كوى
kawā
To iron clothes in Arabic is كوى (kawā).
كوى means to press clothes with an iron. It is the verb, as in she ironed the shirt.
Meaning: to pass an iron over clothing (verb)
Which one should you use?
Iron the metal is حَدِيد, and something made of iron is حَدِيدِيّ. كوى is only for ironing clothes.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Arabic dictionaries list verbs in the past tense form for he, so كوى literally means he ironed. Other persons and tenses are built from this form.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced kawā, with a long a at the end.
Did you know?
- The root of كوى originally referred to cauterization, the ancient medical practice of burning skin to stop bleeding or treat wounds.
- The word for the metal iron, حَدِيد (ḥadīd), is also used in Arabic to describe someone who is very strong or mentally sharp.
- The noun for the tool مكواة follows a rhythmic pattern in Arabic specifically reserved for instruments that perform a single, dedicated action.
Examples in context
- كوى أحمد قميصه الأبيض.kawa Ahmad qamisu-hu al-abyad.Ahmed ironed his white shirt.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Maryam are preparing for a party.
- أحمد Ahmedهل كوى أحمد البدلة يا مريم؟Hal kawa Ahmed al-badla ya Maryam?Did Ahmed iron the suit, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamلا، هو لم يكويها بعد.La, huwa lam yukwiha ba'd.No, he hasn't ironed it yet.
- أحمد Ahmedسأقوم بأن أكويها أنا سريعاً.Sa-aqumu bi-an ukwiha ana sari'an.I will iron it quickly myself.
- مريم Maryamشكراً لك يا أحمد.Shukran laka ya Ahmed.Thank you, Ahmed.
