Arabic

Pronunciation

Adverb

كَيْفَ • ‎(kayfa)

1. how (means by which something is accomplished)

Etymology 2

From the root ك ي ف ‎(k-y-f).

Noun

كَيْف • ‎(kayf) m ‎(plural كُيُوف ‎(kuyūf))

1. condition, state
2. mood
3. will
4. pleasure, well-being, good humor, enjoyment, carouse, excitement from opium
5. opiate, narcotic

Declension

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “كيف”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “كيف”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, ISBN 0-87950-003-4

Etymology 3

In most of its senses, denominal from كَيْف ‎(kayf). In the sense "cut off entirely", intensive of كَافَ ‎(kāfa, “to cut off”).

Verb

كَيَّفَ • ‎(kayyafa) II, non-past يُكَيِّفُ‎ (yukayyifu)

1. to cut off entirely
2. (transitive) to form, to mold
3. to regulate
4. to adapt, to fit, to modify
5. ("modern") to bring one into good humor, to amuse one well
6. ("modern") to make one tipsy, to intoxicate
7. ("modern") to qualify

Conjugation

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “كيف”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “كيف”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, ISBN 0-87950-003-4

Hijazi Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /keːf/, [ke̞ːf]

Etymology

From the root ك ي ف ‎(k-y-f)

Adverb

كيف • ‎(kēf)

1. how?