How to say "relative" in Arabic
CognateMeaningrelative
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
قَرِيب
qarībקריב
قريب
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
קרוב משפחה
krov mishpakhaكْرُوڤ مِشْپَاخَا
How the two words are related
Cognate
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ق-ر-بHebrew root
ק-ר-בQarīb means both 'near' and 'relative' — exactly like Hebrew karov (קרוב): same root, same double meaning. A krov mishpacha is a qarīb.
Related Hebrew word:קרובkarovكَارُوڤ
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In a phrase
هُوَ قَرِيبِي
huwa qarībīהו קריביHe is my relative.
The root family
ق-ر-بק-ר-ב· nearness
קרוב and qarīb both mean "near" AND "a relative" — the double meaning survives intact in both languages. The sacrifices match too: קרבן and qurbān are both the offering you bring near. And taqrīban "approximately" preserves a fossilized tanwin — one of the few places you still hear Classical Arabic's old -an ending in everyday speech.
- قَرِيب qarībnear; a relativeקָרוֹבnear; a relative — both senses shared
- تَقْرِيبًا taqrībanapproximately, almost
- قَرَّبَ qarrabahe brought nearקֵרֵבhe brought near
- قُرْبَان qurbānoffering, sacrificeקָרְבָּןsacrifice — what is brought near
- قَرَابَة qarābakinshipקִרְבָהcloseness, kinship