Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ʔal.if

Noun

أَلِف • ‎(ʾalif) f ‎(plural أَلِفَات ‎(ʾalifāt))

1. Name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet (ا / ‍ا).

Declension

Etymology 2

Numeral

أَلْف • ‎(ʾalf) m ‎(plural آلَاف ‎(ʾālāf))

1. thousand

   أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَ‌لَيْلَةٌ ‎(ʾalfu laylatin wa-laylatun) — One thousand and one nights (lit. "a thousand nights and a night")

Usage note: أَلْف ‎(ʾalf) is a noun. When used with a corresponding noun, it governs that noun in the genitive singular, e.g. أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ ‎(ʾalfu laylatin, “one thousand nights”). When used as part of larger numbers (2,000, 20,000, etc.), it behaves as a normal masculine noun, e.g. أَلْفَانِ ‎(ʾalfāni, “2,000”), خَمْسَةُ آلَافٍ ‎(ḵamsatu ʾālāfin, “5,000”), عِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا ‎(ʿišrūna ʾalfan, “20,000”).

Declension

Etymology 3

Verb

أَلَّفَ • ‎(ʾallafa) II, non-past يُؤَلِّفُ‎ (yuʾallifu)

1. to unite, join, combine, put together
2. to compile, compose, be the author of (a book)

Conjugation

Etymology 4

Verb

أُلْفِ • ‎(ʾulfi) ‎(form IV)

1. first-person singular non-past active jussive of أَلْفَى ‎(ʾalfā)

Verb

أُلْفَ • ‎(ʾulfa) ‎(form IV)

1. first-person singular non-past passive jussive of أَلْفَى ‎(ʾalfā)

Verb

أَلْفِ • ‎(ʾalfi) ‎(form IV)

1. second-person masculine singular active imperative of أَلْفَى ‎(ʾalfā)