غریب

See also: غريب

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ɣa.ˈɾiːβ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíːb]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ɣä.ɾíb̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [qæ.ɹíːb̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʁä.ɾíb]

Readings
Classical reading?	ğarīḇ
Dari reading?	ğarīb
Iranian reading?	ğarib
Tajik reading?	ġarib

Noun

Dari	غریب
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ғариб

غریب • (ğarib) (plural غریب‌ها (ğarib-hâ) or غریبان (ğaribân))

1. stranger

   Synonym: غریبه (ğaribe)

Usage notes

The words غریب (ğarib), غریبی (ğaribi), and غربت (ğorbat) are used when talking from the point of view of the foreigner, e.g. when the speaker himself/herself is a foreigner; for example:

اینجا تو آلمان خیلی غریبم.

I [feel] so much [like] a foreigner here in Germany.

غم غربت پدرمو در آورد.

ğam-e ğorbat pedaramo dar âvord.

I'm sick and tired of the pain of foreignness.

غریبی نکن! باهام حرف بزن.

Don't feel to be a stranger! Talk with me.

Derived terms

• غریبی (ğaribi)

Related terms

• غربت (ğorbat)

Adjective

غریب • (ğarib) (comparative غریب‌تَر (ğarib-tar), superlative غریب‌تَرین (ğarib-tarin))

1. strange
   • 10th Century, Ferdowsi, Shahname.
   • غریب آهوئی آمدم در کمند
     که از بند جست و مرا کرد بند.
2. rare
   • 12th Century, Nizami Ganjavi, Khamse.
   • به وقت خورش هرکه باشد طبیب
     بپرهیزد از خورده های غریب
3. foreign, alien
   • 14th Century, Hafez, Divan-e Hafez-e Shirazi.
   • گر آمدم به کوی تو چندان غریب نیست
     چون من در آن دیار هزاران غریب هست

Inflection

Predicative forms of غریب (ğarib)

	singular	plural
1st person (“I am, we are”)	غریبم (ğaribam)	غریبیم (ğaribim)
2nd person (“you are”)	غریبی (ğaribi)	غریبید، غریبین△ (ğaribid, ğaribin△)
3rd person (“he/she/it is, they are”)	غریب است، غریبه△ (ğarib ast, ğaribe△)	غریبند، غریبن△ (ğariband, ğariban△)

^△ Colloquial.

Punjabi

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic غَرُبَ (ḡaruba)

Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb)bor.

Classical Persian غَرِیب (ğarīb)bor.

Punjabi غَرِیب (ġarīb)

Borrowed from Classical Persian غَرِیب (ğarīb), borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb), from غَرُبَ (ḡaruba).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /ɣə.ɾiːb/, [ɣɐ.ɾiːbᵊ]
  • (rustic or India) IPA^(key): [ɡɐ.ɾiːbᵊ]

Adjective

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) (indeclinable, Gurmukhi spelling ਗ਼ਰੀਬ)

1. poor (as opposed to rich)

   Antonym: اَمِیر (amīr)

2. poor; helpless
3. (figuratively) meek, humble
4. (literally, rare) strange

Noun

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਗ਼ਰੀਬ)

1. a poor person
2. (in the plural) the poor; destitute, working class

Declension

Declension of غریب

	singular	plural
direct	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیب (ġarīb)
oblique	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیباں (ġarībāṉ)
vocative	غَرِیبا (ġarībā)	غَرِیبو (ġarībo)
ablative	غَرِیبوں (ġarīboṉ)	غَرِیباں (ġarībāṉ)
locative	غَرِیبے (ġarībe)	غَرِیبِیں (ġarībīṉ)
instrumental	غَرِیبوں (ġarīboṉ)	–

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “غرِیب”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012) “غریب”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “ਗਰੀਬ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025

Urdu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic غَرُبَ (ḡaruba)

Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb)bor.

Classical Persian غَرِیب (ğarīb)bor.

Urdu غَرِیب (ġarīb)

Borrowed from Classical Persian غَرِیب (ğarīb), borrowed from Arabic غَرِيب (ḡarīb), from غَرُبَ (ḡaruba).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɣə.ɾiːb/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːb
• Hyphenation: غَ‧رِیب

Adjective

غَرِیب • (ġarīb) (indeclinable, Hindi spelling ग़रीब)

1. poor, lowly

   وہ ایک غریب لکڑہارے سے لکڑی کٹوانے گیا ہے۔

   He is gone to get the wood cut by a poor carpenter.

Declension

Declension of غریب

	singular	plural
direct	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیب (ġarīb)
oblique	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیبوں (ġarībõ)
vocative	غَرِیب (ġarīb)	غَرِیبو (ġarībo)

Descendants

• → Phalura: ɣaríb