Learn ArabicB2 › أَحاط

أَحاط

to surround /ʔaˈħaː.tˤa/

verbB2#4224 most common

Also: to encircle, to encompass, to be fully aware of (idiomatic: أحاط علماً)

Example sentences

البحر يحيط بالجزيرة.
The sea surrounds the island.
أحاط الجيش بالمدينة.
The army surrounded the city.
تحيط الجبال بالقرية من كل جانب.
Mountains surround the village from every side.
أحطتُ علماً بما حدث في الاجتماع.
I became fully informed about what happened in the meeting.
أحاطت الشرطة بالمبنى قبل اقتحامه.
The police surrounded the building before storming it.
أحاط المحامي موكله علماً بكل التفاصيل القانونية للقضية قبل جلسة المحكمة.
The lawyer fully informed his client of all the legal details of the case before the court session.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأُحيطأَحَطْتُسَأُحيط
2sgتُحيطأَحَطْتَسَتُحيط
3sgيُحيطأَحاطَسَيُحيط
1plنُحيطأَحَطْناسَنُحيط
2plتُحيطونأَحَطْتُمسَتُحيطون
3plيُحيطونأَحاطواسَيُحيطون

Word family

إحاطةact of surrounding, awareness, briefing
حائطwall
محيطocean, surrounding environment
حاطto guard, watch over (Form I of the same root)

Etymology

The word comes from the Semitic root ḥ-w-ṭ, which carries the sense of enclosing or going around something. Classical Arabic built the Form IV verb أحاط on this root to mean causing something to be surrounded on all sides. The same root gives Arabic its word for wall and, later, its word for ocean, since both enclose or are enclosed.

Learn Arabic the way that sticks.
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 4,080 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free

More Arabic words

أَجْمَعthe whole of; all of it (entirely)تَعْلِيمِيّeducationalسَدَّدto pay off (a debt or bill)مُجامَلَةcourtesy (a compliment or nice gesture given more for politeness than sincerity)إِكْمالcompletionشَغَبunrestسالِمsafe, unharmedأَفْهَمI understand