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Tall
طويل (tawīl) is an Arabic adjective meaning 'tall' or 'long,' used to describe the height of people or the length of objects. It is one of the most common descriptive words in Arabic and can apply to both physical dimensions and temporal duration. The word is essential for basic descriptive communication in everyday Arabic.
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الرجل طويل جداً.
ar-rajul tawīl jiddan.
The man is very tall.
لديها شعر طويل وجميل.
Ladayha sha'r tawīl wa jamīl.
She has long and beautiful hair.
هذا الطريق طويل جداً.
Hadha at-tarīq tawīl jiddan.
This road is very long.
قضينا وقتاً طويلاً معاً.
Qadaynā waqtan tawīlan ma'an.
We spent a long time together.
البناء طويل ويمكن رؤيته من بعيد.
Al-binā' tawīl wa yumkin ru'yatuh min ba'īd.
The building is tall and can be seen from far away.
In Arabic-speaking cultures, describing physical characteristics including height is common in everyday conversation and literature. The word طويل appears frequently in classical Arabic poetry and modern media, often used metaphorically to describe duration or emotional states. Understanding this word is fundamental for describing people, objects, and experiences in Arabic, making it one of the first descriptive words learners should master.
Remember that طويل agrees with the noun it describes in gender and number—use طويل for masculine singular, طويلة for feminine singular, and طويلون/طويلات for plurals. The word can describe both physical height and temporal duration, so context is important. When comparing heights or lengths, you can use طويل with comparative structures like 'أطول من' (taller than).
The Arabic word طويل (tawīl) is a fundamental adjective in the Arabic language that means "tall" when describing people or "long" when describing objects, distances, or time. This word is essential for basic conversational Arabic and appears frequently in both spoken and written forms.
طويل functions as a descriptive adjective that provides information about the dimension or duration of something. When describing a person, it refers to their height; when describing objects or periods, it refers to their length or duration. For example, "رجل طويل" (a tall man) and "يوم طويل" (a long day) both use the same adjective but in different contexts.
Like all Arabic adjectives, طويل must agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and definiteness. The forms include:
When the noun is indefinite, the adjective remains indefinite, and when the noun is definite (has the definite article "ال"), the adjective must also take the definite article.
طويل appears in various contexts:
To express "taller" or "longer," Arabic uses the comparative form أطول (atwal). The structure "أطول من" (taller/longer than) allows for comparisons between two items. For example, "أحمد أطول من علي" (Ahmed is taller than Ali).
While طويل is the most common word for tall or long, related words include:
The opposite of طويل is قصير (qaṣīr), meaning short.
In Arabic-speaking cultures, describing people's physical characteristics is a natural and common part of conversation. The word طويل is frequently used in literature, poetry, and everyday speech. In classical Arabic poetry, the word often carries metaphorical meanings related to nobility, importance, or emotional states. Understanding and using this word correctly is crucial for anyone learning Arabic, as it's one of the first descriptive words students encounter.
When learning to use طويل effectively:
Expanding your vocabulary around طويل helps with comprehensive Arabic learning:
طويل is an indispensable adjective in Arabic that learners must master early in their language journey. Its versatility in describing both people and objects, combined with its frequent use in daily conversation, makes it essential vocabulary. By understanding its forms, usage patterns, and cultural significance, learners can significantly improve their descriptive abilities and conversational competence in Arabic.