Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ضرب | ḍarab | /dˤa.ra.ba/ /dˤa.ri.ba/ |
Hijazi Arabic |
| ضَرَبَ | ḍaraba |
The verb ضرب (daraba) is used to signify physically striking or hitting something or someone with force. If you want to express hitting or striking something with precision or accuracy, the verb أصاب (asaaba) is more appropriate.
Which one should you use?
The form ضَرَبَ (ḍaraba) is the third-person masculine singular past tense form, meaning 'he hit'. The form ضرب (ḍarab) is a Hijazi-Arabic variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ضرب (ḍarab) is used in Hijazi-Arabic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes its form to indicate different tenses and subjects. The form يَضْرِبُ indicates the masculine present tense ('he hits' or 'he is hitting'). To indicate a feminine subject in the past tense, the verb takes the suffix -at, resulting in the form ضَرَبَتْ. The noun ضَرْبَة (ḍarba) is derived from this verb and means a single strike or blow.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /dˤa.ra.ba/. It has 3 syllables and the romanization is ḍarab.
Did you know?
- The word ضرب is used in the term for 'multiplying' numbers in mathematics, as if one number is being 'struck' against another.
- In Arabic, the verb ضرب is used to express the act of 'hitting' a metaphor, such as when someone provides a 'striking' example or a parable to illustrate a point.
- In certain idiomatic expressions, using ضرب doesn't involve physical contact at all, such as when one says they 'hit' a journey, meaning they set out on a trip.
Examples in context
- هل ضرب سامي ليلى؟Did Sami hit Layla?Tatoeba #6810975 by OsoHombre, translation #6174652 by OsoHombre
- هو من ضربها أولا.He hit her first.Tatoeba #12014229 by dididodo, translation #8614151 by Amastan
- تشاجرت معه ثم ضربته.She argued with him and then hit him.Tatoeba #1568838 by Amastan, translation #886953 by CK
- المتسابق أصاب الهدف بدقة.The competitor hit the target accurately.
- قامت الشجرة بضربه بأوراقها.The tree hit him with its leaves.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour are discussing a small accident in the kitchen.
- زياد Ziadهو ضرب الكوب بالملعقة.huwa darab al-kub bil-mil'aqa.He hit the cup with the spoon.
- نور Nourيا ربي، انكسر الكوب!ya rabbi, inkasar al-kub!Oh my God, the cup broke!
- زياد Ziadلا تقلقي، أنا لم أضرب الكوب.la taqlaqi, ana lam adrab al-kub.Don't worry, I didn't hit the cup.
- نور Nourبسيطة، سوف نشتري واحداً جديداً.basita, sawfa nashtari wahidan jadidan.It's fine, we will buy a new one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hit” translations and entries ضرب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
