Breakdown of مبروك على الزفاف!
الal
the
على'ala
on / of (evidence of) / to (lie to someone) / for (difficult for someone)
زفافzifâf
wedding
مبروكmabrûk
congratulations!
Questions & Answers about مبروك على الزفاف!
Does مبروك literally mean 'congratulations'?
The word مبروك literally means 'blessed', but it is the most common way to say 'congratulations' in Arabic. While strictly formal Modern Standard Arabic might prefer مبارك (mubaarak), مبروك is universally understood and used everywhere.
Why do we use the word على here?
The preposition على means 'on' or 'upon'. Just like in English, Arabic uses it to link the congratulatory word to the occasion, so مبروك على simply means 'congratulations on'.
Why is the 'l' sound in الزفاف missing when spoken?
The letter ز (zay) is a 'sun letter'. In Arabic, when the definite article ال (the) attaches to a word starting with a sun letter, the 'l' sound is skipped and the sun letter is doubled. That is why it is pronounced 'az-zafaaf' instead of 'al-zafaaf'.
Could I use زواج (marriage) instead of زفاف (wedding) here?
Yes, but they have slightly different focuses. زفاف (zafaaf) refers specifically to the wedding ceremony or celebration, which is exactly what you are attending or reacting to here. زواج (zawaaj) refers to marriage as a general concept or institution.
Learn مبروك على الزفاف and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free