كَرِهَ dislike in Arabic
كَرِهَ is how you say “dislike” in Arabic.
Root ك ر ه k-r-h. verb (form I). kariha.
Arabic
English
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Meaning of dislike in Arabic
- to dislike, disapprove of, be displeased with something given as the contrary of إرادة (desiring) and رضى (being content with)
- to hate, detest given as the contrary of حَبَّ, 'to love'
Example sentence
وَإِنَّ الأَحْمَقَ يُخَيِّرُ نَفْسَهُ فِي الأَخْلاقِ فَمَا أَحَبَّتْ مِنْهَا أَحَبَّ وَمَا كَرِهَتْ مِنْهَا كَرِهَ
And indeed, the foolish lets his soul choose in matters of conduct, so what it likes, he likes, and what it dislikes, he dislikes.
كَرِهَتْ it dislikes
Past-tense verb 'karihat' = 'it disliked, hated'; '-at' marks feminine 'it'.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
كَرِهَ is the plain verb for disliking or disapproving of something, set in the lexicon against إرادة/رضى (wanting/being content) and against حَبَّ (loving) as its opposite. The form IV أَكْرَهَ shifts the sense to compulsion — making someone act against their will — which is why مُسْتَكْرَهٌ and related forms carry the idea of something done unwillingly or under duress.
Words from the same root
- كَرِيهٌ hateful, disliked, disagreeable
- الكَرَاهِيَةُ dislike, aversion, hatred
- مَكْرُوهٌ a disliked, foul, abominable thing
- أَكْرَهَ to force, compel someone
- كَارِهٌ unwilling, reluctant
More example sentences
وَإِنَّ الأَحْمَقَ يُخَيِّرُ نَفْسَهُ فِي الأَخْلاقِ فَمَا أَحَبَّتْ مِنْهَا أَحَبَّ وَمَا كَرِهَتْ مِنْهَا كَرِهَ
And indeed, the foolish lets his soul choose in matters of conduct, so what it likes, he likes, and what it dislikes, he dislikes.
كَرِهَ he dislikes
Past-tense verb 'kariha' = 'he disliked'; subject 'he' is built in.
وَكَرِهَ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ عَنْهُ حَتَّى أَدْرَكَهُ بَعْضُ اللَّيْلِ،
He was reluctant to ask about him until part of the night had passed.
وَكَرِهَ and he disliked
Opens with wa- 'and', adding this state onto the prior narration. The past verb carries its own 'he' subject and sets up a desire-not-to that the next words complete.
فَكَرَهَ أُمَيَّةُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ،
So Umayya disliked that he go out.
فَكَرَهَ so he disliked
A fa- of result ('so') on a past verb with 'he' inside, meaning to find something hateful. It frames the reluctance as the consequence of the summons just issued.
فنأى بى طلب الشجر يوماً فلم أرح عليهما حتى ناما فحلبت لهما غبوقهما فوجدتهما نائمين فكرهت أن أوقظهما وأن أغبق قبلهما أهلاً أو مالاً،
One day, I was delayed by seeking wood and did not return to them until they had fallen asleep. I milked their evening drink for them, but I found them asleep and disliked to wake them or to serve my family or wealth before them.
فَكَرِهْتُ so I disliked
This pairs the connector fa- ('so/then') with a past-tense verb holding 'I'. The fa- links his finding them asleep to his reaction, marking the dislike as the consequence of that discovery.
Common questions
- How do you say "dislike" in Arabic?
- كَرِهَ (kariha) — the standard verb for disliking, disapproving of, or being displeased with something.
- What does مَكْرُوه mean?
- Something disliked, foul, or held in aversion — the passive sense of كَرِهَ, describing a thing regarded as abominable or bad.
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).