اِلْتَقَى
iltaqā
The English verb "meet" can be translated into Arabic as اِلْتَقَى (iltaqā) or تَقَابَلَ.
Meaning: to come face to face with someone by arrangement (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| اِلْتَقَى | iltaqā |
| تَقَابَلَ | taqābala |
Both forms are used to express the act of coming face to face with someone by arrangement.
Which one should you use?
اِلْتَقَى (iltaqā) often implies a meeting that occurs by chance or a general encounter. In contrast, تَقَابَلَ (taqābala) emphasizes the mutual, face-to-face act of meeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of the default verb اِلْتَقَى is يَلْتَقِي (yaltaqī), meaning "he meets".
How do you pronounce it?
iltaqā
Did you know?
- The root of اِلْتَقَى is the same as the word for 'meeting point' or 'confluence', such as where two rivers meet. This links the human act of meeting to the physical merging of natural paths.
- In formal settings, a 'meeting' is often called a مُقَابَلَة (muqābalah), which shares the same root as تَقَابَلَ. However, this noun is also the exact word used for a 'job interview'.
- In some dialects, the concept of 'meeting' is expressed through the word شَاف (shāf), which literally means 'to see'. This shifts the focus from the arrangement of the meeting to the visual act of seeing the person.
Examples in context
- أهلاً وسهلاً! فَرَحْتُ بِمُقَابَلَتِكَ (Ahlan wa sahlan! Farhatu bimuqabalatika)Hello and welcome! I was delighted to meet you.
- اتِشْرُفت بِمُقَابْلَتَكْ (Et'shrift bimuqablataka)I had the honor of meeting you.
- اسعدتني مقابلتك (As'adtani muqabalatk)Your meeting made me happy.
- اِلْتَقَى بِصَدِيقِهِ فِي المَقْهَى.iltaqā bi-ṣadīqihi fī al-maqhā.He met his friend at the cafe.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are planning a meeting.
- زياد Ziadمتى يمكننا أن اِلْتَقَى بك يا ليلى؟mata yumkinuna an iltaqa biki ya Layla?When can we meet you, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaأنا متفرغة يوم السبت.ana mutafarrigha yawm as-sabt.I am free on Saturday.
- زياد Ziadحسناً، لنلتقِ في الساعة الخامسة.hasanan, lanaltaqi fis-sa'ati al-khamisah.Okay, let's meet at five o'clock.
- ليلى Laylaاتفقنا، أراك هناك.ittafaqna, araka hunaka.Agreed, I'll see you there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
