substitute in Arabic: استبدل (istabdala) – meaning, pronunciation, examples

Other meanings

بَدِيل badīl — substitute · substitute, alternative

How to use it

The verb 'istabdala' means to replace something or someone with another. The noun 'badīl' refers to the thing or person that replaces another, an alternative. It's commonly used in contexts like sports, medicine, and everyday replacements.

Example sentences

اِسْتَبْدَلَ المُعَلِّمُ الطَّبَاشِيرَ بِقَلَمٍ رَقَمِيٍّ.

istabdala l-muʿallimu ṭ-ṭabāshīra bi-qalemin raqamiyyin.

The teacher substituted chalk with a digital pen.
لَا يُوجَدُ بَدِيلٌ لِهَذَا الدَّوَاءِ.

lā yūjadu badīlun li-hādhā d-dawāʾi.

There is no substitute for this medicine.
هَلْ يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ بَدِيلًا لَهُ فِي المُبَارَاةِ؟

hal yumkinuka an takūna badīlan lahū fī l-mubārāti?

Can you be his substitute in the match?

Examples from real texts

Sentences taken from published bilingual texts (subtitles, documents). They show the word in context and are not reviewed one by one.

Substitute text

نص بديل

I'm a substitute teacher.

أنا مدرّس بديل.

I am a substitute teacher.

أنا مدرّس بديل.

He was a substitute teacher.

كان مدرّسا بديلا.

We got a substitute teacher.

لدينا مدرّس بديل.

For paragraph (n), substitute

يستعاض عن الفقرة (ن) بما يلي:

It was my substitute teacher.

كان ذاك مدرّسي البديل.

I am your substitute teacher.

أنا مدرّسكم البديل.

Sami was a substitute teacher.

كان سامي مدرّسا بديلا.

We loved the substitute teacher.

كنّا نحبّ المدرّس البديل.

For the existing text, substitute

يستعاض عن النص الحالي بما يلي:

Our substitute teacher was young.

كان مدرّسنا البديل شابّا.

Questions and answers

What's the difference between 'istabdala' and 'ghayyara'?

'Istabdala' implies replacing something with something else, often of a similar nature. 'Ghayyara' is a more general term for 'to change'.

Can 'badīl' be used for abstract concepts?

Yes, 'badīl' can refer to an alternative solution, idea, or approach.