Learn Arabic › B2 › خاب
خاب
to fail (to be disappointed, to have one's hopes dashed) /ˈxaː.ba/
verbB2#3768 most common
Also: to be disappointed, to be unsuccessful, to come to nothing
Example sentences
خاب أمله.
His hope was dashed.
خابت آمالها بعد الامتحان.
Her hopes were dashed after the exam.
لن أخيب ظنك.
I will not disappoint your expectations.
من يجتهد لا يخيب.
Whoever works hard does not fail.
خاب المتسلقون في الوصول إلى القمة قبل حلول الظلام.
The climbers failed to reach the summit before dark fell.
لطالما خاب رجائي في أن يتغير الوضع السياسي في البلاد.
I have long been disappointed in my hope that the political situation in the country would change.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أَخِيبُ | خِبْتُ | سَأَخِيبُ |
| 2sg | تَخِيبُ | خِبْتَ | سَتَخِيبُ |
| 3sg | يَخِيبُ | خَابَ | سَيَخِيبُ |
| 1pl | نَخِيبُ | خِبْنَا | سَنَخِيبُ |
| 2pl | تَخِيبُونَ | خِبْتُمْ | سَتَخِيبُونَ |
| 3pl | يَخِيبُونَ | خَابُوا | سَيَخِيبُونَ |
Word family
خيبةdisappointment, failure
خائبdisappointed, unsuccessful
خيّبto disappoint someone, dash their hopes
مخيّب للآمالdisappointing
Etymology
The verb comes from the Semitic root kh-y-b, a hollow root built around the middle radical y. Classical Arabic dictionaries record its core sense as failing to achieve a hoped-for outcome or having one's expectations dashed. The verb appears already in the Quran, where it describes someone who fails or comes away empty-handed. No reliable Indo-European cognates exist because Arabic and its Semitic root system developed independently of the Indo-European family.
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
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