خَرِيف
ḵarīfmasculine
The English word for autumn is خَرِيف (ḵarīf) in Arabic. Wiktionary also lists خريف (ḵarīf).
Meaning: season (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| خَرِيف | ḵarīf | masculine | |
| خريف | ḵarīf | /xa.riːf/ | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
This noun refers to the season of autumn.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word is written as خريف.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
ḵarīf
Did you know?
- In certain Arabic dialects, the root of خَرِيف can be used to describe someone who is 'talking nonsense' or experiencing senility, metaphorically linking the 'autumn of the mind' to the late stage of life.
- The word خَرِيف is part of a vast family of related words across the Middle East, sharing an ancestral root with the Hebrew word חֹורֶף, even though that word often refers to 'winter' instead of 'autumn'.
- Arabic poetry frequently uses the phrase 'autumn of life' as a metaphor for old age, linking the season's maturity and decay to the final stage of human life.
Examples in context
- كان ذلك مساء خريفي جميل.It was a lovely autumn evening.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe an autumn evening using خريف.Tatoeba #1383223 by alanood, translation #51852 by CK
- أحب رونق فصل الخريف في الطبيعة.I adore the charm of the autumn season in nature.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “autumn” translations and entries خريف, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خريف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
