خَائِف
ḵāʔif
The English word 'scared' is translated into Arabic as خَائِف (ḵāʔif). Wiktionary also lists مَذْعُور (maḏʕūr).
Meaning: afraid, frightened (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| خَائِف | ḵāʔif |
| مَذْعُور | maḏʕūr |
The term is used to describe being afraid or frightened.
Which one should you use?
While ḵāʔif is the general word for 'scared', maḏʕūr implies a much higher level of intense fear or panic, such as being terrified or panicked.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of ḵāʔif is خَائِفُونَ.
How do you pronounce it?
ḵāʔif
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, a person who is extremely scared might be described as having 'their heart jumped' or 'stolen', rather than just being 'frightened'.
- The root of خَائِف is خ و ف, which is also used to build the word خوف for 'fear'. In Arabic, words are built from these three-letter roots to create entire families of related meanings.
- In a religious context, being 'scared' of God's judgment is often expressed through the word khašya, which implies a respectful, awe-filled fear rather than mere panic.
Examples in context
- أنا خايفI'm scared
- أشعر بالخوفI feel scared
- أنا خَائِف مِن الظَّلام.Ana kha'if min al-zalam.I am scared of the dark.
- هَل أَنْتِ خَائِفَة؟Hal anti kha'ifa?Are you scared?
- الطفل خَائِف جِدًّا.Al-tifl kha'if jiddan.The child is very scared.
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are walking through a dark park.
- عمر Omarهَل أَنْتِ خَائِفَة يا نور؟Hal anti kha'ifa ya Nour?Are you scared, Nour?
- نور Nourنَعَم، أَنَا خَائِفَة مِن هَذَا المَكانِ.Na'am, ana kha'ifa min hadha al-makan.Yes, I am scared of this place.
- عمر Omarلا تَكُونِي خَائِفَة، أَنَا مَعَكِ.La takuni kha'ifa, ana ma'aki.Don't be scared, I am with you.
- نور Nourشُكْرًا لَكَ يا عُمَر.Shukran laka ya Omar.Thank you, Omar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scared” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
