حفن

Root entry · 12 derived lemmas

The root ح-ف-ن primarily relates to taking or giving something with the cupped hand. It extends to concepts of a handful, a small amount, and by extension, a small portion of a larger whole. It also encompasses related ideas like scooping, gathering, and even specific geographical or biological terms.

Derived headwords

حَفَنَverb

1.
to take with a handfulboth
To take something with the palm of the hand and closed fingers.
2.
to give a handfulboth
To give someone a quantity measured by a handful.
3.
to scoop/gatherboth
To scoop or gather something, especially dry materials like flour, with both hands.
4.
to pourclassical
To pour water or a similar substance onto something using one's cupped hand.

حفنت لفلان حفنة — I gave him a handful.

حفن الماء على رأسه — He poured water on his head.

حَفْنَةnoun

1.
handfulboth
The amount that can be held in a cupped hand with fingers closed.
2.
small amountboth
A small quantity, often used metaphorically to represent something insignificant in comparison to a larger whole.
3.
a portionboth
A portion or share given to someone.

ملء كل كف حفنة — The fullness of each palm is a handful.

إنا نحن حفنة من حفنات الله — We are but a handful from the handfuls of God.

حَفَنَاتnoun

1.
handfulsboth
Plural of حفنة, referring to multiple handfuls.

إنما نحن حفنة من حفنات الله — We are but a handful from the handfuls of God.

حَفَنَ لِـverb

1.
to give a portion toboth
To give someone a specific amount, often a handful, from one's possessions.

حفن له من ماله حفنة — He gave him a handful from his wealth.

اِحْتَفَنَverb

1.
to take for oneselfboth
To take or seize something for oneself.
2.
to uprootclassical
To pull or tear something out from the ground.

احتفن الشيء: أخذه لنفسه — He took the thing for himself.

احتفن الرجل احتفانا: اقتلعه من الأرض — The man uprooted it from the ground.

مُحْفِنadjective

1.
one who takes handfulsclassical
A person characterized by taking things in handfuls.

رجل محفن — A man who takes much by handfuls.

حَفَنَ المالverb

1.
to distribute moneyclassical
To give money or wealth to people, distributing it in portions.

حفا المال إذا أعطى كل واحد منهم حفنة — He distributed the money when he gave each of them a handful.

حُفْنَةnoun

1.
hollow/pitclassical
A hollow or pit dug by a flood in hard ground in a watercourse, or any such pit.

الحفنة، بالضم: الحفرة يحفرها السيل في الغلظ في مجرى الماء — The حفنة (with damma) is a pit dug by a flood in hard ground in a watercourse.

حُفَنnoun

1.
hollows/pitsclassical
Plural of حفنة (with damma), referring to multiple hollows or pits.

هل تعرف الدار تعفت بالحفن — Do you recognize the dwelling worn away by the hollows?

حَفَّانnoun

1.
ostrich chicksclassical
Young ostriches.
2.
young camelsclassical
Young camels, sometimes referred to by this term.

والحشو من حفّانها كالحنظل — And the young ones from their chicks are like the colocynth.

وإلا النعام وحفّانه — And the ostriches and their chicks.

حَفَّانَةnoun

1.
young ostrich/camelclassical
A single young ostrich or young camel, used for both male and female.

حُفَيْنname

1.
a village in Egyptclassical
A village in Upper Egypt, mentioned in historical texts.

مارية من حُفَيْن — Mariya from Hufayn.

Parallel reading

أخذك الشيء براحة كفك والأصابع مضمومة

Your taking something with the palm of your hand and closed fingers.

وقد حفن له بيده حفنة

And he took a handful for him with his hand.

حفنت لفلان حفنة: أعطيته قليلا

I gave him a handful: I gave him a little.

إنما نحن حفنة من حفنات الله

We are but a handful from the handfuls of God.

أراد إنا على كثرتنا قليل يوم القيامة عند الله كالحفنة أي يسير بالإضافة إلى ملكه ورحمته

He meant that despite our multitude, we are few on the Day of Resurrection in the sight of God, like a handful, meaning insignificant in addition to His dominion and mercy.

وهي ملء الكف على جهة المجاز والتمثيل

And it is the fullness of the palm metaphorically and representatively.

الحفنة ملء الكفين من طعام

The handful is the filling of both palms with food.

وحفنت الشيء إذا جرفته بكلتا يديك، ولا يكون إلا من الشيء اليابس كالدقيق ونحوه

And you scoop the thing if you gather it with both your hands, and it is only of dry things like flour and the like.

وحفن الماء على رأسه: ألقاه بحفنته

And he poured water on his head: he threw it with his cupped hand.

وحفن له من ماله حفنة: أعطاه إياها

And he gave him a handful from his wealth: he gave it to him.

ورجل محفن: كثير الحفن

And a man محفن: one who takes much by handfuls.

احتفن الشيء: أخذه لنفسه

He took the thing for himself.

ويقال: حفن للقوم وحفا المال إذا أعطى كل واحد منهم حفنة وحفوة

And it is said: he gave to the people and distributed the money when he gave each of them a handful and a portion.

واحتفن الرجل احتفانا: اقتلعه من الأرض

And the man uprooted it: he tore it out from the ground.

الحفنة، بالضم: الحفرة يحفرها السيل في الغلظ في مجرى الماء

The حفنة (with damma): is a pit dug by a flood in hard ground in a watercourse.

وهي قلتات يحتفرها الماء كهيئة البرك

And they are small pools that the water digs like ponds.

الحفن نقر يكون الماء فيها، وفي أسفلها حصى وتراب

The حفن are hollows where water is found, and at their bottom are pebbles and dirt.

ترى به حفنا زرقا وغدرانا

You see in it blue hollows and streams.

والحفان: فراخ النعام

And the حفان: are ostrich chicks.

وربما سموا صغار الإبل حفانا

And sometimes they call young camels حفانا.

وأنشد ابن بري: والحشو من حفّانها كالحنظل

And Ibn al-Bari recited: And the young ones from their chicks are like the colocynth.

وإلا النعام وحفانه، ... وطغيا مع اللهق الناشط

And the ostriches and their chicks, ... and they grew strong with the energetic young ones.

أن المقوقس أهدى إلى رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، مارية من حفن

That Al-Muqawqis gifted to the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, Mariya from Hufayn.