How to say "to know" in Arabic
New wordMeaningto know
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
عَرَفَ
ʿarafaערף
عرف
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
ידע
yadaيَادَا
How the two words are related
New word
No Hebrew relative — learn it fresh.
Arabic root
ع-ر-فLearn it
On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
عِرِف
ʿirifערףCairo: ʿirif; mish ʿārif — 'I don't know'.
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
عْرف
ʿrefערףDarija: ʿref; mā ʿreftsh — 'I don't know'.
In a phrase
عَرَفَ الْجَوَاب
ʿarafa al-jawābערף אל-ג'ואבHe knew the answer