Learn Arabic › A2 › مَثَّل
مَثَّل
to represent /ˈmaθ.θa.la/
verbA2#1373 most common
Also: to act, to perform (a role), to portray, to depict, to exemplify, to symbolize
Example sentences
هُوَ مَثَّلَ فِي الفِيلْم.
He acted in the film.
مَثَّلَتْ بِلادَها فِي المُسابَقَة.
She represented her country in the competition.
يُمَثِّلُ هَذا المُحامِي الشَّرِكَةَ أَمامَ المَحْكَمَة.
This lawyer represents the company before the court.
مَثَّلَ الفَنّانُ دَوْرَ المَلِكِ بِبَراعَةٍ كَبيرَة.
The artist played the role of the king with great skill.
تُمَثِّلُ هَذِهِ اللَّوْحَةُ مَرْحَلَةً مُهِمَّةً فِي تاريخِ الفَنِّ الحَديث.
This painting represents an important stage in the history of modern art.
مَثَّلَ الوَفْدُ مَوْقِفَ الحُكومَةِ خَيْرَ تَمْثيلٍ خِلالَ المُفاوَضاتِ الصَّعْبَة.
The delegation represented the government's position in the best way during the difficult negotiations.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أُمَثِّل | مَثَّلْتُ | سَأُمَثِّل |
| 2sg | تُمَثِّل | مَثَّلْتَ | سَتُمَثِّل |
| 3sg | يُمَثِّل | مَثَّلَ | سَيُمَثِّل |
| 1pl | نُمَثِّل | مَثَّلْنا | سَنُمَثِّل |
| 2pl | تُمَثِّلون | مَثَّلْتُم | سَتُمَثِّلون |
| 3pl | يُمَثِّلون | مَثَّلوا | سَيُمَثِّلون |
Word family
مُمَثِّل (mumaththil)actor; representative
تَمْثيل (tamthīl)acting; representation
مِثْل (mithl)like, similar to
مَثَل (mathal)proverb, example
تِمْثال (timthāl)statue
Etymology
مَثَّل is the Form II verb of the Semitic root m-th-l, which carries the idea of likeness and example. The base sense was 'to make like, to liken,' which moved to 'to represent, to portray' and then to 'to act a part.' The same root gives mathal 'proverb' and timthāl 'statue.'
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