What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of كيف (how) and تقول (you say).
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on who you are addressing or whether you want to use the passive voice. Use كيف تقول for a single male, كيف تقولين for a single female and كيف تقولون for a group of people. If you want to ask how a specific word is said using the passive voice, use كيف تقال (how is it said).
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form كيف تقول uses the masculine singular second-person verb conjugation. To address a woman, use the feminine form كيف تقولين (kayfa taqūlīn). To address a group of people, use the plural form كيف تقولون (kayfa taqūlūn). If you want to ask how a specific word is said (passive voice), use كيف تقال (kayfa tuqāl).
How do you pronounce it?
kayfa taqūl
Did you know?
- While كيف means 'how', in certain historical linguistic contexts, it is related to the concept of 'cutting off' or 'separating' a thought.
- The root of the verb تقول is also used for words meaning 'proclaiming' or 'announcing' something to the public.
- To show respect when asking a teacher for a translation, speakers often avoid the direct كيف تقول in favor of a more deferential phrasing.
Examples in context
- كيف تقول "أحبّك" بلغتك؟How do you say, "I love you", in your language?This example shows how to ask for the translation of a phrase in someone's language using كيف تقول.Tatoeba #7238524 by OsoHombre, translation #2745288 by Dejo
- كيف تقول "وداعًا" باللغة الألمانية؟How do you say "good bye" in German?This example shows how to ask how to say a specific word in German using كيف تقول.Tatoeba #670891 by Samer, translation #464137 by maolek
- كيف تقول "سعدت بلقائك" باللغة الأمازيغية؟How do you say "nice to meet you" in Berber?This example shows how to ask how to say a specific phrase in Berber using كيف تقول.Tatoeba #11683628 by dididodo, translation #8264868 by Amastan
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara asks Ziad for help with an Arabic word in a cafe.
- سارة Saraكيف تقول "شكراً" بالإنجليزية؟Kayfa taqulu "shukran" bil-ingliziya?How do you say "shukran" in English?
- زياد Ziadتقول "thank you".Taqulu "thank you".You say "thank you".
- سارة Saraهل النطق صحيح؟Hal al-nutq sahih?Is the pronunciation correct?
- زياد Ziadنعم، نطقك ممتاز يا سارة.Na'am, nutquki mumtaz ya Sara.Yes, your pronunciation is excellent, Sara.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries كيف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
