شغل distract in Arabic
شغل is how you say “distract” in Arabic.
Root ش غ ل sh-gh-l. verb (form I). shaghala.
Arabic
English
The audio uses AI voices.
Meaning of distract in Arabic
- to busy, occupy, or employ (someone)
- to distract, divert someone's attention often with ʿan, 'away from' something
Example sentence
اسْتَعِنْ عَلَى سَيْرِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِتَرْكِ مَنْ شَغَلَكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ ﷿
Seek assistance on your path to Allah by abandoning those who divert you from Allah.
شَغَلَكَ divert you
Past-tense verb 'shaghala' = 'he occupied, distracted'; '-ka' = 'you', so 'distracted you'.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
Classically the verb takes a direct object (he busied/distracted him), with the passive شُغِلَ بِه meaning 'he was occupied by' something; the causative form أشغل was considered poor usage by early lexicographers, who preferred شغل itself. The doubled form شغّل intensifies the sense of being kept busy. Commentators cite this root in explaining Qur'anic verses where something 'busies' or 'diverts' a person from another matter.
Words from the same root
- شُغْل business, occupation, work
- مَشْغُول busy, occupied, engaged
- اِشْتَغَلَ to be busy, occupied, at work
- شَاغِل busying, occupying; a preoccupation
- مُشْتَغِل one who is busy or occupied
More example sentences
وَلَيْسَ بِشَاغِلٍ يَشْغَلُكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ كَنَفْسِكَ الَّتِي هِيَ بَيْنَ جَنْبَيْكَ
And nothing can distract you from Allah like your own self between your sides.
يَشْغَلُكَ distract you
Present-tense verb 'yashghal' = 'it distracts, occupies'; '-ka' = 'you'.
Common questions
- How do you say "distract" in Arabic?
- شَغَلَ (shaghala) — to busy or occupy someone, especially so as to divert them from something else.
- What is the difference between شَغَلَ and اِشْتَغَلَ?
- شَغَلَ is transitive (to busy or distract someone else), while اِشْتَغَلَ is reflexive, meaning to busy oneself or be occupied with something.
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).