Learn Arabic › A2 › مَثَل
مَثَل
proverb /ˈma.θal/
nounA2#1359 most common
Also: example, parable, simile
Example sentences
هٰذَا مَثَلٌ جَمِيلٌ.
This is a beautiful proverb.
أَعْرِفُ مَثَلًا عَرَبِيًّا مَشْهُورًا.
I know a famous Arabic proverb.
قَالَتْ لِي أُمِّي مَثَلًا قَدِيمًا عَنِ الصَّبْرِ.
My mother told me an old proverb about patience.
هُنَاكَ مَثَلٌ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْوَقْتَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ.
There is a proverb that says time is gold.
تَحْفَظُ الْأَمْثَالُ الشَّعْبِيَّةُ حِكْمَةَ الْأَجْيَالِ الْمَاضِيَةِ.
Folk proverbs preserve the wisdom of past generations.
يَضْرِبُ الْكَاتِبُ فِي مَقَالَتِهِ مَثَلًا بَلِيغًا يُلَخِّصُ بِهِ رُؤْيَتَهُ لِلْعَالَمِ.
In his article the writer offers an eloquent example that sums up his view of the world.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | مَثَلٌ | أَمْثَالٌ |
| Genitive | مَثَلٍ | أَمْثَالٍ |
| Accusative | مَثَلًا | أَمْثَالًا |
| Vocative | يَا مَثَلُ | يَا أَمْثَالُ |
Word family
مِثْلlike, similar to
تِمْثَالstatue
مُمَثِّلactor, representative
مَثَّلَto represent, to act
أَمْثَلideal, optimal
Etymology
The word comes from the Semitic root m-th-l, which carries the sense of resembling or being like. A مَثَل is therefore a likeness: a saying set beside life as a comparison. The same root gives Arabic words for statue, actor, and the ideal.
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