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.

مِثل like in Arabic

مِثل is how you say “like” in Arabic.

Root م ث ل m-th-l. noun (also used adverbially as 'like'). mithl.

Arabic

English

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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

Example sentence

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

The English is machine-translated.

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How it is used

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

مَثَلٌ a comparison, description, or proverb
مِثَالٌ a model, pattern, or example
تَمَثَّلَ to imitate, or take as a model
اِمْتَثَلَ to obey, comply with a command
تَمَاثَلَ to 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.

Related words

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