Learn Arabic › B1 › شَغَل
شَغَل
to occupy, to keep busy /ˈʃa.ɣa.la/
verbB1#1704 most common
Also: to preoccupy, to distract, to hold (a position), to take up (time, space, the mind)
Example sentences
شَغَلَنِي العَمَلُ.
Work kept me busy.
شَغَلَتْهُ الدِّرَاسَةُ عَنِ الأَكْلِ.
Studying distracted him from eating.
شَغَلَتْنِي مَشَاكِلُ كَثِيرَةٌ هٰذَا الأُسْبُوعَ.
Many problems preoccupied me this week.
شَغَلَ هٰذَا الخَبَرُ بَالَ النَّاسِ طَوَالَ اليَوْمِ.
This news occupied people's minds all day.
شَغَلَ مَنْصِبَ المُدِيرِ عَشْرَ سَنَوَاتٍ قَبْلَ تَقَاعُدِهِ.
He held the post of director for ten years before his retirement.
لَمْ يَشْغَلْهُ شَيْءٌ عَنْ هَدَفِهِ مَهْمَا اشْتَدَّتِ الظُّرُوفُ.
Nothing distracted him from his goal, however harsh the circumstances grew.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أَشْغَلُ | شَغَلْتُ | سَأَشْغَلُ |
| 2sg | تَشْغَلُ | شَغَلْتَ | سَتَشْغَلُ |
| 3sg | يَشْغَلُ | شَغَلَ | سَيَشْغَلُ |
| 1pl | نَشْغَلُ | شَغَلْنَا | سَنَشْغَلُ |
| 2pl | تَشْغَلُونَ | شَغَلْتُمْ | سَتَشْغَلُونَ |
| 3pl | يَشْغَلُونَ | شَغَلُوا | سَيَشْغَلُونَ |
Word family
شُغْلwork, job, businessمَشْغُولbusy, occupied
شَغَّلَto operate, to run, to employ
اِنْشَغَلَto be busy, to be preoccupied
شَاغِلpreoccupying, occupying
Etymology
The verb comes from the triliteral Semitic root ش-غ-ل (sh-gh-l), which carries the idea of work, occupation, and busyness. The same root gives the common noun شُغْل (work, job) and the adjective مَشْغُول (busy). It is a native Semitic root with no link to Indo-European.
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