How to say "to dig" in Arabic

Cognate

Meaningto dig

Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic

حَفَرَ

ḥafaraחפר

حفر

Hebrew · Modern Hebrew

חפר

khafarخَافَار

How the two words are related

Cognate

Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.

Arabic root

ح-ف-ر

Hebrew root

ח-פ-ר

ḥafara is חפר, root for root. Arabic ḥufra (a pit, a hole) is Hebrew's own חפירה — a dig, in both senses of the word.

حَفَرَ بِئْر

ḥafara biʾrחפר באר

He dug a well