Arabic vocabulary
اختارchoose in Arabic
اختار is how you say “choose” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in a real example sentence from classical texts below.
Root خ ي ر (kh-y-r)verb (form VIII)Pronounced ikhtāra
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
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
- خَيْرٌgood, goodness; benefit; also used for wealth or property, and for horses
- خِيرَةٌthe 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.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
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 →
Related words
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