مثل

See also: مبل, متل, and م ث ل

Arabic

Etymology 1

From the root م ث ل (m-ṯ-l).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.θa.la/

Verb

1. to resemble, to look like
2. to imitate, to copy
3. to compare, to liken
4. to represent, to mean, to signify
5. to appear before
6. to present oneself
7. to stand
8. to come forth, to come forward, to enter, to appear

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maθ.θa.la/

Verb

مَثَّلَ • (maṯṯala) II (non-past يُمَثِّلُ (yumaṯṯilu), verbal noun تَمْثِيل (tamṯīl))

1. to make to resemble, to make to look like
2. to make similar, to make analogous
3. to assimilate
4. to quote as example
5. to compare, to liken
6. to punish severely, to treat harshly
7. to maim, to mutilate

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miθl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

مِثْل • (miṯl) m (plural أَمْثَال (ʔamṯāl))

1. something similar
2. resemblance, similarity, likeness
3. image
4. equivalent

Declension

Declension of noun مِثْل (miṯl)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِثْل miṯl	الْمِثْل al-miṯl	مِثْل miṯl
Nominative	مِثْلٌ miṯlun	الْمِثْلُ al-miṯlu	مِثْلُ miṯlu
Accusative	مِثْلًا miṯlan	الْمِثْلَ al-miṯla	مِثْلَ miṯla
Genitive	مِثْلٍ miṯlin	الْمِثْلِ al-miṯli	مِثْلِ miṯli
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِثْلَيْن miṯlayn	الْمِثْلَيْن al-miṯlayn	مِثْلَيْ miṯlay
Nominative	مِثْلَانِ miṯlāni	الْمِثْلَانِ al-miṯlāni	مِثْلَا miṯlā
Accusative	مِثْلَيْنِ miṯlayni	الْمِثْلَيْنِ al-miṯlayni	مِثْلَيْ miṯlay
Genitive	مِثْلَيْنِ miṯlayni	الْمِثْلَيْنِ al-miṯlayni	مِثْلَيْ miṯlay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَمْثَال ʔamṯāl	الْأَمْثَال al-ʔamṯāl	أَمْثَال ʔamṯāl
Nominative	أَمْثَالٌ ʔamṯālun	الْأَمْثَالُ al-ʔamṯālu	أَمْثَالُ ʔamṯālu
Accusative	أَمْثَالًا ʔamṯālan	الْأَمْثَالَ al-ʔamṯāla	أَمْثَالَ ʔamṯāla
Genitive	أَمْثَالٍ ʔamṯālin	الْأَمْثَالِ al-ʔamṯāli	أَمْثَالِ ʔamṯāli

Etymology 4

From the root م ث ل (m-ṯ-l). Cognate with Hebrew מָשָׁל (mashál, “proverb, allegory”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.θal/

Noun

مَثَل • (maṯal) m (plural أَمْثَال (ʔamṯāl))

1. likeness
2. metaphore, simile, parable
3. proverb, adage
4. example
5. lesson
6. ideal, model

Declension

Declension of noun مَثَل (maṯal)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَثَل maṯal	الْمَثَل al-maṯal	مَثَل maṯal
Nominative	مَثَلٌ maṯalun	الْمَثَلُ al-maṯalu	مَثَلُ maṯalu
Accusative	مَثَلًا maṯalan	الْمَثَلَ al-maṯala	مَثَلَ maṯala
Genitive	مَثَلٍ maṯalin	الْمَثَلِ al-maṯali	مَثَلِ maṯali
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَثَلَيْن maṯalayn	الْمَثَلَيْن al-maṯalayn	مَثَلَيْ maṯalay
Nominative	مَثَلَانِ maṯalāni	الْمَثَلَانِ al-maṯalāni	مَثَلَا maṯalā
Accusative	مَثَلَيْنِ maṯalayni	الْمَثَلَيْنِ al-maṯalayni	مَثَلَيْ maṯalay
Genitive	مَثَلَيْنِ maṯalayni	الْمَثَلَيْنِ al-maṯalayni	مَثَلَيْ maṯalay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَمْثَال ʔamṯāl	الْأَمْثَال al-ʔamṯāl	أَمْثَال ʔamṯāl
Nominative	أَمْثَالٌ ʔamṯālun	الْأَمْثَالُ al-ʔamṯālu	أَمْثَالُ ʔamṯālu
Accusative	أَمْثَالًا ʔamṯālan	الْأَمْثَالَ al-ʔamṯāla	أَمْثَالَ ʔamṯāla
Genitive	أَمْثَالٍ ʔamṯālin	الْأَمْثَالِ al-ʔamṯāli	أَمْثَالِ ʔamṯāli

Derived terms

• ضَرَبَ مَثَلًا (ḍaraba maṯalan)

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mu.θul/

Noun

مُثُل • (muṯul) m pl

1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

Etymology 6

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miθ.lu/
• IPA^(key): /miθ.la/
• IPA^(key): /miθ.li/

Preposition

مِثْلُ or مِثْلَ or مِثْلِ • (miṯlu or miṯla or miṯli)

1. similar to, like, as, just as

Inflection

Inflected forms
Base form					مِثْلَ (miṯla)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Dual	Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Common	Masculine	Feminine
First person	مِثْلِي (miṯlī)		مِثْلَنَا (miṯlanā)
Second person	مِثْلَكَ (miṯlaka)	مِثْلَكِ (miṯlaki)	مِثْلَكُمَا (miṯlakumā)	مِثْلَكُمْ (miṯlakum)	مِثْلَكُنَّ (miṯlakunna)
Third person	مِثْلَهُ (miṯlahu)	مِثْلَهَا (miṯlahā)	مِثْلَهُمَا (miṯlahumā)	مِثْلَهُمْ (miṯlahum)	مِثْلَهُنَّ (miṯlahunna)

Synonyms

• كَـ (ka-)

Etymology 7

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /muθl/

Noun

مُثْل • (muṯl) m pl

1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979) “مثل”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

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Persian

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Arabic مَثَل (maṯal).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mæˈsæl]

Noun

Dari	مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik	масал

مثل • (masal)

1. proverb

Related terms

• ضرب‌المثل (zarb-ol-masal)

Etymology 2

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Arabic مِثْل (miṯl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmesl]

Noun

Dari	مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik	мисл

مثل • (mesl)

1. resemblance, similarity

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmesle], [ˈmese]

Preposition

1. like

   مثل تو نیستم.

   Mesl-e to nistam.

   I'm not like you.

   چرا می‌خوای مثل من حرف بزنی؟

   Čerâ mi-xây mesl-e man harf bezani?

   Why do you want to talk like me?

Synonyms

• مانند (mânand)