ربا

Arabic

Etymology 1.1

Root
ر ب و (r b w)
10 terms

Compare Hebrew ריבית (ribít, “interest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ri.baː/

Noun

رِبًا • (riban) m (construct state رِبَا (ribā), dual رِبَوَان (ribawān) or رِبَيَان (ribayān))

1. interest
2. (Islamic finance) usury, usurious interest
3. gain in selling, profit

Declension

Declension of noun رِبًا (riban)

singular	singular in ـًا (-an)
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	رِبَا ribā	الرِّبَا ar-ribā	رِبَا ribā
nominative	رِبًا riban	الرِّبَا ar-ribā	رِبَا ribā
accusative	رِبًا riban	الرِّبَا ar-ribā	رِبَا ribā
genitive	رِبًا riban	الرِّبَا ar-ribā	رِبَا ribā
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	رِبَوَيْن‎; رِبَيَيْن ribawayn‎; ribayayn	الرِّبَوَيْن‎; الرِّبَيَيْن ar-ribawayn‎; ar-ribayayn	رِبَوَيْ‎; رِبَيَيْ ribaway‎; ribayay
nominative	رِبَوَانِ‎; رِبَيَانِ ribawāni‎; ribayāni	الرِّبَوَانِ‎; الرِّبَيَانِ ar-ribawāni‎; ar-ribayāni	رِبَوَا‎; رِبَيَا ribawā‎; ribayā
accusative	رِبَوَيْنِ‎; رِبَيَيْنِ ribawayni‎; ribayayni	الرِّبَوَيْنِ‎; الرِّبَيَيْنِ ar-ribawayni‎; ar-ribayayni	رِبَوَيْ‎; رِبَيَيْ ribaway‎; ribayay
genitive	رِبَوَيْنِ‎; رِبَيَيْنِ ribawayni‎; ribayayni	الرِّبَوَيْنِ‎; الرِّبَيَيْنِ ar-ribawayni‎; ar-ribayayni	رِبَوَيْ‎; رِبَيَيْ ribaway‎; ribayay

Descendants

• → English: riba
• → Hausa: r̃ìba
  • → Yoruba: rìbá
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: रिबा (ribā)

  Urdu: ربا (ribā)

• → Malay: riba
  • Indonesian: riba
• → Swahili: riba
• → Tigre: ርባ (rəba)
• → Turkish: riba

Etymology 1.2

Compare Hebrew רָבַב (rabab, “to be many, to multiply, to increase”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ra.baː/

Verb

رَبَا • (rabā) I (non-past يَرْبُو (yarbū), verbal noun رَبَاء (rabāʔ) or رُبُوّ (rubuww))

1. to grow
2. to increase

Conjugation

Conjugation of رَبَا (I, final-weak, a ~ u, impersonal passive (?), verbal nouns رَبَاء, رُبُوّ)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						رَبَاء, رُبُوّ rabāʔ, rubuww
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						رَابٍ rābin
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَرْبُوّ marbuww
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	رَبَوْتُ rabawtu	رَبَوْتَ rabawta	رَبَا rabā		رَبَوْتُمَا rabawtumā	رَبَوَا rabawā		رَبَوْنَا rabawnā	رَبَوْتُمْ rabawtum	رَبَوْا rabaw
	f		رَبَوْتِ rabawti	رَبَتْ rabat			رَبَتَا rabatā			رَبَوْتُنَّ rabawtunna	رَبَوْنَ rabawna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَرْبُو ʔarbū	تَرْبُو tarbū	يَرْبُو yarbū		تَرْبُوَانِ tarbuwāni	يَرْبُوَانِ yarbuwāni		نَرْبُو narbū	تَرْبُونَ tarbūna	يَرْبُونَ yarbūna
	f		تَرْبِينَ tarbīna	تَرْبُو tarbū			تَرْبُوَانِ tarbuwāni			تَرْبُونَ tarbūna	يَرْبُونَ yarbūna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَرْبُوَ ʔarbuwa	تَرْبُوَ tarbuwa	يَرْبُوَ yarbuwa		تَرْبُوَا tarbuwā	يَرْبُوَا yarbuwā		نَرْبُوَ narbuwa	تَرْبُوا tarbū	يَرْبُوا yarbū
	f		تَرْبِي tarbī	تَرْبُوَ tarbuwa			تَرْبُوَا tarbuwā			تَرْبُونَ tarbūna	يَرْبُونَ yarbūna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَرْبُ ʔarbu	تَرْبُ tarbu	يَرْبُ yarbu		تَرْبُوَا tarbuwā	يَرْبُوَا yarbuwā		نَرْبُ narbu	تَرْبُوا tarbū	يَرْبُوا yarbū
	f		تَرْبِي tarbī	تَرْبُ tarbu			تَرْبُوَا tarbuwā			تَرْبُونَ tarbūna	يَرْبُونَ yarbūna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اُرْبُ urbu			اُرْبُوَا urbuwā				اُرْبُوا urbū
	f		اُرْبِي urbī							اُرْبُونَ urbūna
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	—	—	رُبِيَ rubiya		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	—	—	يُرْبَى yurbā		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	—	—	يُرْبَى yurbā		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	—	—	يُرْبَ yurba		—	—		—	—	—
	f		—	—			—			—	—

Persian

Verb

ربا • (robâ)

1. present stem form of ربودن (robudan)

Further reading

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892), “ربا”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary (overall work in English), London: Routledge & K. Paul

Punjabi

Etymology

From رَبّ (rabb).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /ɾəb.bäː/
• Rhymes: -äː

Noun

رَبّا • (rabbā) (Gurmukhi spelling ਰੱਬਾ)

1. vocative singular of رَبّ (rabb, “Lord”)

Derived terms

• ہائے رَبّا (hā'e rabbā, “Oh Lord!”)

Descendants

• → Urdu: رَبّا (rabbā)

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002), “ربّا”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat (in Punjabi), Lahore: عزیز پبلشرز [ʻazīz pabliśarz]
• “ਰੱਬਾ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2026

Urdu

Etymology 1

From Arabic رِبًا (riban).

Noun

ربا • (ribā) m (Hindi spelling रिबा)

1. interest

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Punjabi رَبّا (rabbā), from رَبّ (rabb, “Lord”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɾəb.bɑː/
• Rhymes: -ɑː

Interjection

رَبّا • (rabbā) (Hindi spelling रब्बा)

1. clipping of ہائے رَبّا (hāe rabbā, “oh Lord!”)