قَالَ said in Arabic
قَالَ is how you say “said” in Arabic.
Root ق و ل q-w-l. verb (form I). qāla.
Arabic
English
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Meaning of said in Arabic
- to say, speak, utter (a word, saying, or statement) The complement of qāla (the thing said) must be a full statement, a command, or an utterance of sound — never a bare verbal noun.
- to assert, maintain, hold as an opinion or doctrine Especially in the construction qāla bi-kadhā, 'he professed such a belief.'
- to make a sign or gesture, in place of speech Idiomatic with a following bi- phrase, e.g. 'he signalled with his hand/head/eyes,' or performed an action such as pouring water or raising his garment.
- to lie, or say something false, against someone In the construction qāla ʿalayhi (with aorist qawula); compare the form V taqawwala.
Example sentence
فقال هذا الكلب عدو الله عمير،
He said: This dog, the enemy of Allah, Umair.
فَقَالَ so he said
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
Qāla is the standard classical verb for introducing direct speech, but its sense shifts with the preposition that follows it: qāla lahū (he addressed him), qāla ʿanhu (he reported/narrated from him), qāla ʿalayhi (he fabricated a lie about him), qāla bihī (he judged/ruled by it), and qāla fīhi (he exerted an opinion on it, or spoke against him). It can also head idioms of gesture (qāla bi-yadihī, 'he signed with his hand') where no words are actually spoken.
Words from the same root
- قَوْلٌ a saying; speech, diction
- قِيلٌ a saying; something said
- تَقَوَّلَ to lie, or fabricate a false saying, against someone
- اِقْتَالَ to judge, or exercise authority/arbitration over
- قَوَّالٌ eloquent; a copious, chaste speaker; a great talker
- مَقُولٌ that which is said; the utterance spoken
- المَقُولَاتُ العَشْرُ the Ten Categories/Predicaments (a term of logic)
More example sentences
قال وهو الذي حزرنا يوم بدر
He said: He is the one who estimated our numbers on the Day of Badr.
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
ثم دخل على النبي ﷺ فقال هذا عمير
Then he went to the Prophet ﷺ and said: This is Umair.
فَقَالَ so he said
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال أدخله علي
He said: Bring him to me.
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
وقال لرجال ممن كانوا معه من الأنصار ادخلوا على رسول الله ﷺ فاجلسوا عنده واحذروا عليه هذا الخبيث
He said to the men from the Ansar who were with him: Enter to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, sit with him, and be wary of this treacherous one.
وَقَالَ and he said
wa- = 'and'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
ثم دخل به فقال ﵇ أرسله يا عمر، ادن يا عمير
Then he brought him in, and the Prophet ﷺ said: Release him, Umar, come closer, Umair.
فَقَالَ so he said
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
فدنا، ثم قال أنعموا صباحا،
So he came closer and said: Good morning,
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال فما جاء بك؟
He said: What brings you here?
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال جئت لهذا الأسير الذي في أيديكم
He said: I came for this prisoner who is in your hands.
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال فما بال السيف في عنقك؟
He said: What about the sword around your neck?
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال قبحها الله من سيوف، وهل أغنت شيئا؟
He said: May Allah curse these swords! Have they ever been of any use?
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال اصدقني ما الذي جئت له؟
He said: Tell me honestly, what have you come for?
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال ما جئت إلا لذلك
He said: I have come only for that.
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
قال بلى، قعدت أنت وصفوان في الحجر
He said: Yes, you and Safwan sat in the stone enclosure.
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
وقص له ما قالا
And he recounted to him what they said.
قَالَا they two said
Past-tense verb 'said' in the dual; the '-a' ending marks 'the two of them' — 'they both said'.
فقال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأنك رسوله
Then he said: I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and that you are His messenger.
فَقَالَ so he said
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
فقال النبي ﷺ فقهوا أخاكم في دينه، وأقرئوه القرآن وأطلقوا له أسيره ففعلوا
Then the Prophet ﷺ said: Educate your brother in his religion, teach him the Quran, and release his captive, and they did so.
فَقَالَ so he said
fa- = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form.
وعن كعب قال
And Ka'b said:
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'said', 'he' form (introduces the report).
قَالَ فقمر سيد لُقْمَان
He said: Then Luqman's master lost the game.
قَالَ He said
Past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
فَقَالَ لَهُ القامر أشْرب مَا فِي النَّهر وَإِلَّا فافتد مِنْهُ
So the winner said to him, 'Drink what is in the river, or ransom yourself from it.'
فَقَالَ so he said
'fa-' = 'so, then'; past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
قَالَ فسلني الْفِدَاء
He said, 'Ask me for the ransom.'
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
قَالَ عَيْنَيْك أفقؤهما أَو جَمِيع مَا تملك
He said, 'Your eyes, gouge them out, or everything you own.'
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
قَالَ أمهلني يومي هَذَا
He said, 'Give me this day.'
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
قَالَ لَك ذَلِك
He said, 'You have that.'
قَالَ he said
Past-tense verb 'qala' = 'he said'; subject 'he' is built in.
Common questions
- How do you say "said" in Arabic?
- قَالَ (qāla) — the classical form I verb 'to say.'
- What is the difference between قَالَ and تَقَوَّلَ?
- قَالَ (qāla) simply means 'to say,' while its form V, تَقَوَّلَ (taqawwala), means 'to lie against someone,' i.e. to fabricate a false saying.
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).