  ‘alayn = upon us

• ܥܰܡܰܢ

  ‘aman = with us

Most Common Syriac Words

Syriac	Transliteration	English	French	Arabic	Count	Hymns
ܘ	w-	and	et	و	183	99
ܡܶܢ	men	from/of	de	من	176	117
ܥܰܠ	’al	on/upon/about	sur	على	117	88
ܠܶܗ	leh	to him/for him	à lui/pour lui	له	99	67
ܠܳܟ	lokh	to you	à toi	لك	87	54
ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ	Shubho	Glory/Praise	Gloire/Louange	مجد/تسبيح	82	66
ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ	Aloho	God	Dieu	الله	80	59
ܩܰܕܺܝܫ	qadish	holy	saint	قدوس	78	13
ܡܳܪܝܳܐ	moryo	Lord	Seigneur	رب/سيد	69	45
ܗܰܠܶܠܽܘܝܰܐ	Haleluya	Hallelujah	Alléluia	هللويا	65	40
ܡܳܪܝ	mori	my lord/Saint	mon seigneur/Saint	ربي/مار	60	48
ܒ	b-	in/with/by	dans/avec/par	في/بـ	59	43
ܠ	l-	to/for	à/pour	لـ	55	43
ܠܰܢ	lan	to us/for us	à nous/pour nous	لنا	55	40
ܥܰܡ	’am	with/people	avec/peuple	مع/شعب	50	39
ܠܳܐ	lo	no/not	non/ne pas	لا	49	40
ܡܳܪܰܢ	Moran	Our Lord	Notre Seigneur	ربّنا	47	36
ܒܰܪ	bar	son of/outside	fils de/dehors	ابن/خارج	42	38
ܕܠܳܐ	d’lo	without/that not	sans/qui ne	بدون/الذي لا	40	33
ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ	Teshbuhto	Praise/Hymn	Louange/Hymne	تسبيح/ترنيمة	39	33
ܟܽܠ	kul	all/every	tout/chaque	كل	37	29
ܗܳܐ	ho	behold/here	voici	ها/هوذا	37	27
ܒܶܝܬ	beyt	house/between	maison/entre	بيت/بين	37	31
ܗܰܘ	haw	that/he	celui/il	ذلك/هو	36	32
ܐܰܝܟ	aykh	like/as	comme	مثل/كما	36	31
ܚܰܝ	hay	living/alive	vivant	حي	35	30
ܒܶܗ	beh	in him/by him	en lui/par lui	به/فيه	34	31
ܐܶܢܽܘܢ	enun	they are	ils sont	هم	34	26
ܟܰܕ	kad	when/while	quand/pendant	عندما/بينما	32	26
ܥܠܰܝܢ	’alayn	upon us	sur nous	علينا	32	20
ܒܪܺܝܟ	brikh	blessed	béni	مبارك	30	21
ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ	Mshiho	Christ/Messiah	Christ/Messie	المسيح	27	25
ܒܓܰܘ	b’gaw	within/inside	à l’intérieur	في داخل	27	22
ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ	Nuhro	Light	Lumière	نور	25	16
ܩܽܘܕܫܳܐ	qudsho	holiness/sanctuary	sainteté/sanctuaire	قداسة/قدس	24	19
ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ	qadishat	you are holy	tu es saint	أنت قدوس	23	10
ܐܰܒܳܐ	Abo	Father	Père	أب	22	20
ܕ	d-	of/that/which	de/qui	الذي	21	19
ܠܗܰܘ	l’haw	to that	à celui	لذلك	21	18
ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ	Qadisho	Holy	Saint	قديس/مقدّس	20	18
ܡܰܪܝܰܡ	Maryam	Mary	Marie	مريم	20	18
ܥܳܠܡܳܐ	’Olmo	World/Age	Monde/Siècle	عالم/دهر	20	16
ܩܰܒܪܳܐ	qabro	tomb/grave	tombeau	قبر	18	14
ܪܰܒܳܐ	rabo	great/large	grand	عظيم/كبير	18	16
ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ	l’moryo	to the Lord	au Seigneur	للرب	18	14
ܡܶܛܽܘܠ	metul	because/for	parce que/pour	لأن/بسبب	17	16
ܪܰܘܡܳܐ	rawmo	height/heaven	hauteur/ciel	علو/سماء	17	16
ܥܰܡܰܢ	’aman	with us	avec nous	معنا	17	9
ܩܽܘܪܒܳܢܳܐ	Qurbono	Offering/Eucharist	Offrande/Eucharistie	قربان	16	14
ܩܰܝܣܳܐ	qayso	wood/cross	bois/croix	خشبة/صليب	15	14
ܛܳܒܳܐ	tobo	good	bon	صالح/جيد	15	15
ܒܪܳܐ	Bro	Son	Fils	ابن	14	14
ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ	l’aloho	to God	à Dieu	لله	14	12
ܠܰܐܒܳܐ	l’abo	to the Father	au Père	للآب	14	12
ܠܰܒܪܳܐ	l’abro	to the Son	au Fils	للابن	14	14
ܨܶܝܕ	seyd	at/near	chez/près de	عند/لدى	14	12
ܒܰܐܪܥܳܐ	b’ar’o	on earth	sur terre	على الأرض	14	14
ܕܒܶܗ	d’beh	by which/in which	par lequel	الذي به	14	13
ܚܰܕ	had	one	un	واحد	14	11
ܒܬܽܘܠܬܳܐ	Btulto	Virgin	Vierge	بتول/عذراء	13	12
ܩܕܳܡ	qdom	before/in front of	devant	أمام/قدام	13	12
ܦܳܪܽܘܩܰܢ	foruqan	our savior	notre sauveur	مخلصنا	13	13
ܒܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ	b’haymanutho	in faith	dans la foi	بالإيمان	13	11
ܕܰܠܥܳܠܰܡ	dal’olam	forever/eternal	éternel	أبدي	13	9
ܫܠܳܡܳܐ	Shlomo	Peace	Paix	سلام	12	8
ܥܠܰܝ	’alay	upon me	sur moi	عليّ	12	7
ܛܽܘܒܶܝܗܿ	tubeyh	blessed is she	bienheureuse	طوبى لها	12	1
ܠܟܽܘܡܪܽܘܬܳܐ	l’kumrutho	to the priesthood	au sacerdoce	للكهنوت	12	1
ܕܰܘܺܝܕ	dawid	David	David	داود	12	11
ܠܥܳܠܰܡ	l’olam	forever	pour toujours	إلى الأبد	12	10
ܐܰܡܺܝܢ	amin	amen	amen	آمين	12	10
ܐܰܪܥܳܐ	Ar’o	Earth/Land	Terre	أرض	11	11
ܨܰܘܡܳܐ	Sawmo	Fast/Lent	Jeûne/Carême	صوم	11	6
ܠܰܚܡܳܐ	Lahmo	Bread	Pain	خبز	11	10
ܒܳܟ	bokh	in you	en toi	بك/فيك	11	11
ܕܶܝܢ	deyn	but/then	mais/alors	لكن/ثم	11	7
ܒܗܳܢܳܐ	b’hono	in this	en ceci	في هذا	11	9
ܗܳܝ	hoy	that/she	celle/elle	تلك/هي	11	11
ܚܠܳܦ	hlof	instead of/for	au lieu de/pour	بدلاً من/لأجل	11	11
ܦܰܓܪܶܗ	paghreh	his body	son corps	جسده	11	7
ܡܶܢܰܢ	menan	from us	de nous	منا	11	8
ܟܳܣܳܐ	koso	cup/chalice	coupe/calice	كأس	11	8
ܦܰܓܪܳܐ	Paghro	Body	Corps	جسد	10	10
ܠܟܳܗܢܽܘܬܳܐ	l’kohnutho	to the priesthood	au sacerdoce	للكهنوت	10	1
ܐܶܢܳܐ	eno	I am	je suis	أنا	10	7
ܐܶܢ	en	if	si	إن/لو	10	9
ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ	d’aloho	of God	de Dieu	الله	10	10
ܘܗܰܠܶܠܽܘܝܰܐ	w’haleluya	and hallelujah	et alléluia	وهللويا	10	7
ܣܰܒܪܳܟ	sabrokh	your hope	ton espérance	رجاؤك	10	8
ܛܽܘܒܶܝܗ	tubeyh	blessed is he	bienheureux	طوبى له	10	1
ܕܺܝܠܝ	dili	my/mine	mon/mien	لي/خاصتي	10	6
ܡܰܠܟܳܐ	Malko	King	Roi	ملك	9	8
ܝܶܫܽܘܥ	Yeshu’	Jesus	Jésus	يسوع	9	9
ܕܡܳܐ	dmo	blood	sang	دم	9	8
ܨܰܦܪܳܐ	safro	morning	matin	صباح	9	7
ܡܰܠܟܽܘܬܳܐ	malkutho	kingdom	royaume	ملكوت	9	9
ܝܰܘܡܳܐ	yawmo	day	jour	يوم	9	9
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ	Mawto	Death	Mort	موت	8	6
ܚܰܡܪܳܐ	Hamro	Wine	Vin	خمر	8	6
ܡܰܕܒܚܳܐ	Madbho	Altar	Autel	مذبح	6	6
ܒܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ	bashmayo	in heaven	au ciel	في السماء	6	5
ܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ	Brito	Creation	Création	خليقة	5	5
ܪܽܘܚܳܐ	Ruho	Spirit	Esprit	روح	4	4
ܬܰܘܕܺܝܬܳܐ	Tawdito	Thanksgiving	Action de grâce	شكر	4	4
ܟܳܗܢܳܐ	Kohno	Priest	Prêtre	كاهن	4	4
ܫܡܰܝܳܐ	Shmayo	Heaven/Sky	Ciel	سماء	3	3
ܢܰܦܫܳܐ	Nafsho	Soul	Âme	نفس	3	3
ܥܺܕܬܳܐ	’Idto	Church	Église	بيعة/كنيسة	2	2
ܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܳܐ	Furqono	Salvation	Salut	خلاص	2	2
ܡܰܠܰܐܟܳܐ	Mal’akho	Angel	Ange	ملاك	2	2
ܨܠܺܝܒܳܐ	Slibo	Cross	Croix	صليب	1	1
ܚܰܛܳܝܳܐ	Htoyo	Sin	Péché	خطيئة	1	1
ܥܳܠܡܺܝܢ	’olmin	worlds/ages	mondes/siècles	عوالم/دهور	1	1

Less Common Important Words

These liturgical terms appear less frequently but are important for understanding the hymns:

Syriac	Transliteration	English	French	Arabic
ܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ	Haye	Life	Vie	حياة
ܩܝܳܡܬܳܐ	Qyomto	Resurrection	Résurrection	قيامة
ܪܰܚܡܶܐ	Rahme	Mercy/Love	Miséricorde/Amour	رحمة/محبة
ܫܠܺܝܚܳܐ	Shliho	Apostle	Apôtre	رسول
ܐܰܢܬ	ant	you (masculine)	tu/toi	أنتَ
ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗܝ	itawhi	he is	il est	هو
ܕܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ	d’haye	of life	de vie	الحياة
ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ	mithe	dead (plural)	morts	أموات
ܐܰܚܰܝ̈	ahay	my brothers	mes frères	إخوتي
ܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܶܐ	’anide	departed/deceased	défunts	راقدين/منتقلين
ܥܺܕܳܢܺܝ̈ܢ	’idonin	times/seasons	temps/saisons	أزمنة/أوقات
ܥܶܠܳܝ̈ܶܐ	’elaye	heavenly ones	célestes	علويين
ܠܥܺܕܬܳܐ	l’idto	to the church	à l’église	للكنيسة
ܝܰܠܕܶܝ̈ܗܿ	yaldeyh	her children	ses enfants	أولادها

Note

This glossary focuses on the most accurate translations of common Syriac words. If you notice any errors or have suggestions, please contact us at shlomo@syriacmaronitehymns.com.

Learning Tips

1. Start with the basics: Learn the prepositions and particles first as they appear in almost every sentence
2. Focus on liturgical terms: Words like ܡܳܪܰܢ (Our Lord), ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ (God), and ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ (Holy) appear frequently
3. Practice with hymns: Find these words in the hymns to see them in context
4. Use the transliteration: It helps with pronunciation until you’re comfortable with the Syriac script
5. Learn word families: Many words share the same root - learning one helps you understand related words