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نَفْس

self

Noun · feminineRoot ن-ف-س

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Highlights

Plural
نُفُوس
Other plural
أَنْفُس

Most common words from the same root

Noun
تَنَفُّس
breathing
Verb · Form V
تَنَفَّسَ
to breathe
Verb · Form III
نَافَسَ
to compete with
Noun
تَنَافُس
competition
Noun
نَفَس
breath
Verb · Form II
نَفَّسَ
to comfort

نَفْس in English

Noun · feminine

  1. self
    1. in idafa with an enclitic pronoun attached to it
      نَفْسُهُhimself
    2. as reflexive
      قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُHe killed himself. [reflexive]
      رَأَيْتُ نَفْسِي فِي ٱلْمِرْآةِI saw myself in the mirror.
    3. as emphatic
      جَاءَنِي هُوَ نَفْسُهُ.He came to me himself or in person.
  2. same used in the construct state, with a modifying noun in the genitive, or after the noun with an enclitic pronoun attached to it
    نَفْسُ ٱلشَّيْءِthe same thing
    فِي نَفْسِ ٱلْيَوْمِ، فِي ٱلْيَوْمِ نَفْسِهِon the same day
  3. consciousness
  4. psyche, mind
  5. spirit, soul
  6. life, breath
  7. essence, nature
  8. inclination, appetite, proclivity
  9. personal identity

Word origin

Inherited from Proto-Semitic *napš-.

Words from the root ن-ف-س

Arabic verbs come in forms; each form's nouns are listed under its verb. See the whole root on one page →

نَفُسَ · present يَنْفُسُ
Form I · The plain action

to be priceless, to be precious, to be valuable

نَفَس
Verbal noun
breath
نِفَاس
Verbal noun
نَفَاسَة
Verbal noun
refinement
نَفِيس
Active participle · Adjective
precious
نَافِس
Active participle
نَفِسَ · present يَنْفَسُ
Form I · The plain action

to be stingy, to be sparing

نَفَس
Verbal noun
نُفَسَاء
Active participle
نَفِسَ · present يَنْفَسُ
Form I · The plain action

to envy, to begrudge

نَفَاسَة
Verbal noun
نُفَسَاء
Active participle
مَنْفُوس
Passive participle
نَفِسَ · present يَنْفَسُ
Form I · The plain action

to be in childbed

نِفَاس
Verbal noun
نُفَسَاء
Active participle
مَنْفُوس
Passive participle
نَفَّسَ · present يُنَفِّسُ
Form II · Causative or intensive

to comfort, to cheer up, to reassure, to appease; to relieve, to dispel, to banish; to air, to vent

تَنْفِيس
Verbal noun
venting
مُنَفِّس
Active participle
مُنَفَّس
Passive participle
مَنْفَس
Derived noun
breather
نَافَسَ · present يُنَافِسُ
Form III · Done to or with someone

to compete with, to vie with (someone); to fight, to struggle (عَلَى (ʕalā) for); to seek, to desire (عَلَى (ʕalā) something)

مُنَافَسَة
Verbal noun
مُنَافِس
Active participle
rival
مُنَافَس
Passive participle
تَنَفَّسَ · present يَتَنَفَّسُ
Form V · Reflexive of Form II

to breathe, to respire, to take a breath, to take a breather; to take a rest

تَنَفُّس
Verbal noun
breathing
مُتَنَفِّس
Active participle
مُتَنَفَّس
Passive participle
تَنَافَسَ · present يَتَنَافَسُ
Form VI · Mutual action

to compete, to contend, to vie

تَنَافُس
Verbal noun
competition
مُتَنَافِس
Active participle
مُتَنَافَس
Passive participle
نَفْس
Noun · f.
self
تَنَافُسِيّ
Adjective
competitive
نَفْس
Noun · m.
living creature
أَنْفَس
Adjective
elative degree of نَفِيس

نَفْس: plural and other forms

Singularنَفْس
Pluralنُفُوس
Alternative pluralsأَنْفُس

نَفْس in a sentence

Dictionary examples

in idafa with an enclitic pronoun attached to it

نَفْسُهُhimself

as reflexive

قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُHe killed himself. [reflexive]

as reflexive

رَأَيْتُ نَفْسِي فِي ٱلْمِرْآةِI saw myself in the mirror.

as emphatic

جَاءَنِي هُوَ نَفْسُهُ.He came to me himself or in person.

same used in the construct state

نَفْسُ ٱلشَّيْءِthe same thing

same used in the construct state

فِي نَفْسِ ٱلْيَوْمِ، فِي ٱلْيَوْمِ نَفْسِهِon the same day

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