لطيف
laṭīf
The Arabic word for gentle is لطيف (laṭīf).
لطيف is used to describe something or someone that is soft, mild, gentle, kind or considerate.
Meaning: soft and mild rather than hard or severe (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
laṭīf
Did you know?
- لطيف is one of the 99 Names of God in Islam, where it refers to the 'Most Subtle' or the 'Most Gracious' who knows the finest details of all things.
- In some dialects, لطيف is used as a synonym for 'cute' or 'charming' when describing a child or a small animal.
- The word لطيف follows the فَعِيل pattern, which in Arabic often transforms a temporary action into a permanent or innate characteristic.
Examples in context
- الزرافات مخلوقات لطيفة.Giraffes are gentle creatures.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use لطيف when describing creatures.Tatoeba #11626773 by dididodo, translation #8547030 by Amastan
- إنه رجل لطيف يعامل الناس بلطف.He is a gentle man who treats people with kindness.
- هي امرأة رفيقة ولطيفة للغاية.She is an extremely gentle and kind woman.
- صديقي خفيف الدم ويتعامل مع الجميع بلطف.My friend is easy-going and treats everyone gently.
- أختي هي شخصية رقيقة ولطيفة جدًا.My sister is a very gentle and kind person.
Example conversation
Yousef and Nour are talking about a new baby.
- يوسف Youssefهل رأيتِ الطفل الجديد؟Hal ra'ayti al-tifl al-jadid?Have you seen the new baby?
- نور Nourنعم، إنه لطيف جداً.Na'am, innahu latif jiddan.Yes, he is very gentle.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، ونومه هادئ أيضاً.Na'am, wa nawmuhu hadi' ay-dan.Yes, and his sleep is peaceful too.
- نور Nourيا له من طفل رقيق!Ya lahu min tifl raqiq!What a delicate baby!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
