ألعاب
'al'āb
The English phrase 'toys' is translated into Arabic as ألعاب ('al'āb).
ألعاب refers to objects used for amusement and can mean either 'toys' or 'games' depending on the context of your sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ألعاب is the broken plural form of the singular noun لعبة.
How do you pronounce it?
'al'āb
Did you know?
- When referring to 'sports' or 'physical games', the same word ألعاب is used. For example, an athlete might participate in الألعاب الأولمبية which translates to the 'Olympic Games'.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for 'toy' can also be used to describe a person who is being played with or manipulated in a social or political sense. Much like the English 'plaything', it carries a connotation of being powerless.
- The root of ألعاب is the same as the word for 'playing' or 'game', which also shares a root with the word for 'vain' or 'idle' talk.
Examples in context
- لديّ ألعاب أكثر منك.I have more toys than you do.This example shows how to use ألعاب to express possession and comparison.Tatoeba #11896809 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #7071667 by Hybrid
- أعاد فاضل ألعابه إلى العلبة.Fadil put back his toys in the box.This example illustrates the action of returning ألعاب to a container.Tatoeba #5859749 by OsoHombre, translation #5859747 by OsoHombre
- لم يكن روبرت يشتري أبدا ألعابا لساندرا.Robert never bought Sandra toys.This example demonstrates the use of ألعاب in the context of purchasing items.Tatoeba #11643872 by dididodo, translation #11599500 by Amastan
Example conversation
Omar and Noor are cleaning the children's playroom.
- عمر Omarأين يجب أن أضع هذه الألعاب؟Ayna yajibu an ada' hazihi al-al'ab?Where should I put these toys?
- نور Nourضعها في الصندوق الكبير يا عمر.Da'ha fi al-sunduq al-kabir ya Omar.Put them in the big box, Omar.
- عمر Omarهل هناك ألعاب مكسورة هنا؟Hal hunaka al'ab maksura huna?Are there any broken toys here?
- نور Nourلا، كل الألعاب بحالة جيدة.La, kull al-al'ab bi-hala jayyida.No, all the toys are in good condition.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
