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Impatient
غير صبور (ghayru sabūr) is an Arabic adjective phrase meaning 'impatient' or 'not patient.' It combines the negation particle 'غير' (ghayru, meaning 'not' or 'un-') with the adjective 'صبور' (sabūr, meaning 'patient'). This phrase is commonly used to describe someone who lacks patience and becomes easily frustrated when waiting or dealing with delays.
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الطفل غير صبور ويريد اللعبة الآن.
Al-tifl ghayru sabūr wa-yurīdu al-lu'bata al-ān.
The child is impatient and wants the toy now.
أنا غير صبور عندما تكون الخدمة بطيئة في المطعم.
Anā ghayru sabūr 'indamā takūnu al-khidmatu batī'atu fī al-mat'am.
I am impatient when the service is slow at the restaurant.
زميلي غير صبور جداً ولا يحب الانتظار.
Zamīlī ghayru sabūr jiddan wa-lā yuhibbu al-intizār.
My colleague is very impatient and doesn't like waiting.
الموظف غير صبور مع العملاء الذين يسألون أسئلة كثيرة.
Al-muwazzaf ghayru sabūr ma'a al-'umalā' alladhīna yas'alūn as'ilah kathīrah.
The employee is impatient with customers who ask many questions.
نحن غير صبورين بانتظار نتائج الامتحان.
Nahnu ghayru sabūrīn bi-antizār natā'ij al-imtihān.
We are impatient waiting for the exam results.
In Arabic culture, patience (الصبر) is highly valued as a virtue, often associated with wisdom and maturity. The concept of being 'impatient' is generally viewed negatively, as it reflects a lack of self-control and emotional regulation. Islamic teachings particularly emphasize patience as a noble characteristic, making the description of someone as 'غير صبور' quite significant in social contexts.
Remember that 'غير صبور' is a phrase rather than a single word, and it functions as an adjective describing a person's temperament. It agrees with the gender and number of the noun it describes (غير صبور for masculine singular, غير صبورة for feminine singular, غير صبورين for masculine plural, etc.). This phrase is more formal and literary than casual synonyms like 'متسرع,' making it suitable for both written and spoken Arabic across various contexts.
The Arabic phrase غير صبور (ghayru sabūr) translates to 'impatient' or 'not patient' in English. It is a descriptive adjective phrase used to characterize someone who lacks patience and becomes easily frustrated or anxious when facing delays, waiting periods, or slow processes. Understanding this phrase is essential for learners who want to describe personality traits and emotional states in Arabic.
غير صبور is composed of two elements:
This construction is a common way in Arabic to express negative qualities. The phrase functions as an adjective and must agree with the noun it modifies in gender and number:
غير صبور is used in various contexts to describe impatience:
Personal Description: When describing someone's temperament or personality, such as 'He is an impatient person' (هو شخص غير صبور).
Situational Impatience: To express temporary impatience in specific situations, such as waiting in traffic, standing in long lines, or dealing with slow service.
Children: Commonly used to describe children who cannot wait or sit still, reflecting their developmental stage.
Professional Settings: Used in workplace contexts to describe colleagues or employees who struggle with patience in customer service or project management.
Several Arabic words and phrases convey similar meanings:
While these synonyms share similar meanings, غير صبور is the most straightforward and commonly used phrase for describing impatience in everyday Arabic.
In Arabic and Islamic culture, patience (الصبر - al-sabr) is deeply valued as a virtue. The Quran and Hadith frequently praise patience as a sign of strength and wisdom. Therefore, describing someone as غير صبور carries cultural weight, suggesting not just a temporary emotional state but a character flaw in a moral sense. This cultural context makes it important to use the word thoughtfully and understand its implications beyond mere literal translation.
Consider these realistic scenarios where غير صبور might be used:
A parent might say about their child: الطفل غير صبور ويريد كل شيء الآن (The child is impatient and wants everything now).
In a work context: الموظف غير صبور مع العملاء (The employee is impatient with customers).
Self-describing: أنا غير صبور عندما أنتظر النتائج (I am impatient when waiting for results).
When using غير صبور in your Arabic learning journey:
غير صبور is a fundamental phrase for describing impatience in Arabic. Its understanding extends beyond simple translation to encompass cultural values around patience and virtue. By mastering this phrase and its variations, learners can more effectively express and understand character descriptions in Arabic conversations and texts.