Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| خَدَعَ | ḵadaʕa |
| غَشَّ | ḡašša |
| غَرَّ | ḡarra |
The meaning of the word depends on the specific type of deception being performed. خَدَعَ is the most general term for tricking or deceiving someone, often implying a clever or malicious stratagem. غَشَّ is specifically used when someone deceives through cheating, such as in business transactions, exams or food quality. غَرَّ is often used when someone is misled by appearances or false impressions, rather than a direct act of fraud.
Which one should you use?
خَدَعَ is the general term for a trick or deception. غَشَّ focuses on cheating or defrauding, particularly in contexts like commerce or academics. غَرَّ describes deluding or misleading someone through illusions or false impressions.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'he deceived him', you attach the object pronoun 'ـه' (him) directly to the end of the verb خَدَعَ.
How do you pronounce it?
ḵadaʕa
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, a person who is easily deceived by the word غَرَّ is described as having been 'dazzled', as the root refers to the deceptive brightness of a mirage.
- The root of غَرَّ is also used in the word غُرور, which describes the vanity and arrogance that often lead a person to be deceived by their own ego.
- When using غَشَّ in a commercial setting, the word is deeply tied to the concept of 'unfairness' in weight or measure, which is a significant topic in Islamic commercial ethics.
Examples in context
- لا يجب أن تخدع الناس بأقوالك.You should not deceive people with your words.
- تمكن من خداع الجميع بمهارته العالية.He managed to deceive everyone with his high skill.
- الخداع ليس أخلاقيًا.Deception is not ethical.
- هَلْ خَدَعَكَ الرَّجُلُ بِهَذِهِ القِصَّةِ؟hal khada'aka al-rajulu bi-hādhihi al-qiṣṣah?Did the man deceive you with this story?
Example conversation
Nour and Omar are talking about a fake advertisement.
- نور Nourهذا الإعلان خَدَعَ الكَثيرين.hadha al-i'lan khada'a al-kathirin.This advertisement deceived many people.
- عمر Omarنَعَم، العَرضُ كانَ وَهْمِيّاً.na'am, al-ardu kana wahmiyyan.Yes, the offer was fake.
- نور Nourكَيْفَ استَطاعَ أن يَخدَعَ الناسَ؟kayfa istata'a an yakhda'a an-nasa?How was he able to deceive people?
- عمر Omarلِأَنَّ الصورَ كانت خادِعَةً.li-anna as-suwara kanat khadi'atan.Because the pictures were deceptive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deceive” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
