Arabic vocabulary
طبعnature in Arabic
طبع is how you say “nature” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ط ب ع (ṭ-b-ʿ)noun (verbal noun / maṣdar)Pronounced ṭabʿ
Meaning of nature in Arabic
- nature, innate disposition, character — the quality with which the soul is characterized, whether by creation or by habit
- sealing, stamping, imprinting — the literal verbal noun of ṭabaʿa, to press a seal or mark into something
- printing — the sense used for printing a book in modern usage
The literal sense is pressing a seal or die into something, as in sealing a letter or striking a coin; from this comes the figurative sense of a person's fixed, created nature, as in the Qur'anic phrase "God sealed his heart." In modern Arabic ṭabʿ also covers printing a book.
Words from the same root
- طَبَعَto stamp, seal, or print
- طَبِيعَةnature, innate character
- طَبِيعِىٌّnatural
- طَابَعٌa stamp, seal, or mark
- مَطْبَعَةٌa printing press
Common questions
- How do you say "nature" in Arabic?
- طَبْع (ṭabʿ).
- What is the connection between ṭabʿ (nature) and printing in Arabic?
- Both come from the root's core sense of sealing or stamping an impression — a person's nature is their fixed, impressed character, while printing presses an impression onto paper.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
فَالنَّفْسُ تَجْرِي بِطَبْعِهَا فِي مَيْدَانِ الْمُخَالَفَةِ
Thus, the self naturally operates in the field of opposition.
بِطَبْعِهَا — by its nature. 'bi-' = 'by'; 'tab'' = 'nature'; '-ha' = 'its', so 'by its nature'.
From: Taming the Lower Self →اعْلَم أَنَّ الْهَوَى مَيْلُ الطَّبْعِ إِلَى مَا يُلائِمُهُ
Know that desire is the inclination of nature towards what suits it.
الطَّبْعِ — of nature. 'al-' = 'the'; the 'of' word (genitive).
From: When Desire Exceeds Its Bounds →وأحكام البشرية جارية عليه من الغفلة والسهو، والذهول وغلبة الطبع
Related words
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