فضولي
fuḍūlī
The Arabic word for curious is فضولي, which is pronounced fuḍūlī.
فضولي describes someone who tends to ask questions or wants to explore and investigate. However, in many Arabic dialects and contexts, it often carries a negative connotation of being "nosy" or meddling in the affairs of others, rather than simply being intellectually curious.
Meaning: tending to ask questions, or to want to explore or investigate (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on the gender and number of the person described. The feminine form is فضولية (fuḍūliyya) and the masculine plural form is فضوليون (fuḍūliyyūn).
How do you pronounce it?
fuḍūlī
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because فضولي can imply that someone is being nosy or meddling, be aware of the context in which you use it. If you wish to say you are interested in something without the potential negative connotation of being nosy, you might use أنا مهتم (I am interested).
Did you know?
- While فضولي often means 'nosy', the root word فضل is used in common religious and social phrases to mean 'grace' or 'bounty'.
- Because فضولي can be offensive, a person might use حب الاستطلاع to express a positive desire to explore. This literally translates to 'the love of reconnaissance'.
- The word فضولي shares its root with the concept of 'excess' or 'surplus'. It describes someone who deals with things that are extra or unnecessary to their actual situation.
Examples in context
- كان زيري فضوليا للغاية.Ziri was too curious.This sentence is useful for describing how much someone was curious using the form فضولي.Tatoeba #11643831 by dididodo, translation #11212340 by Amastan
- كن فضوليا.Be curious.This sentence is a way to tell someone to be curious using the form فضولي.Tatoeba #11676648 by dididodo, translation #8413942 by Amastan
- كان زيري فضوليا.Ziri was curious.This sentence is useful for describing someone's curiosity using the form فضولي.Tatoeba #10979468 by Amghar, translation #10802945 by Amastan
- مرة أخرى، أنت فضولي جدًا!Once again, you are very curious!
- أنا متشوق جدًا لاكتشاف المزيد عن هذا الموضوع.I am very curious and eager to learn more about this topic.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noor and Youssef are talking about a mysterious box.
- نور Nourهل تعتقد أن الصندوق يحتوي على شيء ثمين؟Hal ta'taqid anna al-sunduq yahtawi 'ala shay' thamin?Do you think the box contains something valuable?
- يوسف Youssefأنا فضولي جداً لمعرفة ما بداخله.Ana fuduli jiddan li-ma'rifat ma bi-dakhilihi.I am very curious to know what is inside it.
- نور Nourدعنا نفتحه الآن إذاً.Da'na naftahahu al-an idhan.Let's open it now then.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، لا يمكنني الانتظار أكثر!Na'am, la yumkinuni al-intizar akthar!Yes, I can't wait any longer!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries فضولي, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
