لطيف

See also: لطیف

Arabic

Root
ل ط ف (l-ṭ-f)

Etymology

فَعِيل (faʕīl)-type stative-verb derived from the active participle from the verb لَطُفَ (laṭufa, “to be kind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /la.tˤiːf/
• Rhymes: -iːf

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

لَطِيف • (laṭīf) (feminine لَطِيفَة (laṭīfa), common plural لِطَاف (liṭāf), masculine plural لَطِيفُونَ (laṭīfūna) or لُطَفَاء (luṭafāʔ), feminine plural لَطِيفَات (laṭīfāt) or لَطَائِف (laṭāʔif), elative أَلْطَف (ʔalṭaf))

1. thin, fine, delicate, dainty
2. little, small, cute
3. gentle, soft, light, mild
4. pleasant, agreeable
5. amiable, friendly, kind, nice
6. civil, courteous, polite, refined
7. charming, lovely, graceful, elegant

Usage notes

اللَّطِيف (al-laṭīf, “the All-gentle, the Kind”) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Declension

Declension of adjective لَطِيف (laṭīf)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	لَطِيف laṭīf	اللَّطِيف al-laṭīf	لَطِيفَة laṭīfa	اللَّطِيفَة al-laṭīfa
Nominative	لَطِيفٌ laṭīfun	اللَّطِيفُ al-laṭīfu	لَطِيفَةٌ laṭīfatun	اللَّطِيفَةُ al-laṭīfatu
Accusative	لَطِيفًا laṭīfan	اللَّطِيفَ al-laṭīfa	لَطِيفَةً laṭīfatan	اللَّطِيفَةَ al-laṭīfata
Genitive	لَطِيفٍ laṭīfin	اللَّطِيفِ al-laṭīfi	لَطِيفَةٍ laṭīfatin	اللَّطِيفَةِ al-laṭīfati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	لَطِيفَيْن laṭīfayn	اللَّطِيفَيْن al-laṭīfayn	لَطِيفَتَيْن laṭīfatayn	اللَّطِيفَتَيْن al-laṭīfatayn
Nominative	لَطِيفَانِ laṭīfāni	اللَّطِيفَانِ al-laṭīfāni	لَطِيفَتَانِ laṭīfatāni	اللَّطِيفَتَانِ al-laṭīfatāni
Accusative	لَطِيفَيْنِ laṭīfayni	اللَّطِيفَيْنِ al-laṭīfayni	لَطِيفَتَيْنِ laṭīfatayni	اللَّطِيفَتَيْنِ al-laṭīfatayni
Genitive	لَطِيفَيْنِ laṭīfayni	اللَّطِيفَيْنِ al-laṭīfayni	لَطِيفَتَيْنِ laṭīfatayni	اللَّطِيفَتَيْنِ al-laṭīfatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote‎; basic broken plural triptote		sound feminine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	لَطِيفِين‎; لُطَفَاء‎; لِطَاف laṭīfīn‎; luṭafāʔ‎; liṭāf	اللَّطِيفِين‎; اللُّطَفَاء‎; اللِّطَاف al-laṭīfīn‎; al-luṭafāʔ‎; al-liṭāf	لَطِيفَات‎; لَطَائِف‎; لِطَاف laṭīfāt‎; laṭāʔif‎; liṭāf	اللَّطِيفَات‎; اللَّطَائِف‎; اللِّطَاف al-laṭīfāt‎; al-laṭāʔif‎; al-liṭāf
Nominative	لَطِيفُونَ‎; لُطَفَاءُ‎; لِطَافٌ laṭīfūna‎; luṭafāʔu‎; liṭāfun	اللَّطِيفُونَ‎; اللُّطَفَاءُ‎; اللِّطَافُ al-laṭīfūna‎; al-luṭafāʔu‎; al-liṭāfu	لَطِيفَاتٌ‎; لَطَائِفُ‎; لِطَافٌ laṭīfātun‎; laṭāʔifu‎; liṭāfun	اللَّطِيفَاتُ‎; اللَّطَائِفُ‎; اللِّطَافُ al-laṭīfātu‎; al-laṭāʔifu‎; al-liṭāfu
Accusative	لَطِيفِينَ‎; لُطَفَاءَ‎; لِطَافًا laṭīfīna‎; luṭafāʔa‎; liṭāfan	اللَّطِيفِينَ‎; اللُّطَفَاءَ‎; اللِّطَافَ al-laṭīfīna‎; al-luṭafāʔa‎; al-liṭāfa	لَطِيفَاتٍ‎; لَطَائِفَ‎; لِطَافًا laṭīfātin‎; laṭāʔifa‎; liṭāfan	اللَّطِيفَاتِ‎; اللَّطَائِفَ‎; اللِّطَافَ al-laṭīfāti‎; al-laṭāʔifa‎; al-liṭāfa
Genitive	لَطِيفِينَ‎; لُطَفَاءَ‎; لِطَافٍ laṭīfīna‎; luṭafāʔa‎; liṭāfin	اللَّطِيفِينَ‎; اللُّطَفَاءِ‎; اللِّطَافِ al-laṭīfīna‎; al-luṭafāʔi‎; al-liṭāfi	لَطِيفَاتٍ‎; لَطَائِفَ‎; لِطَافٍ laṭīfātin‎; laṭāʔifa‎; liṭāfin	اللَّطِيفَاتِ‎; اللَّطَائِفِ‎; اللِّطَافِ al-laṭīfāti‎; al-laṭāʔifi‎; al-liṭāfi

Related terms

• الْجِنْس اللَّطِيف (al-jins al-laṭīf)
• عَبْد اللَّطِيف (ʕabd al-laṭīf)
• يَا لَطِيف (yā laṭīf)

Descendants

• → Turkish: latif

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979) “لطف”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic لَطِيف (laṭīf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /la.tˤiːf/, [lɑˈtˤiːf]

• Audio (Jerusalem)

  (file)

Adjective

لطيف • (laṭīf) (feminine لطيفة (laṭīfe), common plural لطفا (luṭafa), elative ألطف (ʔalṭaf))

1. pleasant, kind, nice
2. delicate, elegant, refined

Derived terms

• يا لطيف (yā laṭīf, “Oh God!”)