Learn ArabicB2 › أَدَب

أَدَب

culture and good manners (also: literature) /ʔaˈdab/

nounB2#3510 most common

Also: etiquette, literature, refinement

Example sentences

عِنْدَهُ أَدَبٌ.
He has good manners.
هِيَ تُحِبُّ الأَدَبَ العَرَبِيَّ.
She loves Arabic literature.
قِلَّةُ الأَدَبِ تُغْضِبُ النَّاسَ.
Lack of manners angers people.
دَرَسَ الأَدَبَ فِي الجَامِعَةِ لِمُدَّةِ أَرْبَعِ سَنَوَاتٍ.
He studied literature at university for four years.
يُعَدُّ الأَدَبُ العَرَبِيُّ مِرْآةً لِلثَّقَافَةِ وَالتَّارِيخِ الإِسْلَامِيِّ.
Arabic literature is regarded as a mirror of Islamic culture and history.
عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ تَفَوُّقِهِ العِلْمِيِّ، إِلَّا أَنَّ افْتِقَارَهُ إِلَى الأَدَبِ فِي التَّعَامُلِ مَعَ زُمَلَائِهِ أَثَارَ اسْتِيَاءَ الجَمِيعِ.
Despite his academic excellence, his lack of courtesy toward his colleagues upset everyone.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeأَدَبٌآدَابٌ
Genitiveأَدَبٍآدَابٍ
Accusativeأَدَبًاآدَابًا
Vocativeيَا أَدَبُيَا آدَابُ

Word family

أَدِيبman of letters, writer
آدَابhumanities, manners (plural)
مُؤَدِّبtutor, disciplinarian
تَأْدِيبdiscipline, correction
مُتَأَدِّبwell-mannered, polite

Etymology

Adab comes from the Semitic root ء-د-ب, tied to the idea of proper conduct and refinement. In early Arabic usage it meant the practical knowledge and manners expected of a well-bred person. Over time the sense widened to cover literary culture and the humanities. The root is Semitic, not Indo-European, so it has no PIE ancestor.

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