متحف
mat-haf
The English word museum is translated into Arabic as متحف (mat-haf).
The word متحف refers to a building or institution (noun).
Meaning: building or institution (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word متحف is commonly used for museum.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of museum is mātāḥif.
How do you pronounce it?
mat-haf
Did you know?
- The word متحف is derived from the verb 'atḥafa', which means 'to present a gift'. This implies that a museum is not just a place for storage, but a place where gifts are presented to the public.
- The word متحف shares a root with تحفة, which refers to a 'masterpiece' or a 'curio', the very objects housed within the building.
- The plural form متاحف follows a 'broken plural' pattern, where the internal structure of the word changes rather than just adding a suffix.
Examples in context
- هل متحف الفن في هذه المنطقة؟Is the museum of art around here?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of an art museum.Tatoeba #458416 by saeb, translation #456049 by lukaszpp
- هذا متحف قديم جداً.Hadha mathaf qadim jiddan.This is a very old museum.
Example conversation
Youssef and Sarah are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- يوسف Youssefهل تريدين زيارة المتحف؟Hal turidina ziyarat al-mathaf?Do you want to visit the museum?
- سارة Saraنعم، فكرة رائعة يا يوسف.Na'am, fikra ra'i'a ya Youssef.Yes, that is a great idea, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefأي متحف نختار؟Ayy mathaf nakhtar?Which museum shall we choose?
- سارة Saraلنذهب إلى متحف التاريخ.Linadhhab ila mathaf al-tarikh.Let's go to the history museum.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries متحف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
