خير

خير

See also: جير‎, چیز‎, خیز‎, خیر‎, جيز‎, and خ ي ر‎

Algerian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic خَيْر‎ (ḵayr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xiːr/

Noun

خير (ḵīr) m

1. goodness, good

---

Arabic

Etymology

From the root خ ي ر‎ (ḵ-y-r).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xajr/
• Moroccan: IPA^(key): /xajr/, /xiːr/
• Egyptian: IPA^(key): /xiːr/, /xeːr/
• Kuwaiti: IPA^(key): /xeːr/
• Jordanian: IPA^(key): /xeːr/

Noun

خَيْر • (ḵayr) m (plural خِيَار‎ (ḵiyār) or خُيُور‎ (ḵuyūr) or أَخْيَار‎ (ʾaḵyār))

1. goodness, good

   ‏بِخَيْرٍ‎ ― biḵayrin ― well

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 17:11:

     ‏وَيَدْعُ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ بِٱلشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِٱلْخَيْرِ‎

     wayadʿu l-ʾinsānu bi-š-šarri duʿāʾahū bi-l-ḵayri

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 99:7-8:

     ‏فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ / وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ‎

     fa-man yaʿmal miṯqāla ḏarratin ḵayran yarahu / wa-man yaʿmal miṯqāla ḏarratin šarran yarahu

     So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, / And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.

2. charity; welfare
3. (archaic) wealth; money
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 100:8:

     ‏وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ ٱلْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ‎

     waʾinnahu liḥubbi l-ḵayri lašadīdun

     And indeed he is, in love of wealth, intense.

Declension

Declension of noun خَيْر (ḵayr)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	خَيْر ḵayr	الْخَيْر‎ al-ḵayr	خَيْر ḵayr
Nominative	خَيْرٌ ḵayrun	الْخَيْرُ‎ al-ḵayru	خَيْرُ ḵayru
Accusative	خَيْرًا‎ ḵayran	الْخَيْرَ‎ al-ḵayra	خَيْرَ ḵayra
Genitive	خَيْرٍ ḵayrin	الْخَيْرِ‎ al-ḵayri	خَيْرِ ḵayri
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	خَيْرَيْن‎ ḵayrayn	الْخَيْرَيْن‎ al-ḵayrayn	خَيْرَيْ‎ ḵayray
Nominative	خَيْرَانِ‎ ḵayrāni	الْخَيْرَانِ‎ al-ḵayrāni	خَيْرَا‎ ḵayrā
Accusative	خَيْرَيْنِ‎ ḵayrayni	الْخَيْرَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayrayni	خَيْرَيْ‎ ḵayray
Genitive	خَيْرَيْنِ‎ ḵayrayni	الْخَيْرَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayrayni	خَيْرَيْ‎ ḵayray
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	خِيَار‎‎; خُيُور‎‎; أَخْيَار‎ ḵiyār‎; ḵuyūr‎; ʾaḵyār	الْخِيَار‎‎; الْخُيُور‎‎; الْأَخْيَار‎ al-ḵiyār‎; al-ḵuyūr‎; al-ʾaḵyār	خِيَار‎‎; خُيُور‎‎; أَخْيَار‎ ḵiyār‎; ḵuyūr‎; ʾaḵyār
Nominative	خِيَارٌ‎‎; خُيُورٌ‎‎; أَخْيَارٌ‎ ḵiyārun‎; ḵuyūrun‎; ʾaḵyārun	الْخِيَارُ‎‎; الْخُيُورُ‎‎; الْأَخْيَارُ‎ al-ḵiyāru‎; al-ḵuyūru‎; al-ʾaḵyāru	خِيَارُ‎‎; خُيُورُ‎‎; أَخْيَارُ‎ ḵiyāru‎; ḵuyūru‎; ʾaḵyāru
Accusative	خِيَارًا‎‎; خُيُورًا‎‎; أَخْيَارًا‎ ḵiyāran‎; ḵuyūran‎; ʾaḵyāran	الْخِيَارَ‎‎; الْخُيُورَ‎‎; الْأَخْيَارَ‎ al-ḵiyāra‎; al-ḵuyūra‎; al-ʾaḵyāra	خِيَارَ‎‎; خُيُورَ‎‎; أَخْيَارَ‎ ḵiyāra‎; ḵuyūra‎; ʾaḵyāra
Genitive	خِيَارٍ‎‎; خُيُورٍ‎‎; أَخْيَارٍ‎ ḵiyārin‎; ḵuyūrin‎; ʾaḵyārin	الْخِيَارِ‎‎; الْخُيُورِ‎‎; الْأَخْيَارِ‎ al-ḵiyāri‎; al-ḵuyūri‎; al-ʾaḵyāri	خِيَارِ‎‎; خُيُورِ‎‎; أَخْيَارِ‎ ḵiyāri‎; ḵuyūri‎; ʾaḵyāri

Antonyms

• شَرّ‎ (šarr)

Derived terms

• صَبَاحُ ٱلْخَيْرِ‎ (ṣabāḥu l-ḵayri)
• تُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْرٍ‎ (tuṣbiḥu ʿalā ḵayrin)
• بِخَيْرٍ‎ (biḵayrin)
• مَسَاءُ ٱلْخَيْرِ‎ (masāʾu l-ḵayri)

Descendants

• Maltese: ħajr
• → Azerbaijani: xeyir
• → Armenian: խեր (xer)
• → Bashkir: хәйер (xäyer)
• → Georgian: ხეირი (xeiri)
• → Old Armenian: խայրի (xayri) (possibly)
• → Ottoman Turkish: خیر‎
  • Turkish: hayır
  • → Greek: χαΐρι (chaḯri)
• → Persian: خیر‎ (xeyr)
  • → Hindustani:

    Hindi: ख़ैर (xair)

    Urdu: خیر‎ (xair)

  • → Ottoman Turkish: خیر‎ (hayır)

  → Turkish: hayır

  • → Punjabi: ਖੈਰ (khair)
• → Swahili: heri
• → Somali: khayr
• → Uyghur: خەير‎ (xeyr)
• → Uzbek: xayr

Verb

خَيَّرَ • (ḵayyara) II, non-past يُخَيِّرُ‎‎ (yuḵayyiru)

1. to grant a choice, to let choose

Conjugation

Conjugation of

خَيَّرَ

(form-II sound)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَخْيِير‎ taḵyīr
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُخَيِّر‎ muḵayyir
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُخَيَّر‎ muḵayyar
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	خَيَّرْتُ‎ ḵayyartu	خَيَّرْتَ‎ ḵayyarta	خَيَّرَ ḵayyara		خَيَّرْتُمَا‎ ḵayyartumā	خَيَّرَا‎ ḵayyarā		خَيَّرْنَا‎ ḵayyarnā	خَيَّرْتُمْ‎ ḵayyartum	خَيَّرُوا‎ ḵayyarū
	f		خَيَّرْتِ‎ ḵayyarti	خَيَّرَتْ‎ ḵayyarat			خَيَّرَتَا‎ ḵayyaratā			خَيَّرْتُنَّ‎ ḵayyartunna	خَيَّرْنَ‎ ḵayyarna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُخَيِّرُ‎ ʾuḵayyiru	تُخَيِّرُ‎ tuḵayyiru	يُخَيِّرُ‎ yuḵayyiru		تُخَيِّرَانِ‎ tuḵayyirāni	يُخَيِّرَانِ‎ yuḵayyirāni		نُخَيِّرُ‎ nuḵayyiru	تُخَيِّرُونَ‎ tuḵayyirūna	يُخَيِّرُونَ‎ yuḵayyirūna
	f		تُخَيِّرِينَ‎ tuḵayyirīna	تُخَيِّرُ‎ tuḵayyiru			تُخَيِّرَانِ‎ tuḵayyirāni			تُخَيِّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyirna	يُخَيِّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyirna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُخَيِّرَ‎ ʾuḵayyira	تُخَيِّرَ‎ tuḵayyira	يُخَيِّرَ‎ yuḵayyira		تُخَيِّرَا‎ tuḵayyirā	يُخَيِّرَا‎ yuḵayyirā		نُخَيِّرَ‎ nuḵayyira	تُخَيِّرُوا‎ tuḵayyirū	يُخَيِّرُوا‎ yuḵayyirū
	f		تُخَيِّرِي‎ tuḵayyirī	تُخَيِّرَ‎ tuḵayyira			تُخَيِّرَا‎ tuḵayyirā			تُخَيِّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyirna	يُخَيِّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyirna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُخَيِّرْ‎ ʾuḵayyir	تُخَيِّرْ‎ tuḵayyir	يُخَيِّرْ‎ yuḵayyir		تُخَيِّرَا‎ tuḵayyirā	يُخَيِّرَا‎ yuḵayyirā		نُخَيِّرْ‎ nuḵayyir	تُخَيِّرُوا‎ tuḵayyirū	يُخَيِّرُوا‎ yuḵayyirū
	f		تُخَيِّرِي‎ tuḵayyirī	تُخَيِّرْ‎ tuḵayyir			تُخَيِّرَا‎ tuḵayyirā			تُخَيِّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyirna	يُخَيِّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyirna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		خَيِّرْ ḵayyir			خَيِّرَا‎ ḵayyirā				خَيِّرُوا‎ ḵayyirū
	f		خَيِّرِي‎ ḵayyirī							خَيِّرْنَ‎ ḵayyirna
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	خُيِّرْتُ‎ ḵuyyirtu	خُيِّرْتَ‎ ḵuyyirta	خُيِّرَ ḵuyyira		خُيِّرْتُمَا‎ ḵuyyirtumā	خُيِّرَا‎ ḵuyyirā		خُيِّرْنَا‎ ḵuyyirnā	خُيِّرْتُمْ‎ ḵuyyirtum	خُيِّرُوا‎ ḵuyyirū
	f		خُيِّرْتِ‎ ḵuyyirti	خُيِّرَتْ‎ ḵuyyirat			خُيِّرَتَا‎ ḵuyyiratā			خُيِّرْتُنَّ‎ ḵuyyirtunna	خُيِّرْنَ‎ ḵuyyirna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُخَيَّرُ‎ ʾuḵayyaru	تُخَيَّرُ‎ tuḵayyaru	يُخَيَّرُ‎ yuḵayyaru		تُخَيَّرَانِ‎ tuḵayyarāni	يُخَيَّرَانِ‎ yuḵayyarāni		نُخَيَّرُ‎ nuḵayyaru	تُخَيَّرُونَ‎ tuḵayyarūna	يُخَيَّرُونَ‎ yuḵayyarūna
	f		تُخَيَّرِينَ‎ tuḵayyarīna	تُخَيَّرُ‎ tuḵayyaru			تُخَيَّرَانِ‎ tuḵayyarāni			تُخَيَّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyarna	يُخَيَّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyarna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُخَيَّرَ‎ ʾuḵayyara	تُخَيَّرَ‎ tuḵayyara	يُخَيَّرَ‎ yuḵayyara		تُخَيَّرَا‎ tuḵayyarā	يُخَيَّرَا‎ yuḵayyarā		نُخَيَّرَ‎ nuḵayyara	تُخَيَّرُوا‎ tuḵayyarū	يُخَيَّرُوا‎ yuḵayyarū
	f		تُخَيَّرِي‎ tuḵayyarī	تُخَيَّرَ‎ tuḵayyara			تُخَيَّرَا‎ tuḵayyarā			تُخَيَّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyarna	يُخَيَّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyarna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُخَيَّرْ‎ ʾuḵayyar	تُخَيَّرْ‎ tuḵayyar	يُخَيَّرْ‎ yuḵayyar		تُخَيَّرَا‎ tuḵayyarā	يُخَيَّرَا‎ yuḵayyarā		نُخَيَّرْ‎ nuḵayyar	تُخَيَّرُوا‎ tuḵayyarū	يُخَيَّرُوا‎ yuḵayyarū
	f		تُخَيَّرِي‎ tuḵayyarī	تُخَيَّرْ‎ tuḵayyar			تُخَيَّرَا‎ tuḵayyarā			تُخَيَّرْنَ‎ tuḵayyarna	يُخَيَّرْنَ‎ yuḵayyarna

Adjective

خَيْر • (ḵayr)

1. better; best

Derived terms

• رَهَبُوتٌ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ رَحَمُوتٍ‎ (rahabūtun ḵayrun laka min raḥamūtin)

Adjective

خَيِّر • (ḵayyir) (feminine خَيِّرَة‎ (ḵayyira), common plural أَخْيَار‎ (ʾaḵyār) or خِيَار‎ (ḵiyār), masculine plural خَيِّرُونَ‎ (ḵayyirūna), feminine plural خَيِّرَات‎ (ḵayyirāt), elative خَيْر (ḵayr))

1. beneficent, benevolent

Declension

Declension of adjective خَيِّر (ḵayyir)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	خَيِّر ḵayyir	الْخَيِّر‎ al-ḵayyir	خَيِّرَة‎ ḵayyira	الْخَيِّرَة‎ al-ḵayyira
Nominative	خَيِّرٌ ḵayyirun	الْخَيِّرُ‎ al-ḵayyiru	خَيِّرَةٌ‎ ḵayyiratun	الْخَيِّرَةُ‎ al-ḵayyiratu
Accusative	خَيِّرًا‎ ḵayyiran	الْخَيِّرَ‎ al-ḵayyira	خَيِّرَةً‎ ḵayyiratan	الْخَيِّرَةَ‎ al-ḵayyirata
Genitive	خَيِّرٍ ḵayyirin	الْخَيِّرِ‎ al-ḵayyiri	خَيِّرَةٍ‎ ḵayyiratin	الْخَيِّرَةِ‎ al-ḵayyirati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	خَيِّرَيْن‎ ḵayyirayn	الْخَيِّرَيْن‎ al-ḵayyirayn	خَيِّرَتَيْن‎ ḵayyiratayn	الْخَيِّرَتَيْن‎ al-ḵayyiratayn
Nominative	خَيِّرَانِ‎ ḵayyirāni	الْخَيِّرَانِ‎ al-ḵayyirāni	خَيِّرَتَانِ‎ ḵayyiratāni	الْخَيِّرَتَانِ‎ al-ḵayyiratāni
Accusative	خَيِّرَيْنِ‎ ḵayyirayni	الْخَيِّرَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayyirayni	خَيِّرَتَيْنِ‎ ḵayyiratayni	الْخَيِّرَتَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayyiratayni
Genitive	خَيِّرَيْنِ‎ ḵayyirayni	الْخَيِّرَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayyirayni	خَيِّرَتَيْنِ‎ ḵayyiratayni	الْخَيِّرَتَيْنِ‎ al-ḵayyiratayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	basic broken plural triptote		basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَخْيَار‎‎; خِيَار‎ ʾaḵyār‎; ḵiyār	الْأَخْيَار‎‎; الْخِيَار‎ al-ʾaḵyār‎; al-ḵiyār	أَخْيَار‎‎; خِيَار‎ ʾaḵyār‎; ḵiyār	الْأَخْيَار‎‎; الْخِيَار‎ al-ʾaḵyār‎; al-ḵiyār
Nominative	أَخْيَارٌ‎‎; خِيَارٌ‎ ʾaḵyārun‎; ḵiyārun	الْأَخْيَارُ‎‎; الْخِيَارُ‎ al-ʾaḵyāru‎; al-ḵiyāru	أَخْيَارٌ‎‎; خِيَارٌ‎ ʾaḵyārun‎; ḵiyārun	الْأَخْيَارُ‎‎; الْخِيَارُ‎ al-ʾaḵyāru‎; al-ḵiyāru
Accusative	أَخْيَارًا‎‎; خِيَارًا‎ ʾaḵyāran‎; ḵiyāran	الْأَخْيَارَ‎‎; الْخِيَارَ‎ al-ʾaḵyāra‎; al-ḵiyāra	أَخْيَارًا‎‎; خِيَارًا‎ ʾaḵyāran‎; ḵiyāran	الْأَخْيَارَ‎‎; الْخِيَارَ‎ al-ʾaḵyāra‎; al-ḵiyāra
Genitive	أَخْيَارٍ‎‎; خِيَارٍ‎ ʾaḵyārin‎; ḵiyārin	الْأَخْيَارِ‎‎; الْخِيَارِ‎ al-ʾaḵyāri‎; al-ḵiyāri	أَخْيَارٍ‎‎; خِيَارٍ‎ ʾaḵyārin‎; ḵiyārin	الْأَخْيَارِ‎‎; الْخِيَارِ‎ al-ʾaḵyāri‎; al-ḵiyāri

Antonyms

• شِرِّير‎ (širrīr)

References

• Dozy, Reinhart Pieter Anne (1881), “خير”, in Supplément aux dictionnaires arabes (in French), volume 1, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 415
• Freytag, Georg (1830), “خير”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, pages 540
• Lane, Edward William (1863), “خير”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 828–830
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “خير”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎, London: W.H. Allen, page 347
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “خير”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN, page 308

---

South Levantine Arabic

Root
خ ي ر‎

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xaj.jar/, [ˈxaj.jar]

• Audio (al-Lidd)

  (file)

Verb

خيّر • (ḵayyar) (form II, present بخيّر‎ (biḵayyir))

1. to make (someone) choose, to give (someone) a choice

   ‏إذا لا سمح الله ارتكبت جريمة كبيرة وخيّروك إنّه يحكموا عليك بالإعدام أو السجن المؤبد، إيش بتختار؟‎‎

   ʔiza la samaḥ ʔaḷḷa rtakabt jarīme kbīre w-ḵayyarūk ʔinno yoḥkomu ʕalēk bil-ʔiʕdām ʔaw is-sijn li-mʔabbad, ʔēš btiḵtār?

   If, God forbid, you committed a major crime and you had to choose (literally: they made you choose) [between] them sentencing you to death or life imprisonment, what would you choose?

Conjugation

Conjugation of خيّر (ḵayyar)
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	خيّرت (ḵayyart)	خيّرت (ḵayyart)	خيّر (ḵayyar)		خيّرنا (ḵayyarna)	خيّرتو (ḵayyartu)	خيّرو (ḵayyaru)
	f		خيّرتي (ḵayyarti)	خيّرت (ḵayyarat)
present	m	بخيّر (baḵayyer)	بتخيّر (bitḵayyer)	بخيّر (biḵayyer)		منخيّر (minḵayyer)	بتخيّرو (bitḵayyru)	بخيّرو (biḵayyru)
	f		بتخيّري (bitḵayyri)	بتخيّر (bitḵayyer)
subjunctive	m	اخيّر (aḵayyer)	تخيّر (tḵayyer)	يخيّر (yḵayyer)		نخيّر (nḵayyer)	تخيّرو (tḵayyru)	يخيّرو (yḵayyru)
	f		تخيّري (tḵayyri)	تخيّر (tḵayyer)
imperative	m		خيّر (ḵayyer)				خيّرو (ḵayyru)
	f		خيّري (ḵayyri)

Etymology 2

Semi-learned borrowing from Arabic خَيْر‎ (ḵayr).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xeːr/, [xeːr]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Noun

خير • (ḵēr, ḵayr) m

1. goodness, good