فن

See also: فت, قب, and قن

Arabic

Etymology

From Classical Persian پند (pand, “knack, trick”). Semantic development resembles Ancient Greek τέχνη (tékhnē) and Latin ars.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fann/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

فَنّ • (fann) m (plural فُنُون (funūn) or أَفْنَان (ʔafnān) or أَفَانِين (ʔafānīn))

1. genre

   اَلْغَزَلُ فَنٌّ مِنْ فُنُونِ الشِّعْرِ

   al-ḡazalu fannun min funūni aš-šiʕri

   The ghazal is a genre of poetry.

   (literally, “The ghazal is a genre from among the genres of poetry.”)

2. art
3. (archaic) knack, trick, artifice
4. (obsolete) quarrel, ruffle, trouble
   • a. 800, أبو زيد سعيد بن أوس الأنصاري [ʔabū zayd saʕīd ibn ʔaws al-ʔanṣārīy], كتاب النوادر [Buch der Seltenheiten]:
     Fleischer, Heinrich Leberecht (1888) Kleinere Schriften‎^[1] (in German), volume 3, Leipzig: S. Hirzel, pages 483–484:

     لَأَجْعَلَنْ لِإْبْنَةِ عَمْرٍو فَنَّا … حَتَّى يَكُونَ مَهْرُهَا دُهْدُنَّا

     laʔajʕalan liʔibnati ʕamrin fannā … ḥattā yakūna mahruhā duhdunnā

     Verily I will cause a dispute about ʕamr’s daughter … so her marriage portion will be vain

5. (obsolete) adornment, decoration, embellishment
6. (archaic) sort, species, type
7. (obsolete) state, condition, case

Declension

Declension of noun فَنّ (fann)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	فَنّ fann	الْفَنّ al-fann	فَنّ fann
Nominative	فَنٌّ fannun	الْفَنُّ al-fannu	فَنُّ fannu
Accusative	فَنًّا fannan	الْفَنَّ al-fanna	فَنَّ fanna
Genitive	فَنٍّ fannin	الْفَنِّ al-fanni	فَنِّ fanni
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	فَنَّيْن fannayn	الْفَنَّيْن al-fannayn	فَنَّيْ fannay
Nominative	فَنَّانِ fannāni	الْفَنَّانِ al-fannāni	فَنَّا fannā
Accusative	فَنَّيْنِ fannayni	الْفَنَّيْنِ al-fannayni	فَنَّيْ fannay
Genitive	فَنَّيْنِ fannayni	الْفَنَّيْنِ al-fannayni	فَنَّيْ fannay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote‎; basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	فُنُون‎; أَفْنَان‎; أَفَانِين funūn‎; ʔafnān‎; ʔafānīn	الْفُنُون‎; الْأَفْنَان‎; الْأَفَانِين al-funūn‎; al-ʔafnān‎; al-ʔafānīn	فُنُون‎; أَفْنَان‎; أَفَانِين funūn‎; ʔafnān‎; ʔafānīn
Nominative	فُنُونٌ‎; أَفْنَانٌ‎; أَفَانِينُ funūnun‎; ʔafnānun‎; ʔafānīnu	الْفُنُونُ‎; الْأَفْنَانُ‎; الْأَفَانِينُ al-funūnu‎; al-ʔafnānu‎; al-ʔafānīnu	فُنُونُ‎; أَفْنَانُ‎; أَفَانِينُ funūnu‎; ʔafnānu‎; ʔafānīnu
Accusative	فُنُونًا‎; أَفْنَانًا‎; أَفَانِينَ funūnan‎; ʔafnānan‎; ʔafānīna	الْفُنُونَ‎; الْأَفْنَانَ‎; الْأَفَانِينَ al-funūna‎; al-ʔafnāna‎; al-ʔafānīna	فُنُونَ‎; أَفْنَانَ‎; أَفَانِينَ funūna‎; ʔafnāna‎; ʔafānīna
Genitive	فُنُونٍ‎; أَفْنَانٍ‎; أَفَانِينَ funūnin‎; ʔafnānin‎; ʔafānīna	الْفُنُونِ‎; الْأَفْنَانِ‎; الْأَفَانِينِ al-funūni‎; al-ʔafnāni‎; al-ʔafānīni	فُنُونِ‎; أَفْنَانِ‎; أَفَانِينِ funūni‎; ʔafnāni‎; ʔafānīni

Derived terms

• فَنَّ (fanna)
• فَنَّنَ (fannana, “to make various sorts, to medley”)
• فَنَن (fanan, “branch of a tree”)
• فَيْنَان (faynān, “having abundant hairlocks”)
• فَنّاء (fannāʔ), فَنْوَاء (fanwāʔ, “branched”)
• تَفَنَّنَ (tafannana, “to make various sorts”)
• اِفْتَنَّ (iftanna, “to produce various groups of, to expatiate”)
• اِسْتَْفَنَّ (istafanna, “to incite; to cause to be dispersed”)
• مِفَنّ (mifann, “who performs various sorts”)
• فَنّان (fannān, “who performs various sorts; artist”)

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: فن (fann)
• → Azerbaijani: fənn
• → Bashkir: фән (fən)
• → Hausa: fannī̀
• → Kazakh: пән (pän)
• → Persian: فن (fann)
• → Swahili: fani
• → Turkish: fen
• → Uyghur: پەن (pen)
• → Uzbek: fan

Verb

فَنَّ • (fanna) I, non-past يَفُنُّ‎ (yafunnu) (obsolete)

1. to cheat, to defraud, to finesse
2. to cause trouble to, to weary, to embarrass
3. to adorn, to decorate, to embellish

Conjugation

Conjugation of

فَنَّ

(form-I geminate, verbal noun فَنّ)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						فَنّ fann
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						فَانّ fānn
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَفْنُون mafnūn
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	فَنَنْتُ fanantu	فَنَنْتَ fananta	فَنَّ fanna		فَنَنْتُمَا fanantumā	فَنَّا fannā		فَنَنَّا fanannā	فَنَنْتُمْ fanantum	فَنُّوا fannū
	f		فَنَنْتِ fananti	فَنَّتْ fannat			فَنَّتَا fannatā			فَنَنْتُنَّ fanantunna	فَنَنَّ fananna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَفُنُّ ʔafunnu	تَفُنُّ tafunnu	يَفُنُّ yafunnu		تَفُنَّانِ tafunnāni	يَفُنَّانِ yafunnāni		نَفُنُّ nafunnu	تَفُنُّونَ tafunnūna	يَفُنُّونَ yafunnūna
	f		تَفُنِّينَ tafunnīna	تَفُنُّ tafunnu			تَفُنَّانِ tafunnāni			تَفْنُنَّ tafnunna	يَفْنُنَّ yafnunna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَفُنَّ ʔafunna	تَفُنَّ tafunna	يَفُنَّ yafunna		تَفُنَّا tafunnā	يَفُنَّا yafunnā		نَفُنَّ nafunna	تَفُنُّوا tafunnū	يَفُنُّوا yafunnū
	f		تَفُنِّي tafunnī	تَفُنَّ tafunna			تَفُنَّا tafunnā			تَفْنُنَّ tafnunna	يَفْنُنَّ yafnunna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَفُنَّ or أَفُنِّ or أَفْنُنْ ʔafunna or ʔafunni or ʔafnun	تَفُنَّ or تَفُنِّ or تَفْنُنْ tafunna or tafunni or tafnun	يَفُنَّ or يَفُنِّ or يَفْنُنْ yafunna or yafunni or yafnun		تَفُنَّا tafunnā	يَفُنَّا yafunnā		نَفُنَّ or نَفُنِّ or نَفْنُنْ nafunna or nafunni or nafnun	تَفُنُّوا tafunnū	يَفُنُّوا yafunnū
	f		تَفُنِّي tafunnī	تَفُنَّ or تَفُنِّ or تَفْنُنْ tafunna or tafunni or tafnun			تَفُنَّا tafunnā			تَفْنُنَّ tafnunna	يَفْنُنَّ yafnunna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		فُنَّ or فُنِّ or اُفْنُنْ funna or funni or ufnun			فُنَّا funnā				فُنُّوا funnū
	f		فُنِّي funnī							اُفْنُنَّ ufnunna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	فُنِنْتُ funintu	فُنِنْتَ funinta	فُنَّ funna		فُنِنْتُمَا funintumā	فُنَّا funnā		فُنِنَّا funinnā	فُنِنْتُمْ funintum	فُنُّوا funnū
	f		فُنِنْتِ funinti	فُنَّتْ funnat			فُنَّتَا funnatā			فُنِنْتُنَّ funintunna	فُنِنَّ funinna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُفَنُّ ʔufannu	تُفَنُّ tufannu	يُفَنُّ yufannu		تُفَنَّانِ tufannāni	يُفَنَّانِ yufannāni		نُفَنُّ nufannu	تُفَنُّونَ tufannūna	يُفَنُّونَ yufannūna
	f		تُفَنِّينَ tufannīna	تُفَنُّ tufannu			تُفَنَّانِ tufannāni			تُفْنَنَّ tufnanna	يُفْنَنَّ yufnanna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُفَنَّ ʔufanna	تُفَنَّ tufanna	يُفَنَّ yufanna		تُفَنَّا tufannā	يُفَنَّا yufannā		نُفَنَّ nufanna	تُفَنُّوا tufannū	يُفَنُّوا yufannū
	f		تُفَنِّي tufannī	تُفَنَّ tufanna			تُفَنَّا tufannā			تُفْنَنَّ tufnanna	يُفْنَنَّ yufnanna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُفَنَّ or أُفَنِّ or أُفْنَنْ ʔufanna or ʔufanni or ʔufnan	تُفَنَّ or تُفَنِّ or تُفْنَنْ tufanna or tufanni or tufnan	يُفَنَّ or يُفَنِّ or يُفْنَنْ yufanna or yufanni or yufnan		تُفَنَّا tufannā	يُفَنَّا yufannā		نُفَنَّ or نُفَنِّ or نُفْنَنْ nufanna or nufanni or nufnan	تُفَنُّوا tufannū	يُفَنُّوا yufannū
	f		تُفَنِّي tufannī	تُفَنَّ or تُفَنِّ or تُفْنَنْ tufanna or tufanni or tufnan			تُفَنَّا tufannā			تُفْنَنَّ tufnanna	يُفْنَنَّ yufnanna

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic فَنّ (fann).

Noun

فن • (fann) m

1. art

Persian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic فَنّ (fann), from Persian پند (pand, “knack, trick”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [fan], [fann]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [fän], [fänn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [fän], [fänn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [fän], [fänn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [fän], [fänn]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [fæn], [fænn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [fän], [fänn]

Readings
Classical reading?	fan, fann
Dari reading?	fan, fann
Iranian reading?	fan, fann
Tajik reading?	fan, fann

Noun

فن • (fann) (plural فن‌ها (fann-hâ) or فنون (fonun))

1. technique; method

   Synonym: تکنیک (teknik)

   فنون روایت ― fonun-e revâyat ― narrative techniques

   فنون نفوذ ― fonun-e nofuz ― infiltration methods

   فنون ماهیگیری ― fonun-e mâhigiri ― fishing methods

2. trick; ruse
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume I, verse 379:

     موش تا انبار ما حفره زده ست
     وز فنش انبار ما ویران شده ست

     mūš tā anbār-i mā hufra zada-st
     w-az fan-aš anbar-i mā wērān šuda-st

     Since the mouse has made a hole in our barn, and our barn has been ravaged by its guile […]

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English fan.

Pronunciation

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [fæn]

Readings
Iranian reading?	fan

Noun

فن • (fan) (plural فن‌ها (fan-hâ))

1. industrial fan; blower
2. Synonym of پنکه (panke, “electrical fan (used in houses)”).

Etymology 3

Borrowed from English fan, short for fanatic.

Pronunciation

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [fæn]

Readings
Iranian reading?	fan

Noun

فن • (fan) (plural فن‌ها (fan-hâ))

1. fan (strong supporter)

   Synonym: هوادار (havâdâr)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian فن (fan), from Arabic فَنّ (fann), from earlier Persian پند (pand).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /fən/

Noun

فَن • (fan) m (Hindi spelling फ़न)

1. art, craft, skill
2. trick, deception, artifice

References

• “فن”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “فن”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.