Learn Arabic › B1 › ظَرْف
ظَرْف
envelope /ˈðˤarf/
nounB1#1510 most common
Also: adverbial of time or place (grammar), circumstance, container
Example sentences
هَذَا ظَرْف.
This is an envelope.
وَضَعْتُ الرِّسَالَة فِي الظَّرْف.
I put the letter in the envelope.
أَعْطَانِي ظَرْفاً فِيهِ بَعْض المَال.
He gave me an envelope with some money in it.
فِي مِثْل هَذَا الظَّرْف الصَّعْب يَجِب أَن نَبْقَى هَادِئِين.
In such a difficult circumstance we must stay calm.
ظَرْف الزَّمَان فِي النَّحْو العَرَبِيّ يَدُلّ عَلَى وَقْت وُقُوع الفِعْل.
The adverbial of time in Arabic grammar indicates when the action takes place.
لَم تَكُن الظُّرُوف مُوَاتِيَة لِإِتْمَام الصَّفْقَة فِي ذَلِكَ الوَقْت.
The circumstances were not favorable for completing the deal at that time.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ظَرْفٌ | ظُرُوفٌ |
| Genitive | ظَرْفٍ | ظُرُوفٍ |
| Accusative | ظَرْفاً | ظُرُوفاً |
| Vocative | يَا ظَرْفُ | يَا ظُرُوفُ |
Word family
ظُرُوفcircumstances (plural)
ظَرِيفwitty, charming
ظَرَافَةwit, elegance
ظَرْفِيّadverbial, circumstantial
Etymology
The word derives from the triliteral root ẓ-r-f, which carries the idea of containing or holding. From the sense of a vessel came the meaning of envelope, and by extension the abstract sense of a surrounding condition or circumstance. Arabic grammarians borrowed the term for adverbials that frame an action in time or place.
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