Learn ArabicB1 › عُلْبَة

عُلْبَة

box /ˈʕul.ba/

nounB1#1620 most common

Also: can, tin, pack (e.g. of cigarettes)

Example sentences

هذِهِ عُلْبَة.
This is a box.
أُريدُ عُلْبَةَ حَليب.
I want a can of milk.
ضَعِ القَلَمَ في العُلْبَة.
Put the pen in the box.
اِشتَرَيتُ عُلْبَةَ بِسكويت مِنَ المَتجَر.
I bought a box of biscuits from the store.
كانَتِ العُلْبَةُ فارِغَةً عِندَما فَتَحتُها.
The box was empty when I opened it.
اِحتَفَظَت بِرَسائِلِهِ القَديمَةِ في عُلْبَةٍ مَعدِنِيَّةٍ صَدِئَة.
She kept his old letters in a rusty metal box.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeعُلْبَةٌعُلَبٌ
Genitiveعُلْبَةٍعُلَبٍ
Accusativeعُلْبَةًعُلَبًا
Vocativeيا عُلْبَةُيا عُلَبُ

Word family

عُلَبboxes (plural)
عُلَيْبَةsmall box (diminutive)
عَلَّبَto can, to tin
مُعَلَّباتcanned goods
تَعليبcanning, packaging

Etymology

The word comes from the Arabic triliteral root ع-ل-ب, tied to the idea of a container or vessel. It follows the common fuʿla noun pattern with the feminine ending. From the same root Arabic later coined the verb عَلَّبَ, to can or tin food.

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