تَعَفُّن
taʕaffunmasculine
The English word "mold" (referring to the furry or woolly growth of tiny fungi) is translated into Arabic as تَعَفُّن (taʕaffun). Wiktionary also lists عُفُونَة (ʕufūna) and عَفَن (ʕafan).
Meaning: furry or woolly growth of tiny fungi (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تَعَفُّن | taʕaffun | masculine |
| عُفُونَة | ʕufūna | feminine |
| عَفَن | ʕafan | masculine |
You may also encounter the related verb سَنَّ, which means to shape something in or on a mold.
Which one should you use?
The phrase has several forms: تَعَفُّن and عَفَن are masculine, while عُفُونَة is feminine.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the action of something becoming moldy or rotting, you can use the verb form عَفَنَ.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is taʕaffun.
Did you know?
- In certain Arabic dialects, the word for 'mold' or 'decay' is used as a harsh insult to describe a person who is perceived as corrupt or rotten to the core.
- The root of عَفَنَ, which relates to 'mold', is often used in Arabic to describe something that is 'useless' or 'vain' in a metaphorical sense.
- The term تَعَفُّن can describe not just physical mold, but also the 'decay' of a person's morals or the 'rot' of a political system.
Examples in context
- هناك بعض العفن في المنزلThere is some mold in the house
Example conversation
Sarah and Yusef are checking the food in the fridge.
- سارة Saraيوسف، انظر إلى هذا الجبن!Yusef, unzur ila hadha al-jubn!Yusef, look at this cheese!
- يوسف Youssefماذا هناك يا سارة؟madha hunaka ya Sarah?What is it, Sarah?
- سارة Saraهناك تَعَفُّن كثير عليه.hunaka ta'affun katheer 'alayh.There is a lot of mold on it.
- يوسف Youssefسأرميه في القمامة الآن.sa-urmeehi fil-qumata al-aan.I will throw it in the trash now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mold” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
