Arabic word sheet
اِخْتَلَفَ
To disagree, to differ
- Type
- verb
- Root
- خ ل ف
Meaning and usage
To disagree, to differ
Said of people who do not share the same view on a matter, each holding a position other than the other's.
اِخْتَلَفَ الْأَخَوَانِ فِي ثَمَنِ الْبَيْتِ.
The two brothers disagreed over the price of the house.
To be different, to vary
Said of things that are not the same as one another, in look, amount or nature.
اِخْتَلَفَتْ أَسْعَارُ الْخُضَرِ فِي السُّوقِ.
The prices of vegetables varied at the market.
To follow one another, to alternate
Said of people or things that come one after another, each taking the place of the one before.
To go often to, to frequent
To go to someone or to a place again and again.
كَانَ سَامِي يَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
Sami used to go to the library every day.
Word family
What the root means خ ل ف
The root carries the idea of being behind, of coming after. From it come “the back, behind”, “to come after, to succeed”, “to leave behind”, “lagging behind”, “to go against” and “to differ”, each taking another path than the other.
the back, behind
خَلْفٌ
to come after, to succeed
خَلَفَ
to leave behind
خَلَّفَ
to go against, to contradict
خَالَفَ
lagging behind, delay
تَخَلُّفٌ
alternation; difference
اِخْتِلَافٌ
Synonyms
to go to and fro, to come back often
تَرَدَّدَ
Matches only the sense of going often to a place; it also means to hesitate.
to be clearly distinct
تَبَايَنَ
Stronger: it marks a clear gap between things or views.
Opposites
to agree, to match
اِتَّفَقَ