Arabic vocabulary
قَصَصstories in Arabic
قَصَص is how you say “stories” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in a real example sentence from classical texts below.
Root ق ص ص (q-ṣ-ṣ)noun (verbal noun / collective plural of qiṣṣah)Pronounced qaṣaṣ
Meaning of stories in Arabic
- stories, narratives; an account or piece of news related in due order — Qur'anic, e.g. 'naḥnu naquṣṣu ʿalayka aḥsana l-qaṣaṣ' — 'We relate to you the best of narratives'
- the following of a track or trail, step by step — as the verbal noun of qaṣṣa 'to follow footsteps in pursuit'; cf. Qur'an 18:63, 'they retraced their footsteps' (qaṣaṣan)
Qaṣaṣ covers two linked ideas in the classical texts: literally, following someone's footprints step by step, and by extension, relating an account or story in its proper sequence, as if tracing it out — the sense behind the Qur'anic 'aḥsan al-qaṣaṣ', 'the best of narratives'.
Words from the same root
- قَصَّto cut or clip (hair, wool, a nail); also to follow a track in pursuit, and to relate a piece of news or a story in its proper order
- قِصَّةٌa story, narrative (used as a synonym of qaṣaṣ)
- قِصَاصٌretaliation in kind, for killing, wounding, or mutilation
- قاصّto retaliate upon someone so as to make even; also, to settle a debt by withholding an equal amount owed
- اقصّto carry out retaliation on another's behalf (said of a ruler or judge)
Common questions
- How do you say "stories" in Arabic?
- قَصَص (qaṣaṣ).
- What does the root of qaṣaṣ mean?
- The root ق ص ص (q-ṣ-ṣ) carries the senses 'to cut' and 'to follow a track'; narrating a story (qaṣaṣ, qiṣṣah) developed from tracing an account step by step, while qiṣāṣ 'retaliation' developed from tracking down an offender.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
ما زال يكتب بدم الندم سطور الحزن في القصص،
He never stopped writing with the blood of regret the lines of sadness in the stories.
القَصَصِ — stories. al- = 'the'; qasas means 'stories, tales' — the noun after 'fi'.
From: Adam's Descent →
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