Learn Arabic › B1 › غِلاف

غِلاف

cover, wrapper, or casing /ɣɪˈlaːf/

nounB1#2861 most common

Also: envelope, sheath, jacket (of a book)

Example sentences

هذا غِلافُ الكِتابِ جَميلٌ.

This book cover is beautiful.

أَحتاجُ غِلافًا جَديدًا لِهاتِفي.

I need a new case for my phone.

نَزَعَتْ غِلافَ الهَدِيَّةِ بِسُرعَةٍ.

She pulled off the gift wrapper quickly.

يَحمي الغِلافُ الجَوِّيُّ الأرضَ مِنَ الإشعاعِ الشَّمسِيِّ.

The atmosphere protects the Earth from solar radiation.

صُمِّمَ غِلافُ الرِّوايَةِ لِيَعكِسَ أَجواءَ القِصَّةِ.

The novel's cover was designed to reflect the story's mood.

أَثارَ غِلافُ المَجَلَّةِ جَدَلًا واسِعًا بَعدَ نَشرِهِ.

The magazine cover sparked wide controversy after it was published.

Declension

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	غِلافٌ	أَغْلِفَةٌ
Genitive	غِلافٍ	أَغْلِفَةٍ
Accusative	غِلافًا	أَغْلِفَةً
Vocative	يا غِلافُ	يا أَغْلِفَةُ

Word family

غَلَفَto cover, wrap, sheathe

تَغْلِيفpackaging, wrapping (the process)

مُغَلَّفwrapped item, or an envelope

الغِلاف الجَوِّيthe atmosphere

أَغْلَفleft covered, sealed shut

Etymology

غِلاف comes from the Arabic root غ ل ف (gh-l-f), tied to the verb غَلَفَ, meaning to cover or wrap something. The فِعال pattern here often marks an object used to enclose or contain, similar to حِزام (belt) or غِطاء (lid). The same root gives أَغْلَف, an old word for something left covered or unopened, including the classical sense of uncircumcised.

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