Arabic vocabulary
مِثلlike in Arabic
مِثل is how you say “like” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in a real example sentence from classical texts below.
Root م ث ل (m-th-l)noun (also used adverbially as 'like')Pronounced mithl
Meaning of like in Arabic
- a like, match, or equivalent person or thing
- like, similar to — used adverbially before a noun, e.g. mithla l-barqi 'like lightning'
- an equivalent, a requital
Often used in the construct state before a noun to mean simply 'like' (mithla l-barqi, 'like lightning'), and forms the base of expressions of comparison such as amthāl. Related forms build outward from this core of likeness: tamaththala 'to imitate or model oneself on', and imtathala 'to obey' (literally, to conform oneself to a command).
Words from the same root
- مَثَلٌa comparison, description, or proverb
- مِثَالٌa model, pattern, or example
- تَمَثَّلَto imitate, or take as a model
- اِمْتَثَلَto obey, comply with a command
- تَمَاثَلَto resemble one another; to recover
Common questions
- How do you say "like" in Arabic?
- مِثْل (mithl), often used as mithla ('like...') before a noun, e.g. مِثْلَ البَرْقِ 'like lightning'.
- What is the difference between مِثْل and مَثَل؟
- مِثْل means 'a like, match, or equivalent' (also 'like' used adverbially), while مَثَل means a comparison, description, or proverb.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
مِثَال تولد الطَّاعَة ونموها وتزايدها كَمثل نواة غرستها فَصَارَت شَجَرَة ثمَّ أثمرت فَأكلت ثَمَرهَا وغرست نَوَاهَا،
The example of the birth, growth, and increase of obedience is like a seed you plant, which becomes a tree, then it bears fruit, and you eat its fruit and plant its seeds,
كَمِثلِ — like. ka- = 'like, as'; mithl means 'likeness' — together 'is like the likeness of', heading an 'of…' phrase with the next word.
From: Seeds and Streams of Deeds →
Related words
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