أفضل

See also: أفصل‎ and افصل‎

Arabic

Etymology 1

Elative of فَضِيل‎ (faḍīl, “outstanding, very good”), from the root ف ض ل‎ (f-ḍ-l).

Adjective

أَفْضَل • (ʔafḍal) (feminine فُضْلَى‎ (fuḍlā), masculine plural أَفْضَلُون‎ (ʔafḍalūn) or أَفَاضِل‎ (ʔafāḍil), feminine plural فُضْلَيَات‎ (fuḍlayāt))

1. elative degree of فَضِيل‎ (faḍīl):
   1. better; best
   2. more outstanding; most outstanding
2. preferable

Declension

Declension of adjective أَفْضَل (ʔafḍal)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular diptote		singular invariable
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَفْضَل ʔafḍal	الْأَفْضَل‎ al-ʔafḍal	فُضْلَى‎ fuḍlā	الْفُضْلَى‎ al-fuḍlā
Nominative	أَفْضَلُ ʔafḍalu	الْأَفْضَلُ‎ al-ʔafḍalu	فُضْلَى‎ fuḍlā	الْفُضْلَى‎ al-fuḍlā
Accusative	أَفْضَلَ ʔafḍala	الْأَفْضَلَ‎ al-ʔafḍala	فُضْلَى‎ fuḍlā	الْفُضْلَى‎ al-fuḍlā
Genitive	أَفْضَلَ ʔafḍala	الْأَفْضَلِ‎ al-ʔafḍali	فُضْلَى‎ fuḍlā	الْفُضْلَى‎ al-fuḍlā
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَفْضَلَيْن‎ ʔafḍalayn	الْأَفْضَلَيْن‎ al-ʔafḍalayn	فُضْلَيَيْن‎ fuḍlayayn	الْفُضْلَيَيْن‎ al-fuḍlayayn
Nominative	أَفْضَلَانِ‎ ʔafḍalāni	الْأَفْضَلَانِ‎ al-ʔafḍalāni	فُضْلَيَانِ‎ fuḍlayāni	الْفُضْلَيَانِ‎ al-fuḍlayāni
Accusative	أَفْضَلَيْنِ‎ ʔafḍalayni	الْأَفْضَلَيْنِ‎ al-ʔafḍalayni	فُضْلَيَيْنِ‎ fuḍlayayni	الْفُضْلَيَيْنِ‎ al-fuḍlayayni
Genitive	أَفْضَلَيْنِ‎ ʔafḍalayni	الْأَفْضَلَيْنِ‎ al-ʔafḍalayni	فُضْلَيَيْنِ‎ fuḍlayayni	الْفُضْلَيَيْنِ‎ al-fuḍlayayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote		sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَفْضَلِين‎‎; أَفَاضِل‎ ʔafḍalīn‎; ʔafāḍil	الْأَفْضَلِين‎‎; الْأَفَاضِل‎ al-ʔafḍalīn‎; al-ʔafāḍil	فُضْلَيَات‎ fuḍlayāt	الْفُضْلَيَات‎ al-fuḍlayāt
Nominative	أَفْضَلُونَ‎‎; أَفَاضِلُ‎ ʔafḍalūna‎; ʔafāḍilu	الْأَفْضَلُونَ‎‎; الْأَفَاضِلُ‎ al-ʔafḍalūna‎; al-ʔafāḍilu	فُضْلَيَاتٌ‎ fuḍlayātun	الْفُضْلَيَاتُ‎ al-fuḍlayātu
Accusative	أَفْضَلِينَ‎‎; أَفَاضِلَ‎ ʔafḍalīna‎; ʔafāḍila	الْأَفْضَلِينَ‎‎; الْأَفَاضِلَ‎ al-ʔafḍalīna‎; al-ʔafāḍila	فُضْلَيَاتٍ‎ fuḍlayātin	الْفُضْلَيَاتِ‎ al-fuḍlayāti
Genitive	أَفْضَلِينَ‎‎; أَفَاضِلَ‎ ʔafḍalīna‎; ʔafāḍila	الْأَفْضَلِينَ‎‎; الْأَفَاضِلِ‎ al-ʔafḍalīna‎; al-ʔafāḍili	فُضْلَيَاتٍ‎ fuḍlayātin	الْفُضْلَيَاتِ‎ al-fuḍlayāti

Descendants

• → Bengali: আফজল (aphjol)
• → Indonesian: afdal

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “أفضل”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “أفضل”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Etymology 2

Verb

أُفَضِّلُ • (ʔufaḍḍilu) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past active indicative of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

Verb

أُفَضِّلَ • (ʔufaḍḍila) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past active subjunctive of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

Verb

أُفَضِّلْ • (ʔufaḍḍil) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past active jussive of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

Verb

أُفَضَّلُ • (ʔufaḍḍalu) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past passive indicative of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

Verb

أُفَضَّلَ • (ʔufaḍḍala) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past passive subjunctive of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

Verb

أُفَضَّلْ • (ʔufaḍḍal) (form II)

1. first-person singular non-past passive jussive of فَضَّلَ‎ (faḍḍala)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic أَفْضَل‎ (ʔafḍal), elative degree of فَضِيل‎ (faḍīl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaf.dˤal/, [ˈʔɑf.dˤɑl]

• Audio (al-Lidd)

  (file)

Adjective

أفضل • (ʔafḍal)

1. better, best

   Synonym: أحسن‎ (ʔaḥsan)

2. preferable