أَقْبَلَ approached in Arabic
أَقْبَلَ is how you say “approached” in Arabic.
Root ق ب ل q-b-l. verb (form IV). aqbala.
Arabic
English
The audio uses AI voices.
Meaning of approached in Arabic
- to come forward, advance, approach opposite of أَدْبَرَ, 'to turn away'
- to turn towards someone kindly, receive with favor
- to set about, begin, or take up a task with عَلَى, e.g. أَقْبَلَ عَلَى شَىْءٍ
- to prosper, have one's fortune turn favorably
Example sentence
فأقبل عمر حتى أخذ بحمالة سيفه في عنقه، فلببه به،
Umar approached and took hold of the strap of his sword around his neck, then grabbed him firmly with it.
فَأَقْبَلَ so he approached
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'came forward, approached', 'he' form.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
أَقْبَلَ is the direct opposite of أَدْبَرَ (to turn one's back and depart): it describes someone or something coming forward, facing you, or advancing. With عَلَى it shifts to mean turning one's attention to something or setting about a task.
Words from the same root
- قَبِلَ to accept, receive, or admit willingly
- قَابَلَ to face, meet, or correspond to
- اِسْتَقْبَلَ to face, meet, or welcome
- قَبْلُ before, in time, place, or rank
- اِقْتَبَلَ to begin or undertake an affair
More example sentences
كان والله إذا أقبل كأنه رجع من دفن حميمه،
By Allah, when he approached, it was as if he were returning from burying a loved one.
أَقْبَلَ he approached
This past-tense verb has its 'he' subject inside and supplies the action within the 'whenever' frame. The completed-action form here reads as a repeated 'whenever he came forward'.
وهجروا الرفث ثم أقبلوا على الطعام،
They would abandon indecent talk and then approach the food.
أَقْبَلُوا they approached
A past-tense verb with its plural subject 'they' built into the ending, so no separate pronoun is needed. It states the next step in the sequence, the doer signalled by the verb's shape.
وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى الرَّاكِبِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْنِي مِثْلَهُ
And he turned toward the rider and said, "O Allah, do not make me like him."
وَأَقْبَلَ and he turned
The wa- adds the baby's next move to his leaving -- 'and he turned' -- the verb carrying its 'he'. It lists a second action of the same infant, building toward his surprising words.
ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى ثَدْيِهَا يَمَصُّهُ
Then he leaned toward her breast and sucked it.
أَقْبَلَ he leaned toward
A past verb of leaning/turning-toward, its 'he' subject inside, describing the baby going back to the breast. With no prefix it stands as the plain next action after 'then'.
فَأَقْبَلَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى دَخَلَا،
So Abu Talhah and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, came forward and entered.
فَأَقْبَلَ so came forward
The fa- moves to their approach -- 'so he came forward' -- the verb carrying its 'he'. The verb names a single approacher, but the wa- coming up will add the Prophet as a second, so a dual will close the sentence.
إِذَا هُمْ بِالسَّيْلِ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ
When they were with the flood, it had already come.
اقبل it came
Past-tense verb of approaching with 'he/it' inside it; under the qad before it, it reads as 'had already come on'. It delivers the sudden arrival the scene turns on.
Common questions
- How do you say "approached" in Arabic?
- أَقْبَلَ (aqbala).
- What is the difference between أَقْبَلَ and أَدْبَرَ?
- They are opposites: أَقْبَلَ means to come forward or advance (facing), while أَدْبَرَ means to turn away and depart (showing the back).
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).