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The Many Meanings of طيب Tayib in Arabic Posted by on Jul 10, 2019 in Arabic Language, Vocabulary

Tayib طيب is an Arabic word which can have many different meanings in both standard Arabic and Arabic dialects. طيب can be written using different short vowels making it either a noun or a verb. It can also be interpreted differently based on context and even gestures used when saying the word.  As an Arabic learner, you will definitely end up 🙂hearing and using the word طيب.

Below, I have the word طيب written with different short vowels, meanings, Arabic synonyms, and examples.

Let’s first look at طيب when it functions as a verb:

  • طَيَّبَ: to spice/flavor/season food (Arabic synonym: تَبّلَ)

      طَيَّبَ الأرز بِالتوابِل.        He seasoned the rice with spices.

 

  • طَيّب: to aromatize/scent or to make something fragrant     (Arabic synonym: عَطّرَ)

      .طَيّب الغُرفة برائِحة الوَرد     He scented the room with the smell of roses.

Image provided by Yasmine K.

 

When طيب functions as a noun, it can have the following meanings:

  • طَيّب: agreeable/good/nice/pleasant     (Arabic synonym: جَيّد)

        تفاهم طيب      a good understanding

 

  • طِيْب: perfume/scent    (Arabic synonym: عِطْر)

      .أشتريَتُ طِيْب كَهَدية لأُمي     I bought perfume as a gift for my mother.

 

  • طَيّب: delicious/savory/tasty   (Arabic synonym: لَذِيذ)

       .هذهِ السَّلَطة طَيّبة    This salad is delicious.

 

  • طَيّب: kind    (Arabic synonym: صَالِح، كَريم)

       رَجُل طَيّب      a kind/good man

       قَلْب طَيّب       kindhearted

 

In many Arabic dialects, you will here طَيّب used to mean “okay”.

For example:

Could you open the window?

Okay.

مُمكِن تِفتَح الشُّباك؟

.طَيّب

Note: Okay in standard Arabic is حَسَنًا.

In terms of gestures, when two people get into an argument and one decides to threaten the other, he/she will use this gesture 👌 and say “Okay, I will show you.”   “.طَيّب، أن بَفرجيك”

or “Okay, you just wait.” “.طَيّب، ستنى عَلَي”     You may see this a lot in Arabic shows.

As you can see طيب is one versatile word! 😎

 

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About the Author: yasmine

MarHaba! I am half Jordanian of Circassian descent and half American. I have a Master's in Second Language Teaching and I teach Arabic as a foreign language here in the US, both MSA and Levantine Arabic. I hope to help you become more familiar and interested in the Arabic language and culture.


Comments:

  1. My name is yassin Mohamed from Somalia and I’m currently in Egypt and to be honest I can’t construct even a single Arabic words:

    Appreciate it teacher Yasmine really today I learnt how to differentiate present simple and past simple and verb and subject.
    Great work