كيف تجرؤ
Kayfa tajru'
The English phrase 'how dare you' is translated into Arabic as كيف تجرؤ (Kayfa tajru').
كيف تجرؤ is used to express indignation and shock regarding another person's action.
Meaning: used to express indignation and shock at another person's action (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of كيف, which literally means 'how' and تجرؤ, which is the second-person masculine singular present tense of the verb 'to dare' meaning 'you dare'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb must change depending on who you are addressing: use كيف تجرؤين when addressing a woman, and use كيف تجرؤون when addressing a group of people. Additionally, the phrase is typically followed by the preposition على before a gerund or noun to express 'daring to do' something.
How do you pronounce it?
Kayfa tajru'
Did you know?
- The word كيف can be related to an ancient root meaning 'to cut off entirely', suggesting that the 'how' of the phrase originally implied a complete severance or break in social norms.
- In many Arabic dialects, rather than using the formal كيف تجرؤ, people might express similar indignation by questioning someone's 'shame' or 'modesty'.
- While كيف تجرؤ is used for shock, Arabic has a specific linguistic concept called 'ta'ajjub' (wonder/astonishment) that allows speakers to express this indignation using a specialized grammatical pattern rather than a standard question.
Examples in context
- كيف تجرؤ أن تقول ذلك؟How dare you say that?This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase كيف تجرؤ.Tatoeba #416597 by saeb, translation #16342 by Zifre
- كيف تجرؤ على قول شيء كهذا لي؟How dare you say such a thing to me?This sentence shows how to use كيف تجرؤ to express shock at what was said to the speaker.Tatoeba #608285 by Samer, translation #4722 by Dejo
- أيّها الأحمق! كيف تجرؤ على صفعي؟You stupid bastard! How dare you slap me?This sentence demonstrates the use of كيف تجرؤ in a highly indignant context.Tatoeba #7004902 by OsoHombre, translation #6324350 by OsoHombre
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla is very angry at Ahmad for breaking her favorite vase.
- ليلى Laylaكيف تجرؤ على كسر زهرية ليلى المفضلة؟Kayfa tajru'u 'ala kasr zahriyat Layla al-mufaddala?How dare you break Layla's favorite vase?
- أحمد Ahmedلم يكن ذلك مقصوداً، أنا آسف.Lam yakun dhalika maqsudan, ana asif.It was not intentional, I am sorry.
- ليلى Laylaأنت دائماً مهمل يا أحمد!Anta da'iman muhmil ya Ahmad!You are always careless, Ahmad!
- أحمد Ahmedسأشتري لكِ واحدة جديدة فوراً.Sa-ashtari laki wahidatan jadidah fawran.I will buy you a new one immediately.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries كيف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
