حال

See also: خال and چال

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ح و ل (ḥ-w-l)

Verb

حَالَ • (ḥāla) I, non-past يَحُولُ‎ (yaḥūlu)

1. to change, to be transformed
2. to shift, to turn, to pass, (transitive or with إِلَى (ʔilā)) to grow into, (with إِلَى (ʔilā)) to become
3. to deviate, to depart, to dodge, to evade (with عَنْ (ʕan))
4. to elapse, to pass, to go by

Conjugation

Conjugation of

حَالَ

(form-I hollow, verbal nouns حَوْل or حُؤُول)

verbal nouns الْمَصَادِر						حَوْل or حُؤُول ḥawl or ḥuʔūl
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						حَائِل ḥāʔil
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	حُلْتُ ḥultu	حُلْتَ ḥulta	حَالَ ḥāla		حُلْتُمَا ḥultumā	حَالَا ḥālā		حُلْنَا ḥulnā	حُلْتُمْ ḥultum	حَالُوا ḥālū
	f		حُلْتِ ḥulti	حَالَتْ ḥālat			حَالَتَا ḥālatā			حُلْتُنَّ ḥultunna	حُلْنَ ḥulna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَحُولُ ʔaḥūlu	تَحُولُ taḥūlu	يَحُولُ yaḥūlu		تَحُولَانِ taḥūlāni	يَحُولَانِ yaḥūlāni		نَحُولُ naḥūlu	تَحُولُونَ taḥūlūna	يَحُولُونَ yaḥūlūna
	f		تَحُولِينَ taḥūlīna	تَحُولُ taḥūlu			تَحُولَانِ taḥūlāni			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَحُولَ ʔaḥūla	تَحُولَ taḥūla	يَحُولَ yaḥūla		تَحُولَا taḥūlā	يَحُولَا yaḥūlā		نَحُولَ naḥūla	تَحُولُوا taḥūlū	يَحُولُوا yaḥūlū
	f		تَحُولِي taḥūlī	تَحُولَ taḥūla			تَحُولَا taḥūlā			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَحُلْ ʔaḥul	تَحُلْ taḥul	يَحُلْ yaḥul		تَحُولَا taḥūlā	يَحُولَا yaḥūlā		نَحُلْ naḥul	تَحُولُوا taḥūlū	يَحُولُوا yaḥūlū
	f		تَحُولِي taḥūlī	تَحُلْ taḥul			تَحُولَا taḥūlā			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		حُلْ ḥul			حُولَا ḥūlā				حُولُوا ḥūlū
	f		حُولِي ḥūlī							حُلْنَ ḥulna

Verb

حَالَ • (ḥāla) I, non-past يَحُولُ‎ (yaḥūlu)

1. to intervene, to interfere, to interpose
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 8:24:

     وَٱعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ المَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ

     wa-ʕlamū ʔanna llāha yaḥūlu bayna l-marʔi wa-qalbihi

     And know that God stands between a person and their heart […]

2. to prevent (with دُونَ (dūna))

Conjugation

Conjugation of

حَالَ

(form-I hollow, verbal nouns حَوْل or حَيْلُولَة or حُؤُول)

verbal nouns الْمَصَادِر						حَوْل or حَيْلُولَة or حُؤُول ḥawl or ḥaylūla or ḥuʔūl
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						حَائِل ḥāʔil
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَحُول maḥūl
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	حُلْتُ ḥultu	حُلْتَ ḥulta	حَالَ ḥāla		حُلْتُمَا ḥultumā	حَالَا ḥālā		حُلْنَا ḥulnā	حُلْتُمْ ḥultum	حَالُوا ḥālū
	f		حُلْتِ ḥulti	حَالَتْ ḥālat			حَالَتَا ḥālatā			حُلْتُنَّ ḥultunna	حُلْنَ ḥulna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَحُولُ ʔaḥūlu	تَحُولُ taḥūlu	يَحُولُ yaḥūlu		تَحُولَانِ taḥūlāni	يَحُولَانِ yaḥūlāni		نَحُولُ naḥūlu	تَحُولُونَ taḥūlūna	يَحُولُونَ yaḥūlūna
	f		تَحُولِينَ taḥūlīna	تَحُولُ taḥūlu			تَحُولَانِ taḥūlāni			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَحُولَ ʔaḥūla	تَحُولَ taḥūla	يَحُولَ yaḥūla		تَحُولَا taḥūlā	يَحُولَا yaḥūlā		نَحُولَ naḥūla	تَحُولُوا taḥūlū	يَحُولُوا yaḥūlū
	f		تَحُولِي taḥūlī	تَحُولَ taḥūla			تَحُولَا taḥūlā			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَحُلْ ʔaḥul	تَحُلْ taḥul	يَحُلْ yaḥul		تَحُولَا taḥūlā	يَحُولَا yaḥūlā		نَحُلْ naḥul	تَحُولُوا taḥūlū	يَحُولُوا yaḥūlū
	f		تَحُولِي taḥūlī	تَحُلْ taḥul			تَحُولَا taḥūlā			تَحُلْنَ taḥulna	يَحُلْنَ yaḥulna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		حُلْ ḥul			حُولَا ḥūlā				حُولُوا ḥūlū
	f		حُولِي ḥūlī							حُلْنَ ḥulna
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	—	—	حِيلَ ḥīla		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	—	—	يُحَالُ yuḥālu		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	—	—	يُحَالَ yuḥāla		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	—	—	يُحَلْ yuḥal		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—

Noun

حَال • (ḥāl) m or f (plural أَحْوَال (ʔaḥwāl))

1. condition, state, situation, position, status, circumstance, matter, concern, being
2. current circumstances, present, actuality
3. (grammar) present

   Coordinate terms: مَاضٍ (māḍin), مُسْتَقْبَل (mustaqbal)

4. (grammar) a circumstantial expression, adverbial

Declension

Declension of noun حَال (ḥāl)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَال ḥāl	الْحَال al-ḥāl	حَال ḥāl
Nominative	حَالٌ ḥālun	الْحَالُ al-ḥālu	حَالُ ḥālu
Accusative	حَالًا ḥālan	الْحَالَ al-ḥāla	حَالَ ḥāla
Genitive	حَالٍ ḥālin	الْحَالِ al-ḥāli	حَالِ ḥāli
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَالَيْن ḥālayn	الْحَالَيْن al-ḥālayn	حَالَيْ ḥālay
Nominative	حَالَانِ ḥālāni	الْحَالَانِ al-ḥālāni	حَالَا ḥālā
Accusative	حَالَيْنِ ḥālayni	الْحَالَيْنِ al-ḥālayni	حَالَيْ ḥālay
Genitive	حَالَيْنِ ḥālayni	الْحَالَيْنِ al-ḥālayni	حَالَيْ ḥālay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَحْوَال ʔaḥwāl	الْأَحْوَال al-ʔaḥwāl	أَحْوَال ʔaḥwāl
Nominative	أَحْوَالٌ ʔaḥwālun	الْأَحْوَالُ al-ʔaḥwālu	أَحْوَالُ ʔaḥwālu
Accusative	أَحْوَالًا ʔaḥwālan	الْأَحْوَالَ al-ʔaḥwāla	أَحْوَالَ ʔaḥwāla
Genitive	أَحْوَالٍ ʔaḥwālin	الْأَحْوَالِ al-ʔaḥwāli	أَحْوَالِ ʔaḥwāli

Derived terms

• دَوَامُ الْحَالِ مِنَ الْمُحَالِ (dawāmu l-ḥāli mina l-muḥāli)

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: hal
• → Middle Armenian: հալ (hal)
  • Armenian: հալ (hal)
• → Bengali: হাল (hal)
• → Malay: hal
  • Indonesian: hal
• → Ottoman Turkish: حال (hâl)
  • Turkish: hâl
  • → Albanian: hall
  • → Bulgarian: хал (hal)
  • → Greek: χάλι (cháli)
  • → Romanian: hal
  • → Serbo-Croatian: hȃl／ха̑л
• → Persian: حال (hâl)
  • → Hindi: हाल (hāl)
  • → Punjabi: ਹਾਲ (hāl)
  • → Urdu: حال (hāl)
• → Swahili: hali

Etymology 2

Adverbial accusative of حَال (ḥāl, “circumstance”).

Preposition

حَالَ • (ḥāla)

1. during, right after, immediately upon

Inflection

Inflected forms
Base form					حَالَ (ḥāla)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Dual	Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Common	Masculine	Feminine
First person	حَالِي (ḥālī)			حَالَنَا (ḥālanā)
Second person	حَالَكَ (ḥālaka)	حَالَكِ (ḥālaki)	حَالَكُمَا (ḥālakumā)	حَالَكُمْ (ḥālakum)	حَالَكُنَّ (ḥālakunna)
Third person	حَالَهُ (ḥālahu)	حَالَهَا (ḥālahā)	حَالَهُمَا (ḥālahumā)	حَالَهُمْ (ḥālahum)	حَالَهُنَّ (ḥālahunna)

Etymology 3

Root
ح ل ي (ḥ-l-y)

Adjective

حَالٍ • (ḥālin) (feminine حَالِيَة (ḥāliya), masculine plural حَوَالٍ (ḥawālin), feminine plural حَالِيَات (ḥāliyāt))

1. active participle of حَلَى (ḥalā).
2. wearing an ornament or jewellery
3. having an ornament or jewellery

Declension

Declension of adjective حَالٍ (ḥālin)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	singular triptote in ـٍ (-in)		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	حَالِي ḥālī	الْحَالِي al-ḥālī	حَالِيَة ḥāliya	الْحَالِيَة al-ḥāliya
Nominative	حَالٍ ḥālin	الْحَالِي al-ḥālī	حَالِيَةٌ ḥāliyatun	الْحَالِيَةُ al-ḥāliyatu
Accusative	حَالِيًا ḥāliyan	الْحَالِيَ al-ḥāliya	حَالِيَةً ḥāliyatan	الْحَالِيَةَ al-ḥāliyata
Genitive	حَالٍ ḥālin	الْحَالِي al-ḥālī	حَالِيَةٍ ḥāliyatin	الْحَالِيَةِ al-ḥāliyati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	حَالِيَيْن ḥāliyayn	الْحَالِيَيْن al-ḥāliyayn	حَالِيَتَيْن ḥāliyatayn	الْحَالِيَتَيْن al-ḥāliyatayn
Nominative	حَالِيَانِ ḥāliyāni	الْحَالِيَانِ al-ḥāliyāni	حَالِيَتَانِ ḥāliyatāni	الْحَالِيَتَانِ al-ḥāliyatāni
Accusative	حَالِيَيْنِ ḥāliyayni	الْحَالِيَيْنِ al-ḥāliyayni	حَالِيَتَيْنِ ḥāliyatayni	الْحَالِيَتَيْنِ al-ḥāliyatayni
Genitive	حَالِيَيْنِ ḥāliyayni	الْحَالِيَيْنِ al-ḥāliyayni	حَالِيَتَيْنِ ḥāliyatayni	الْحَالِيَتَيْنِ al-ḥāliyatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in)		sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	حَوَالِي ḥawālī	الْحَوَالِي al-ḥawālī	حَالِيَات ḥāliyāt	الْحَالِيَات al-ḥāliyāt
Nominative	حَوَالٍ ḥawālin	الْحَوَالِي al-ḥawālī	حَالِيَاتٌ ḥāliyātun	الْحَالِيَاتُ al-ḥāliyātu
Accusative	حَوَالِيَ ḥawāliya	الْحَوَالِيَ al-ḥawāliya	حَالِيَاتٍ ḥāliyātin	الْحَالِيَاتِ al-ḥāliyāti
Genitive	حَوَالٍ ḥawālin	الْحَوَالِي al-ḥawālī	حَالِيَاتٍ ḥāliyātin	الْحَالِيَاتِ al-ḥāliyāti

References

• Dozy, Reinhart Pieter Anne (1881) “حال”, in Supplément aux dictionnaires arabes‎^[1] (in French), volume 1, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 338
• Freytag, Georg (1830) “حال”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[2] (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, pages 444–445
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “حال”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[3], London: Williams & Norgate, page 673
• Wehr, Hans (1979) “حال”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN, pages 251–252
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “حال”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[4], London: W.H. Allen, page 304

North Levantine Arabic

Alternative forms

• حاله (ḥāli) (noun only)

Etymology

From Arabic حال (ḥāl).

Noun

حال • (ḥāl) m (plural احوال (aḥwāl))

1. condition; state
2. case; circumstance

Pronoun

حال • (ḥāl-)

1. (with personal suffix) -self; -selves (reflexive pronoun)

   ما بفهم ناس ما هما الا حالا

   Ma bifham nās ma hamma illa ḥāla.

   I don't understand people who care only about themselves.

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic حَال (ḥāl).

Noun

حال • (hâl) (plural احوال (ahvâl))

1. situation, state, condition

   Synonym: وضعیت (vażʿiyyet)

2. attitude, behaviour

   Synonym: طاورانیش (davranış)

3. manner, method, mode
4. present (this current moment)
5. (grammar) present tense
6. (grammar) noun in the adverbial accusative (in Arabic)
7. power, strength

   Synonyms: طاقت (takat), گوچ (güç), قوت (kuvvet)

8. pain, grief, sorrow, distress

   Synonyms: درد (derd), كدر (keder), صیقندی (sıkındı)

9. quality, property, attribute
10. extasy, trance, in which Sufi mystics go

    Synonym: وجد (vecd)

11. ardent sexual love, passion

Descendants

• Turkish: hâl
• → Albanian: hall
• → Bulgarian: хал (hal)
• → Greek: χάλι (cháli)
• → Romanian: hal
• → Serbo-Croatian: hȃl／ха̑л

Adverb

حال • (hâl)

1. now

   Synonym: شمدی (şimdi)

See also

• حل (hal, “solution”)
• خال (hal, “mother's brother”)
• خال (hal, “spot on the skin”)
• خل (hal, “vinegar”)
• خلع (hal, “removal”)

 

References

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “hâl”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1845f.
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “حال”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[5], Constantinople: Mihran, page 493f.
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “حال”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[6], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 756f.

Persian

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [hɑːl]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [hɑːl]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [hɑːl]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɑːl]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔɔːl̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [hɒːl̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [hɔl]

Readings
Classical reading?	hāl
Dari reading?	hāl
Iranian reading?	hâl
Tajik reading?	hol

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Arabic حَال (ḥāl, “state, condition”).

Noun

حال • (hâl) (plural حالات (hâlât) or احوال (ahvâl))

1. condition; state

   حالت خوبه؟ ― hâl-et xub-e? ― How are you? (literally, “Is your state good?”)

   1. condition of health; (on its own) good health

      استراحت حال او را بهتر نکرده.

      esterâhat hâl-e u râ behtar na-karde.

      Rest has not improved his health.

   2. mood, state of mind

      من حال غذا خوردن ندارم.

      man hâl-e ğazâ xordan na-dâram.

      I'm not in the mood to eat something.

   3. (Sufism) mystical state
2. Short for زمان حال (zamân-e hâl, “(grammar) the present tense”).
3. (in idiomatic expressions) senses, consciousness

Derived terms

• از حال رفتن (az hâl raftan, “to faint”)
• به حال آمدن (be hâl âmadan, “to come to one's senses”)
• ترجمه حال (tarjome-ye hâl, “biography”)
• حال آنکه (hâl-e ân-ke, “whereas”)
• در حال (dar hâl, “immediately”)

 

Related terms

• حالت (hâlat)

 

Descendants

• → Hindi: हाल (hāl)
• → Punjabi: ਹਾਲ (hāl)
• → Urdu: حال (hāl)

Etymology 2

Adverb

حال • (hâl)

1. Alternative form of حالا (hâlâ, “now”).

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ح و ل
7 terms

Etymology

From Arabic حَال (ḥāl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ħaːl/, [ħæːl]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Noun

حال • (ḥāl) m (plural أحوال (ʔaḥwāl))

1. state, condition
2. case, instance

Pronoun

حال • (ḥāl-)

1. (with personal suffix) -self, -selves (reflexive pronoun)

   Synonym: نفس (nafs-)

Inflection

Inflected forms of حال
Base form					حال (ḥāl)
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		حالي (ḥāli)		حالنا (ḥālna)
2nd person		حالك (ḥālak)	حالك (ḥālek)	حالكم (ḥālkom)
3rd person		حاله (ḥālo)	حالها (ḥālha)	حالهم (ḥālhom)

Derived terms

• لحال (la-ḥāl-, “by oneself”)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian حال (hāl), from Arabic حَال (ḥāl).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɦɑːl/

• Audio (PK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːl
• Homophone: ہال (hāl)

Noun

حال • (hāl) m (formal plural حالات (hālāt), Hindi spelling हाल)

1. state, condition
2. (time) present
3. status
4. circumstance

Declension

Declension of حال
	singular	plural
direct	حال (hāl)	حال (hāl)
oblique	حال (hāl)	حالوں (hālō̃)
vocative	حال (hāl)	حالو (hālō)

References

• “حال”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “حال”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.