Learn ArabicB2 › كَسِل

كَسِل

to be lazy /ˈka.si.la/

verbB2#4123 most common

Also: to become lazy, to be too idle (to do something)

Example sentences

أَنَا كَسِلْتُ اليَوْمَ.
I was lazy today.
الوَلَدُ كَسِلَ عَنِ الدِّرَاسَةِ.
The boy was too lazy to study.
كَسِلَ الطَّالِبُ فَلَمْ يُنْجِزْ وَاجِبَهُ.
The student got lazy, so he did not finish his homework.
إِذَا كَسِلْتَ فِي شَبَابِكَ نَدِمْتَ فِي كِبَرِكَ.
If you are lazy in your youth, you will regret it in your old age.
كَسِلَتِ الشَّرِكَةُ عَنْ تَطْوِيرِ مُنْتَجَاتِهَا فَخَسِرَتِ السُّوقَ.
The company grew lax about developing its products and lost the market.
لَمْ يَكْسَلْ عَنْ مُتَابَعَةِ حُقُوقِهِ رَغْمَ طُولِ التَّقَاضِي.
He did not grow slack in pursuing his rights, despite the long litigation.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأَكْسَلُكَسِلْتُسَأَكْسَلُ
2sgتَكْسَلُكَسِلْتَسَتَكْسَلُ
3sgيَكْسَلُكَسِلَسَيَكْسَلُ
1plنَكْسَلُكَسِلْنَاسَنَكْسَلُ
2plتَكْسَلُونَكَسِلْتُمْسَتَكْسَلُونَ
3plيَكْسَلُونَكَسِلُواسَيَكْسَلُونَ

Word family

كَسَلlaziness
كَسْلَانlazy, feeling lazy
كَسُولhabitually lazy, indolent
تَكَاسَلَto act lazy, to grow sluggish
مُتَكَاسِلsomeone slacking off

Etymology

كَسِل comes from the Semitic root k-s-l, which carries the sense of sluggishness or a lack of drive. This root runs through several Semitic languages, though its meaning can shift. Hebrew's cognate root gave kesel (a word tied to the loins, and by extension to a dulled or unsteady confidence) and kesil (fool), a sign that physical slowness could slide into the idea of foolishness. In Arabic the root kept its core sense of idleness, producing the verb كَسِلَ, to be lazy, and the everyday adjective كَسْلَان, lazy.

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