لطيف
laṭīf
The English word "kind" is translated into Arabic as لطيف (laṭīf).
لطيف is an adjective used to describe someone who is benevolent, courteous, friendly or generous. Depending on the context of the noun it describes, it can also carry the meaning of "subtle" or "fine".
Meaning: benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the informal way to say "kind" is طيب.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and grammatical case. In a simple subject-predicate sentence, the adjective takes the nominative case ending, appearing as لطيفٌ. When it follows certain verbs like "to be" in the past tense (kana), it takes the accusative case ending, appearing as لطيفاً.
How do you pronounce it?
laṭīf
Did you know?
- One of the 99 names of God in Islam is اللطيف (al-Laṭīf), which translates to 'The Most Subtle' or 'The Most Kind'. In this spiritual context, the word describes a divine kindness that is so gentle and hidden that it is almost imperceptible.
- While لطيف describes a courteous nature, the Egyptian طيب often implies a specific kind of 'pure-heartedness' or naivety. Someone described as طيب might be seen as so kind that they are easily fooled.
- The root of لطيف refers to something that is smooth or soft to the touch, transitioning from a physical sensation to a character trait.
Examples in context
- توم رجل لطيف.Tom is a kind man.This sentence is useful for describing a man using لطيف.Tatoeba #3664452 by Alaakhalid, translation #3670247 by Shereen
- كان ياني لطيفا جدا.Yanni is very kind.This sentence is useful for describing someone being very kind using لطيفا.Tatoeba #12172799 by dididodo, translation #10026306 by Amastan
- الرجل العجوز لطيف للغاية.The old man is very kind.This sentence is useful for describing an old man using لطيف.Tatoeba #480148 by saeb, translation #480143 by CK
- أنت لطيف جدًاYou are very kind.
- هو شخص كريمHe is a kind person.
- هي مضيافة جدًاShe is very kind/hospitable.
- هي حنونة جدًاShe is very kind.
- أنت راجل طيبYou are a kind man.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziyad and Noor are talking about a new coworker.
- زياد Ziadهل تظنين أن الموظف الجديد لطيف؟Hal tazunneen anna al-muwazzaf al-jadeed lateef?Do you think the new employee is kind?
- نور Nourنعم، لقد كان لطيفاً جداً معي.Na'am, laqad kana lateefan jiddan ma'ee.Yes, he was very kind to me.
- زياد Ziadأنا سعيد لأنه شخص لطيف.Ana sa'eed li'annahu shakhs lateef.I am happy that he is a kind person.
- نور Nourاتفق معك يا زياد.Attafiq ma'aka ya Ziyad.I agree with you, Ziyad.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
