ابتعد
ibta'id
To get away in Arabic is ابتعد (ibta'id).
While the English phrase can refer to going on a holiday, the Arabic verb ابتعد focuses on the physical act of distancing oneself or moving away from a person, object or certain place. When you want to specify what you are getting away from, the verb is almost always followed by the preposition عن.
Meaning: to journey (to), especially on holiday (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes its ending depending on who you are addressing: use ابتعدي for a single female and ابتعدوا for a group of males or a mixed group. To express the first-person past tense, such as 'I got away', you add the suffix '-tu' to the verb stem to form ابتعدتُ.
How do you pronounce it?
ibta'id
Did you know?
- While an English speaker might say 'get away' to mean 'go on vacation', using ابتعد for this purpose in Arabic can make it sound as though you are fleeing a life-threatening danger.
- Using ابتعد as a command in a crowded area can sound like a formal order from a person in power rather than a casual request.
- The root of ابتعد is the Arabic triliteral root ب ع د, which is also the foundation for the word 'distance' in many technical and mathematical contexts.
Examples in context
- ابتعد عني.Get away from me!This sentence shows how to use ابتعد to tell someone to move away from you.Tatoeba #2260512 by Amastan, translation #2182785 by Hybrid
- ابتعدي عن زوجي.Get away from my husband.This sentence shows how to use ابتعد to tell a female to move away from a specific person.Tatoeba #11665438 by dididodo, translation #9821434 by Amastan
- ابتعد من فضلكPlease step back
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
