غریب

See also: غريب

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ɣa.ˈriːb/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíb̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [qæ.ɹíːb̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʁä.ɾíb]

Readings
Classical reading?	ġarīb
Dari reading?	ġarīb
Iranian reading?	ġarib
Tajik reading?	ġarib

• (Iran) Homophone: قریب (ġarib)

Noun

غریب • (ġarīb / ġarib) (plural غَرِیب‌هَا, or غَرِیبَان, Tajik spelling ғариб)

1. stranger

   Synonym: غریبه (ġaribe)

Usage notes

The words غریب (ġarib), غریبی (ġaribi), and غربت (ġorbat) are used when talking from the point of view of the foreigner, e.g. when the speaker himself/herself is a foreigner; for example:

اینجا تو آلمان خیلی غریبم.

I [feel] so much [like] a foreigner here in Germany.

غم غربت پدرمو در آورد.

ġam-e ġorbat pedaramo dar âvord.

I'm sick and tired of the pain of foreignness.

غریبی نکن! باهام حرف بزن.

Don't feel to be a stranger! Talk with me.

Derived terms

• غریبی (ġaribi)

Related terms

• غربت (ġorbat)

Adjective

غریب • (ġarīb / ġarib) (comparative غریب‌تَر, superlative غریب‌تَرین, Tajik spelling ғариб)

1. strange
   • 10th Century, Ferdowsi, Shahname.
   • غریب آهوئی آمدم در کمند
     که از بند جست و مرا کرد بند.
2. rare
   • 12th Century, Nizami Ganjavi, Khamse.
   • به وقت خورش هرکه باشد طبیب
     بپرهیزد از خورده های غریب
3. foreign, alien
   • 14th Century, Hafez, Divan-e Hafez-e Shirazi.
   • گر آمدم به کوی تو چندان غریب نیست
     چون من در آن دیار هزاران غریب هست

Inflection

Predicative forms of غریب (ġarib)

	singular	plural
1st person (“I am, we are”)	غریبم (ġaribam)	غریبیم (ġaribim)
2nd person (“you are”)	غریبی (ġaribi)	غریبید، غریبین△ (ġaribid, ġaribin△)
3rd person (“he/she/it is, they are”)	غریب است، غریبه△ (ġarib ast, ġaribe△)	غریبند، غریبن△ (ġariband, ġariban△)

^△ Colloquial.

Punjabi

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic غَرُبَ (ḡaruba)

Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb)bor.

Classical Persian غَرِیب (ġarīb)bor.

Punjabi غَرِیب (ġarīb)

Borrowed from Classical Persian غَرِیب (ġarīb), borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb), from غَرُبَ (ḡaruba).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /ɡə.ɾiːb/, /ɣə.ɾiːb/
• Hyphenation: غ‧ریب
• Rhymes: -iːb

Adjective

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) (indeclinable, Gurmukhi spelling ਗ਼ਰੀਬ)

1. poor (as opposed to rich)

   Antonym: اَمِیر (amīr)

2. poor; helpless
3. (figuratively) meek, humble
4. (literally, rare) strange

Noun

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਗ਼ਰੀਬ)

1. a poor person
2. (in the plural) the poor; destitute, working class

Declension

Declension of غریب

	singular	plural
direct	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیب (ġarīb)
oblique	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیباں (ġarībāṉ)
vocative	غَرِیبا (ġarībā)	غَرِیبو (ġarībo)
ablative	غَرِیبوں (ġarīboṉ)	—
locative	غَرِیبے (ġarībe)	غَرِیبِیں (ġarībīṉ)
instrumental	غَرِیبوں (ġarīboṉ)	–

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002), “غرِیب”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: عزیز پبلشرز [ʻazīz pabliśarz]
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012), “غریب”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “ਗਰੀਬ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025

Urdu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic غَرُبَ (ḡaruba)

Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb)bor.

Classical Persian غَرِیب (ġarīb)bor.

Urdu غَرِیب (ġarīb)

Borrowed from Classical Persian غَرِیب (ġarīb), borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb), from غَرُبَ (ḡaruba).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɣə.ɾiːb/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːb
• Hyphenation: غَ‧رِیب

Adjective

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) (indeclinable, Hindi spelling ग़रीब)

1. poor (of wealth)

   وہ ایک غَرِیب لَکَڑْہارے سے لَکْڑی کَٹْوانے گَیا ہَے۔

   vo ek ġarīb lakaṛhāre se lakṛī kaṭvāne gayā hai.

   He went to get the wood cut by a poor carpenter.

2. poor; helpless

Declension

Declension of غریب

	singular	plural
direct	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیب (ġarīb)
oblique	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیبوں (ġarībõ)
vocative	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیبو (ġarībo)

Descendants

• → Phalura: ɣaríb