اِسْتَعْمَلَ
istaʕmala
The English verb 'use' is translated into Arabic as اِسْتَعْمَلَ (istaʕmala) or اِسْتَخْدَمَ.
Meaning: employ, apply (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| اِسْتَعْمَلَ | istaʕmala |
| اِسْتَخْدَمَ | istaḵdama |
In Arabic, multiple words convey the act of employing or applying something. The noun forms for these actions include اِسْتِعْمَال and اِسْتِخْدَام, which mean 'use' or 'usage'. Additionally, the term اِسْتِفَادَة is used when the intended meaning is 'making the most of' or 'benefiting from' something.
Which one should you use?
اِسْتَخْدَمَ is the most common and versatile way to say 'to use' in both Modern Standard Arabic and daily speech. In contrast, اِسْتَعْمَلَ is typically reserved for more formal, literary or classical contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the term بتستخدم is commonly used to mean 'use'. In Gulf Arabic, يستخدم is widely used for this purpose.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form for 'use' or 'usage' derived from the verb is اِسْتِخْدَام.
How do you pronounce it?
istaʕmala
Did you know?
- The verb اِسْتَخْدَمَ shares a root with the word for 'servant' خَادِم, implying that when you use a tool, you are essentially making it serve you.
- If you are 'using' a person's help, you would not say you اِسْتَخْدَمْتَ them, as that would imply treating them like a tool or an object. Instead, you would use phrases involving 'benefiting from' or 'seeking' their aid.
- In many Arabic dialects, if you want to say you are 'using' a specific amount of something, like money or time, you might use the verb صَرَفَ which means 'to spend' or 'to direct'.
Examples in context
- اِسْتَعْمَلَ الطَّبِيبُ هَذَا الدَّوَاءَ.ista'mala aṭ-ṭabību hadhā ad-dawā'.The doctor used this medicine.
- اِسْتَعْمَلَ الرَّسَّامُ أَلْوَانًا جَدِيدَةً.ista'mala ar-rassāmu alwānan jadīdah.The painter used new colors.
- هَلْ اِسْتَعْمَلَ الرَّجُلُ هَذِهِ الْأَدَاةَ؟hal ista'mala ar-rajulu hadhihi al-adāh?Did the man use this tool?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “use” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
