تعارف

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ع ر ف (ʕ r f)
16 terms

Compare عَرَفَ (ʕarafa, “to know”).

Verb

تَعَارَفَ • (taʕārafa) VI (non-past يَتَعَارَفُ (yataʕārafu), verbal noun تَعَارُف (taʕāruf))

1. (reciprocal) to get to know one another, become acquainted with one another
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 49:13:

     يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا

     yā ʔayyuhā n-nāsu ʔinnā ḵalaqnākum min ḏakarin waʔunṯā wajaʕalnākum šuʕūban waqabāʔila litaʕārafū

     O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female and made you nations and tribes that you may be well acquainted with one another.

2. to become acquainted (بِ (bi) with)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of تَعَارَفَ (VI, sound, impersonal passive, verbal noun تَعَارُف)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَعَارُف taʕāruf
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُتَعَارِف mutaʕārif
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُتَعَارَف mutaʕāraf
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	تَعَارَفْتُ taʕāraftu	تَعَارَفْتَ taʕārafta	تَعَارَفَ taʕārafa		تَعَارَفْتُمَا taʕāraftumā	تَعَارَفَا taʕārafā		تَعَارَفْنَا taʕārafnā	تَعَارَفْتُمْ taʕāraftum	تَعَارَفُوا taʕārafū
	f		تَعَارَفْتِ taʕārafti	تَعَارَفَتْ taʕārafat			تَعَارَفَتَا taʕārafatā			تَعَارَفْتُنَّ taʕāraftunna	تَعَارَفْنَ taʕārafna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَتَعَارَفُ ʔataʕārafu	تَتَعَارَفُ tataʕārafu	يَتَعَارَفُ yataʕārafu		تَتَعَارَفَانِ tataʕārafāni	يَتَعَارَفَانِ yataʕārafāni		نَتَعَارَفُ nataʕārafu	تَتَعَارَفُونَ tataʕārafūna	يَتَعَارَفُونَ yataʕārafūna
	f		تَتَعَارَفِينَ tataʕārafīna	تَتَعَارَفُ tataʕārafu			تَتَعَارَفَانِ tataʕārafāni			تَتَعَارَفْنَ tataʕārafna	يَتَعَارَفْنَ yataʕārafna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَتَعَارَفَ ʔataʕārafa	تَتَعَارَفَ tataʕārafa	يَتَعَارَفَ yataʕārafa		تَتَعَارَفَا tataʕārafā	يَتَعَارَفَا yataʕārafā		نَتَعَارَفَ nataʕārafa	تَتَعَارَفُوا tataʕārafū	يَتَعَارَفُوا yataʕārafū
	f		تَتَعَارَفِي tataʕārafī	تَتَعَارَفَ tataʕārafa			تَتَعَارَفَا tataʕārafā			تَتَعَارَفْنَ tataʕārafna	يَتَعَارَفْنَ yataʕārafna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَتَعَارَفْ ʔataʕāraf	تَتَعَارَفْ tataʕāraf	يَتَعَارَفْ yataʕāraf		تَتَعَارَفَا tataʕārafā	يَتَعَارَفَا yataʕārafā		نَتَعَارَفْ nataʕāraf	تَتَعَارَفُوا tataʕārafū	يَتَعَارَفُوا yataʕārafū
	f		تَتَعَارَفِي tataʕārafī	تَتَعَارَفْ tataʕāraf			تَتَعَارَفَا tataʕārafā			تَتَعَارَفْنَ tataʕārafna	يَتَعَارَفْنَ yataʕārafna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		تَعَارَفْ taʕāraf			تَعَارَفَا taʕārafā				تَعَارَفُوا taʕārafū
	f		تَعَارَفِي taʕārafī							تَعَارَفْنَ taʕārafna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	—	—	تُعُورِفَ tuʕūrifa		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	—	—	يُتَعَارَفُ yutaʕārafu		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	—	—	يُتَعَارَفَ yutaʕārafa		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	—	—	يُتَعَارَفْ yutaʕāraf		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—

References

• Mace, John (2007) “تعارف”, in Arabic Verbs, New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., →ISBN

Etymology 2

Noun

تَعَارُف • (taʕāruf) m

1. verbal noun of تَعَارَفَ (taʕārafa) (form VI)

Declension

Declension of noun تَعَارُف (taʕāruf)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	تَعَارُف taʕāruf	التَّعَارُف at-taʕāruf	تَعَارُف taʕāruf
Nominative	تَعَارُفٌ taʕārufun	التَّعَارُفُ at-taʕārufu	تَعَارُفُ taʕārufu
Accusative	تَعَارُفًا taʕārufan	التَّعَارُفَ at-taʕārufa	تَعَارُفَ taʕārufa
Genitive	تَعَارُفٍ taʕārufin	التَّعَارُفِ at-taʕārufi	تَعَارُفِ taʕārufi

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic تَعَارُف (taʕāruf), verbal noun of تَعَارَفَ (taʕārafa, “to become known or introduced to each other; etc.”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ta.ʔɑː.ˈɾuf]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰä.ʔɑː.ɾʊ́f]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰä.ʔɑː.ɾʊ́f]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰɑːɑː.ɾʊ́f]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰɔːɔː.ɾúf]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰæ.ʔɒː.ɹóf]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰä.ʔɔ.ɾúf]

Readings
Classical reading?	ta'āruf
Dari reading?	ta'āruf
Iranian reading?	ta'ârof
Tajik reading?	taʾoruf

Noun

تعارف • (ta'ârof)

1. ta'arof/taarof; the intricate Persian system of etiquette and good manners, emphasizing extreme deference, humility, and respect.

Derived terms

• تعارف کردن (ta'ârof kardan)
• تعارف زدن (ta'ârof zadan)
• تعارفی (ta'ârofi)
• بی‌تعارف (bi-ta'ârof, “frank; frankly”)
• تعارف اومد نیومد داره (ta'ârof umad nayumad dâre)
• تعارف تیکه پاره کردن (ta'ârof tikke pâre kardan)

See also

• قابل ندارد (qâbel nadârad)
• قدمت روی چشم (qadamat ru-ye čašm)
• قربانت بروم (qorbânat beravam)
• چشمت روشن (čašmat rowšan)
• خواهش می‌کنم (xâheš mi-konam)
• تعارف نکنید (ta'ârof nakonid)

Further reading

• Taarof
• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “تعارف”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic تَعَارُف (taʕāruf) (through Classical Persian تعارف (taʻāruf)).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /t̪ə.(ʔ)ɑː.ɾʊf/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): /t̪ɑː.ɾʊf/

• Audio (Pakistan):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊf

Noun

تَعَارُف • (taʻāruf) m (Hindi spelling ताअरुफ़)

1. introduction
2. acquaintancy, acquaintanceship
3. preface

References

• “تعارف”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “تعارف”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.