Learn Arabic › B1 › كَلَّف
كَلَّف
to cost; to assign (a task to someone) /kalˈlafa/
verbB1#1692 most common
Also: to commission, to burden, to charge with a duty
Example sentences
كَمْ كَلَّفَ هٰذا؟
How much did this cost?
كَلَّفَني المُديرُ بِالعَمَل.
The manager assigned me the work.
كَلَّفَتِ السَّيّارةُ الجَديدةُ مالاً كَثيراً.
The new car cost a lot of money.
كَلَّفَهُ هٰذا المَشروعُ جُهداً كَبيراً ووَقتاً طَويلاً.
This project cost him great effort and a long time.
كَلَّفَني ذٰلِكَ الخَطَأُ البَسيطُ مَنصِبي كُلَّهُ.
That small mistake cost me my entire position.
لَنْ أُكَلِّفَكَ ما لا تُطيقُ، فَالأمانةُ تُحمَلُ بِقَدْرِ الطّاقَة.
I will not burden you with what you cannot bear, for a trust is carried according to one's capacity.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أُكَلِّفُ | كَلَّفْتُ | سَأُكَلِّفُ |
| 2sg | تُكَلِّفُ | كَلَّفْتَ | سَتُكَلِّفُ |
| 3sg | يُكَلِّفُ | كَلَّفَ | سَيُكَلِّفُ |
| 1pl | نُكَلِّفُ | كَلَّفْنا | سَنُكَلِّفُ |
| 2pl | تُكَلِّفونَ | كَلَّفْتُمْ | سَتُكَلِّفونَ |
| 3pl | يُكَلِّفونَ | كَلَّفوا | سَيُكَلِّفونَ |
Word family
تَكْليفassignment, commission, obligation
كُلْفةcost, expense
مُكَلَّفcharged with, responsible; taxpayer
تَكَلُّفaffectation, forced effort
كَلِفfond of, attached to
Etymology
The verb comes from the triliteral Semitic root ك-ل-ف (k-l-f), whose base sense relates to attachment and being charged with something. The doubled middle radical forms the Form II pattern, which adds a causative or transitive force. From an idea of laying a burden or charge on someone, the verb extended to mean both to impose a task and to exact a cost.
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