What root does اختار come from, and how is it related to خير (good)?

It's built on the root خ ي ر, the same root behind خَيْر ('good'), so ikhtāra literally carries the sense of picking out the good or better option.

اختار choose in Arabic

اختار is how you say “choose” in Arabic.

Root خ ي ر kh-y-r. verb (form VIII). ikhtāra.

Arabic

English

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Meaning of choose in Arabic

to choose, select, or pick out (someone or something) can take مِنْ ('from') to name the group chosen from, e.g. 'he chose him from among the men'
to prefer (someone or something) over others with عَلَى ('over/in preference to') marking what is passed over

Example sentence

لأنه يعلم أن الخيرة فيما اختاره الله له

because he knows that the best is what God chooses for him.

اختَارَهُ chose it

A past-tense verb, 'chose', with the object 'it' attached as a suffix. The suffix reaches back to the 'what' just mentioned, and the verb's own subject slot is filled by the divine name that comes next.

From Trusting God's Decree

The English is machine-translated.

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How it is used

اختار is the form VIII verb built on the root خ ي ر ('good'), so its core sense is 'to pick out the good/better option.' It takes a direct object and can specify the pool chosen from with مِنْ, or mark preference with عَلَى. The Qur'an uses it this way, e.g. Moses choosing seventy men from his people (7:154) and God choosing certain people 'with knowledge' — read as God bringing about, or preferring, what is good for them.

Words from the same root

خَارَ (form I) to be or become good; to do good
خَيَّرَ (form II) to give someone a choice between two things
خَايَرَ (form III) to vie with someone in goodness or excellence
اِسْتَخَارَ (form X) to seek God's guidance or blessing in a matter
خَيْرٌ good, goodness; benefit; also used for wealth or property, and for horses
خِيرَةٌ the better of two things; the good/blessing sought from God, as in istikhāra

Common questions

How do you say "choose" in Arabic?: اختار (ikhtāra).
What root does اختار come from, and how is it related to خير (good)?: It's built on the root خ ي ر, the same root behind خَيْر ('good'), so ikhtāra literally carries the sense of picking out the good or better option.

Related words

Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).