طفل لطيف
tifl latif
The phrase "cute baby" in Arabic is طفل لطيف (tifl latif).
A young child who is attractive or endearing in appearance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tifl (child) and latif (kind, gentle or pleasant).
Which one should you use?
While طفل لطيف implies a sense of being endearing or pleasant, طفل جميل is used specifically to describe physical beauty.
How do you pronounce it?
tifl latif
Did you know?
- To protect a طفل لطيف from the 'evil eye', people often avoid praising the child's beauty directly and instead say ما شاء الله, which means 'God has willed it'.
- The word لطيف in طفل لطيف is also one of the ninety-nine names of God in Islam, meaning 'The Subtle' or 'The Gentlest'.
- In some Arabic dialects, people use the word عسول to describe a cute baby, which literally means 'honey-like' or 'made of honey'.
Examples in context
- ياله من طفل لطيف!What a cute baby!Tatoeba #10291563 by alhamdi, translation #1912450 by CK
- لديك طفل لطيف جدًا.ladayka tifl latif jiddan.You have a very cute baby.
- هذا طفل لطيف وهادئ.hadha tifl latif wa hadi'.This is a cute and quiet baby.
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are looking at a photo of Sarah's new baby.
- زياد Ziadهل هذا هو ابنك؟hal hadha huwa ibnuki?Is this your son?
- سارة Saraنعم، إنه طفل لطيف، أليس كذلك؟na'am, innahu tifl latif, alaysa kadhalik?Yes, he is a cute baby, isn't he?
- زياد Ziadبالتأكيد، هو طفل لطيف للغاية!bi-ta'kid, huwa tifl latif lil-ghaya!Definitely, he is an extremely cute baby!
- سارة Saraشكرًا لك يا زياد.shukran laka ya Ziad.Thank you, Ziad.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
