كيف تقول
kayfa taqūl
In Arabic, "how to say" is expressed as كيف تقول (kayfa taqūl).
You use this phrase to ask for the translation or pronunciation of a word or expression. To ask for a translation, you typically follow the phrase with the word you want to translate and the prepositional phrase باللغة العربية (in the Arabic language).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of كيف (how) and تقول (you say/you speak).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more polite or formal situations, you can use كيف يقال في العربية؟ (How do you say it in Arabic?) or من فضلك كيف تقولها في العربية؟ (Could you please tell me how to say it in Arabic?). Using the passive form كيف يُقال (how is it said) is also a more formal way to structure the question.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In informal settings, you might hear the phrase ازاي أقولها بالعربي؟ (How do I say it in Arabic?).
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form كيف تقول uses the masculine singular second-person conjugation. If you are addressing a woman, the verb changes to كيف تقولين. When addressing a group of people, the verb changes to كيف تقولون.
How do you pronounce it?
kayfa taqūl
Did you know?
- The word كيف is historically linked to the root كَافَ, which means 'to cut off entirely'.
- While كيف تقول is the standard way to ask for a translation, if you use the verb قال (to say) in certain regional dialects, it can also be used to mean 'to tell a lie' or 'to claim something falsely'.
- Rather than asking 'how to say' a word, Arabic speakers often use the word معنى meaning 'meaning' to ask about the concept instead of the pronunciation.
Examples in context
- كيف يقال "hello" بالعربية؟How do you say "hello" in Arabic?
- ازاي أقول "thank you" بالعامية المصرية؟How do I say "thank you" in Egyptian colloquial?
- كيف تقول هذا باللغة العربية؟kayfa taqūlu hādhā bi-l-lughati al-ʿarabiyyah?How do you say this in Arabic?
- كيف تقول كلمة 'شكراً' بالإسبانية؟kayfa taqūlu kalimata 'shukran' bi-l-isbāniyyah?How do you say the word 'thank you' in Spanish?
- أريد أن أعرف كيف تقول هذا بالفرنسية.urīdu an aʿrifa kayfa taqūlu hādhā bi-l-faransiyyah.I want to know how to say this in French.
Example conversation
Layla is asking Omar for help with her English studies.
- ليلى Laylaيا عمر، كيف تقول 'apple' بالعربية؟yā ʿumar, kayfa taqūlu 'apple' bi-l-ʿarabiyyah?Omar, how do you say 'apple' in Arabic?
- عمر Omarنقول 'تفاحة'.naqūlu 'tuffāḥah'.We say 'apple'.
- ليلى Laylaشكراً لك يا عمر.shukran laka yā ʿumar.Thank you, Omar.
- عمر Omarعفواً، يا ليلى.ʿafwan, yā laylā.You're welcome, Layla.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries كيف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
