Arabic word sheet
أَكْبَرُ
greater, greatest
- Type
- adjective
- Root
- ك ب ر
Meaning and usage
Bigger, biggest
Says that a thing or a being exceeds another in size or bulk, or exceeds them all. Said of an object, a place, an animal.
هَذَا الْبَيْتُ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ بَيْتِنَا.
This house is bigger than ours.
Older, oldest
Says that a person has more years than another, or is the oldest of a group. Said mostly among brothers and sisters.
لَيْلَى أَكْبَرُ مِنْ سَلْمَى بِسَنَتَيْنِ.
Layla is two years older than Salma.
Greater in importance
Says that a thing or a person stands higher in rank, worth or seriousness. Said of an issue, a figure, a difficulty.
هَذِهِ أَكْبَرُ مُشْكِلَةٍ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ.
This is the biggest problem in the school.
Word family
What the root means ك ب ر
The root carries the idea of greatness, in size, in age or in rank. From it come what is big, the eldest of the children, the chief or forefather, and also the pride of one who thinks himself great.
big, old
the eldest son
كُبْرٌ
the eldest of the siblings
كِبْرَةٌ
chief, forefather
كَابِرٌ
pride
كِبْرٌ
haughtiness
تَكَبُّرٌ
Synonyms
greater, mightier
أَعْظَمُ
It stresses importance, gravity or imposing greatness, and is not said of age.
older
أَسَنُّ
Narrower: it concerns age only, whereas the headword also covers size and importance.
Opposites
smaller, younger
أَصْغَرُ