أَسَف regret in Arabic
أَسَف is how you say “regret” in Arabic.
Root ا س ف ʾ-s-f. noun (verbal noun / maṣdar). asaf.
Arabic
English
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Meaning of regret in Arabic
- grief, sorrow, or regret especially intense regret for something that has escaped or been lost
- anger, especially intense anger some say the same feeling turns to anger when directed at an inferior, and to grief when directed at a superior
Example sentence
ويرسلها مع أنفاس الأسف حتى جاءه توقيع فتاب عليه
And he sent them with sighs of regret until a decree came to him, and He accepted his repentance.
الأَسَفِ of regret
al- = 'the'; asaf means 'regret, sorrow' — the 'of…' word: 'of regret'.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
Appears in the Qur'an: 18:5 has أَسَفًا, glossed by commentators as grief (or, some say, anger); and 12:84 has يَا أَسَفَا عَلَى يُوسُفِ, Jacob's cry of grief for Joseph. The word can carry either sense — grief or anger — depending on context.
Words from the same root
- أَسِفَ form I verb: he grieved, lamented, or regretted; or he was angry
- آسَفَ form IV: he angered him, or he grieved him (causative)
- تَأَسَّفَ form V: he grieved or lamented intensely
- أَسِفٌ angry, or exceedingly angry
- أَسِيفٌ grieving intensely, quick to grieve, tender-hearted; also: a slave, hired man, or captive
- أَسَافَةٌ excessive grief, or excessive anger
- إِسَافٌ name of an idol once worshipped by the Kureysh
More example sentences
وَمِنْه قَوْله تَعَالَى يُوسُف فَتَوَلّى عَنْهُم وَقَالَ يَا أسفي على يُوسُف وابيضت عَيناهُ من الْحزن فَهُوَ كظيم
And from this is His saying in Surah Yusuf: 'So he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my grief over Yusuf!" And his eyes turned white from sadness, for he was suppressing it.'
أَسَفَى my sorrow
A noun, 'my grief', with a 'my' fused onto its end (the special lament form). It is the thing exclaimed over; the attached 'my' makes the sorrow personal, 'oh my grief'.
Common questions
- How do you say "regret" in Arabic?
- أَسَف (asaf).
- Does أسف mean grief or anger?
- Both are attested: it usually means intense grief or regret for something lost, but it can also mean anger, particularly when directed at someone of higher standing.
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).