3.1: Understanding the Verb فضّل and the Adjective مفضل
- Page ID
- 278233
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In this section, you will be able to:
- Understand and use the verb "فضّل" (to prefer) and the adjective مفضل (favorite).
- Express preferences and favorites in everyday contexts.
Introduction
In Arabic, فضّل is a commonly used verb meaning “to prefer”, while مفضل is an adjective meaning “favorite” or “preferred”. Both are valuable for expressing preferences, choices, and favorites in conversations. Understanding the difference between فضّل (to prefer) and مفضل (favorite/preferred) allows you to express your preferences and favorites more effectively in Arabic.
Part 1: The Verb فضّل (to prefer)
فضّل follows Form II (وزن فعّل), which often conveys intensification or causation. This pattern typically has a المصدر (verbal noun) in the form تفعيل. In this case, the المصدر of فضّل is التفضيل, meaning "preference" or "favoring."
Conjugation of فضّل in Present Tense
| Audio | The Verb in the Sentence | Meaning | Conjugation | Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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أفضّل القهوة على الشاي | I prefer | أفضّل | أنا |
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نحنُ نفضّلُ السِّباحَة في المساء | We prefer | نفضّل | نحن |
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هل تفضّل شربَ الشاي بعدَ الظّهر؟ | You (m) prefer | تفضّل | أنتَ |
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هل تفضّلين الرياضة في الصباح أم في المساء؟ | You (f) prefer | تفضّلين | أنتِ |
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هل تفضلون التَّسوق في الأسواقِ الشَّعبية، يا شباب؟ | You (pl) prefer | تفضّلون | أنتم |
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يُفضّل أحمد قراءة الكتب بدلاً من مشاهدة التلفاز | He prefers | يفضّل | هو |
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تفضّلُ السفرَ في الصيف عَنْ الشتاء | She prefers | تفضّل | هي |
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هُم يفضلون الأفلام العربية | They prefer | يفضّلون | هم |
Using the مصدر (Verbal Noun) التفضيل
التفضيل is used to discuss preference in a more abstract sense, much like “preference” in English.
-
أشعر بالتفضيل عند السفر بالباص
(I feel a preference for traveling by bus.) -
التفضيل بين القراءة والكتابة
(Preference between reading and writing.) -
تفضيل المشي على التنس
(Prefer walking to tennis..)
Part 2: The Adjective مفضل (Favorite/Preferred)
The adjective مفضل describes something that is favored or preferred by someone. It is often used with the definite article "ال" (making it المفضل), as in “my favorite” or “the preferred one.”
Usage and Agreement with Gender and Number
In Arabic, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in gender (masculine or feminine), number (singular, dual, or plural), and definiteness (whether the noun is definite or indefinite). For example, if we say لوني المفضل (my favorite color), مفضل is masculine and singular to match لون. Similarly, if the noun is feminine, such as رياضة (sport), we use مفضلة to form رياضي المفضلة (my favorite sport). This agreement helps clarify and accurately express meaning in sentences.
In Arabic, adjectives agree with nouns in number: singular nouns take singular adjectives, while plural nouns take plural adjectives. For example, with a singular noun like قميص (shirt), we say قميصي المفضل (my favorite shirt), but with a plural noun like قمصان (shirts), it becomes قمصاني المفضلة (my favorite shirts). This agreement ensures clarity in describing quantities.
- مفضل (m) / مفضلة (f) – Singular
In Arabic, adjectives also follow sound plural agreement. For masculine sound plurals, the adjective takes the ون/ين ending, while feminine sound plurals take ات. For example:
- Masculine plural: طلاب مفضلون (favorite students)
- Feminine plural: معلمات مفضلات (favorite teachers)
Example Sentences
-
فصلي المفضل هو الربيع.
(My favorite season is spring.) -
اللون الأزرق هو لوني المفضل.
(Blue is my favorite color.) -
مدينة باريس مفضلة لدى الكثير من السياح.
(Paris is a favorite city among many tourists.) -
أفلام الكوميديا هي الأفلام المفضلة لديّ.
(Comedy movies are my favorite films.) -
هذا الكتاب مفضل عند أختي.
(This book is my sister’s favorite.)
In these sentences, مفضل describes the thing that is most liked or preferred by the person.
Activities
Query \(\PageIndex{3}\)
Check Your Understanding
- Write 5–6 sentences describing your favorites. Use مفضل/مفضلة and the verb فضَّل.
- Examples:
- لوني المفضل هو الأخضر
- أحب البيتزا، فهي طعامي المفضل
- مدينتي المفضلة هي القاهرة.
- Examples:
- With a partner, take turns asking and answering questions using the verb "تفضّل".
- Example Questions:
- هل تفضّل القهوة أم الشاي؟
- هل تفضّلين الدراسة في الصباح أم في المساء؟
- ما الفيلم الذي تفضّله؟ ولماذا؟
- هل تفضّلين السفر إلى المدن الكبيرة أم الصغيرة؟
- هل تفضلون الجري أم المشي؟
- Example Questions:
- Record a short interview with your classmate in Arabic. Take turns asking and answering the questions below. Make sure to speak clearly and use complete sentences. Then, upload your recording to share with the class. Keep your recording between 1 and 2 minutes. Questions to include in your interview:
- ما هو مكانُك المُفضَّل في مدينتك؟ ولماذا؟
- هل تفضّل الذَّهابَ إلى السُّوق أوْ الحَديقَة؟ ولماذا؟َّ