كَبُرَ
kabura
To say 'grow up' in Arabic, you use كَبُرَ (kabura). Wiktionary also lists ْنَشَأ (našaʔ).
Meaning: to mature and become an adult (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| كَبُرَ | kabura |
| ْنَشَأ | našaʔ |
The phrase is used to describe the process of maturing and becoming an adult.
Which one should you use?
The form كَبُرَ focuses on the physical or chronological process of growing larger or older. In contrast, نَشَأَ is used specifically to describe the process of being raised or growing up within a particular setting or upbringing. For example, to say someone 'grew up in' a specific place, use نَشَأَ followed by the preposition في (in).
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of كَبُرَ is يَكْبُرُ. The present tense form of نَشَأَ is يَنْشَأُ.
How do you pronounce it?
kabura
Did you know?
- The root of كَبُرَ is used in the word تَكْبِير, the phrase 'Allahu Akbar' meaning 'God is the Greatest'. This connects the act of growing and being large to the divine.
- In some Arabic dialects, to tell someone to 'grow up' as a way of saying 'stop acting like a child', speakers use the word for 'sanity' or 'reason' instead of the verbs for growth.
- Arabic has a distinct word for 'adolescence', مُرَاهَقَة, which comes from a root meaning 'to approach' or 'to be near'. This frames the act of growing up as being on the threshold of adulthood.
Examples in context
- أن تكبر يعني أن تتعلم من خبراتك وتستشف الحكمة.Growing up means learning from your experiences and seeking wisdom.
- كَبُرَ الطفل بسرعة كبيرة.kabura al-tiflu bi-sur'atin kabira.The child grew up very quickly.
- هل كَبُرَ أخوك الصغير الآن؟hal kabura akhuka al-saghiru al-ana?Has your little brother grown up now?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grow up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
