ضعيف
ḍaʕīf/dˤa.ʕiːf/
The English word "weak" is translated into Arabic as ضعيف (ḍaʕīf).
ضعيف is used to describe something lacking in force or ability. It can be applied to physical strength, such as a body being weak or to abstract concepts like having weak luck. You can also use it to describe the intensity of something, such as light being weak.
Meaning: lacking in force or ability (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. The feminine form is ضعيفة, and the broken plural form is ضعفاء. When the word is in the accusative case, it takes the ending -an, appearing as ضعيفاً.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /dˤa.ʕiːf/ (romanized as ḍaʕīf).
Did you know?
- In Arabic, the term ضعيف can describe a 'weak' argument or a 'weak' person, but it is also used in religious scholarship to describe a 'weak' Hadith, meaning a narration with unreliable chains of transmission.
- The root of ضعيف is shared with the concept of being thin, meaning that physical weakness and a lack of body mass are linguistically linked.
- In certain Arabic dialects, calling someone ضعيف can be a subtle way to criticize their lack of social or political influence rather than their physical power.
Examples in context
- إنعدان الطعام أضحت به ضعيفاً ومنهكاً.Lack of food had left him weak and exhausted.This sentence shows how a lack of food can result in being weak.Tatoeba #3051669 by altusi, translation #268648 by CM
- زيري ضعيف.Ziri is weak.This sentence is a simple way to state that someone is weak.Tatoeba #10237311 by Amastan, translation #10213737 by Amastan
- ضوء القمر ضعيف.The light from the moon is weak.This sentence describes the weakness of moonlight.Tatoeba #371187 by saeb, translation #238813 by Dejo
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A girl asks her brother why he is not eating.
- مريم Maryamلماذا لا تأكل يا عمر؟limadha la ta'kul ya Omar?Why aren't you eating, Omar?
- عمر Omarأنا أشعر أنني ضعيف.ana ash'uru annani da'eef.I feel weak.
- مريم Maryamهل أنت مريض يا أخي؟hal anta mareed ya akhi?Are you sick, my brother?
- عمر Omarنعم، جسدي ضعيف جداً.na'am, jasadi da'eef jiddan.Yes, my body is very weak.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ضعيف, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
