qabel

Maltese

Root
q-b-l
8 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʔa.bɛl/
• Rhymes: -abɛl

Etymology 1

From Arabic قَبْلَ (qabla).

Preposition

qabel

1. (temporal) before; prior to

   Antonym: wara

   • 2022, Alfred Massa, Il-Ħarba, Horizons, →ISBN, page 5:

     Dan minħabba l-interess li dejjem wera għat-tagħlim ferm qabel il-Griegi u r-Rumani.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2018, Antoinette Borg, Amina, Merlin Publishers, →ISBN:

     Setgħet ġibdet lejn il-Mellieħa, mit-triq jew mill-passaġġ, jew qabdet it-triq tal-Imġiebaħ, inkella minn ħdejn il-lukanda għan-naħa t’Għajn Ħadid, jew jista’ jkun anke telqet lejn Forti Campbell iktar kmieni, qabel ma wasalt jien.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• Unlike the Arabic etymon, not used for “ago”, for which ilu.

Inflection

Inflected forms of qabel
Personal-pronoun- including forms		singular		plural
		m	f
1st person		qabli		qabilna
2nd person		qablek		qabilkom
3rd person		qablu	qabilha	qabilhom

See also

• quddiem

Etymology 2

From Arabic قَبِلَ (qabila).

Verb

qabel (imperfect jaqbel, past participle maqbul, verbal noun qbil)

1. (with ma’) to agree with; to assent to

   Ma naqbilx magħha, imma għandha dritt tgħid li trid.

   I don’t agree with her, but she has a right to say what she wants.

2. (with ma’) to agree with; to be in line with; to match
3. (obsolete) to precede

Conjugation

Conjugation of qabel
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	qbilt	qbilt	qabel		qbilna	qbiltu	qablu
	f			qablet
imperfect	m	naqbel	taqbel	jaqbel		naqblu	taqblu	jaqblu
	f			taqbel
imperative			aqbel				aqblu