Learn Arabic › B1 › كابُوس
كابُوس
nightmare /kaːˈbuːs/
nounB1#2135 most common
Also: bad dream, ordeal (figurative)
Example sentences
عِنْدي كابُوس.
I have a nightmare.
رَأَيْتُ كابُوساً اللَّيْلَةَ الماضِيَة.
I had a nightmare last night.
اسْتَيْقَظَ الطِّفْلُ خائِفاً بَعْدَ كابُوسٍ مُرْعِب.
The child woke up scared after a terrifying nightmare.
تَحَوَّلَتِ الرِّحْلَةُ إلى كابُوسٍ حَقيقيٍّ بِسَبَبِ سوءِ الطَّقْس.
The trip turned into a real nightmare because of the bad weather.
ما زالَ ذلِكَ الكابُوسُ يُطارِدُني كُلَّما أَغْمَضْتُ عَيْنَيَّ.
That nightmare still haunts me whenever I close my eyes.
تَحَوَّلَتِ الأزْمَةُ الاقْتِصادِيَّةُ إلى كابُوسٍ لا نِهايَةَ لَهُ يُلاحِقُ أَجْيالاً بِأَكْمَلِها.
The economic crisis turned into an endless nightmare that pursued entire generations.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | كابُوسٌ | كَوابِيسُ |
| Genitive | كابُوسٍ | كَوابِيسَ |
| Accusative | كابُوساً | كَوابِيسَ |
| Vocative | يا كابُوسُ | يا كَوابِيسُ |
Word family
كَوابِيسnightmares (plural)
كَبَسَto press, to squeeze
كَبْسpressing, compression
مِكْبَسpress, piston
Etymology
The word derives from the Arabic root k-b-s, which carries the sense of pressing or weighing down. Old belief tied the nightmare to a spirit that sat on the sleeper's chest and pressed the breath out. The same image sits behind the Latin word incubus, from a root meaning to lie upon.
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