باهظ en 30 segundos
- Bāhiẓ means exorbitant or unreasonably high in price, going beyond the standard 'ghālī' (expensive).
- It is a formal adjective commonly used in news, business, and literature to describe heavy financial burdens.
- The word can be used metaphorically to describe a 'heavy price' paid for mistakes or life choices.
- Grammatically, it follows the noun it describes and must agree in gender (bāhiẓ/bāhiẓah).
The Arabic word باهظ (Bāhiẓ) is a powerful adjective used to describe costs, prices, or expenses that go beyond the reasonable limits of affordability. While the common word for 'expensive' is غالي (ghālī), باهظ carries a much heavier weight. It implies that the price is not just high, but oppressive, exorbitant, or even prohibitive. Linguistically, it stems from a root suggesting something that weighs heavily on a person, much like a physical burden that is difficult to carry. When you use this word, you are often expressing a sense of shock or disapproval at the magnitude of the cost.
- Root Meaning
- Derived from (ب-ه-ظ), meaning to be heavy or to overtax someone's strength.
- Connotation
- Highly formal and often carries a negative nuance regarding economic pressure.
- Usage Frequency
- Common in news reports, economic discussions, and formal literature.
"اشترى والدي منزلاً بتكلفة باهظة جداً في وسط المدينة."(My father bought a house at a very exorbitant cost in the city center.)
"الأسعار في هذا المتجر باهظة الثمن."(The prices in this store are exorbitantly high.)
"تتكبد الشركة خسائر باهظة بسبب الأزمة."(The company is incurring heavy losses due to the crisis.)
"دفع الثمن باهظاً مقابل خطئه."(He paid a heavy price for his mistake.)
"هذه الرحلة تتطلب ميزانية باهظة."(This trip requires an exorbitant budget.)
- Synonym Comparison
- Ghālī (General) vs. Bāhiẓ (Extreme/Formal).
- Metaphorical Use
- Can describe non-monetary costs like 'a heavy price for freedom'.
- Visual Image
- Imagine a scale tipped over by a massive weight; that is 'Bāhiẓ'.
Using باهظ correctly requires understanding its placement as an adjective (Sifa). It usually follows the noun it describes. For example, 'ثمن باهظ' (an exorbitant price) or 'تكاليف باهظة' (exorbitant costs). Note that 'تكاليف' is a non-human plural, so the adjective takes the feminine singular form باهظة. It is most frequently paired with words like 'ثمن' (price), 'تكلفة' (cost), 'نفقات' (expenses), and 'خسائر' (losses). In formal writing, it adds a layer of sophistication and intensity that 'ghālī' lacks. It is rarely used for small, everyday items like a cup of coffee unless you are being intentionally hyperbolic or sarcastic. Instead, save it for real estate, luxury cars, high-stakes investments, or significant life consequences.
You will encounter باهظ most frequently in the following contexts: 1. **News Bulletins**: Reporting on inflation, rising living costs, or government spending. 2. **Business Journals**: Discussing the 'exorbitant costs' of new technology or infrastructure projects. 3. **Literature**: Authors use it to describe the 'heavy price' a character pays for their choices. 4. **Advertisements**: Luxury brands might avoid this word because of its negative 'burdensome' connotation, but critics of luxury will use it. 5. **Legal and Insurance Contexts**: Referring to 'heavy damages' or 'exorbitant fees'. If you watch Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya, you will hear this word almost daily in economic segments.
One common mistake is using باهظ in very casual, spoken dialects where ghālī is preferred. While understood, it might sound overly dramatic in a street market. Another mistake is failing to match the gender; remember that 'ثمن' is masculine (باهظ) while 'تكلفة' is feminine (باهظة). Additionally, learners sometimes confuse it with 'باهت' (bāhit), which means 'pale' or 'faded'. Ensure you pronounce the 'Ẓā' (ظ) clearly to distinguish it from the 'Tā' (ت). Finally, do not use it to describe a person's value; it is strictly for costs and burdens, not for saying someone is 'precious' (for which you would use 'azīz' or 'ghālī').
To enrich your vocabulary, compare باهظ with: 1. غالٍ (Ghālī): The standard word for expensive. 2. ثمين (Thamīn): Means 'valuable' or 'precious' (positive connotation). 3. مكلف (Muklif): Means 'costly' or 'burdensome' in terms of effort or money. 4. فاحش (Fāḥish): Often used in the phrase 'ثمن فاحش' to mean 'outrageously expensive' or 'obscene price'. 5. نفيس (Nafīs): Used for rare and precious items like gems. Understanding these nuances helps you choose the right word for the right level of 'expensiveness'.
How Formal Is It?
Nivel de dificultad
Gramática que debes saber
Adjective-Noun Agreement
Non-human plural agreement
The Ẓā (ظ) sound production
Accusative case with 'Kāna'
Idafa structures with adjectives
Ejemplos por nivel
هذا الكتاب باهظ.
This book is exorbitant.
Subject + Adjective
السعر باهظ جداً.
The price is very exorbitant.
Adverb 'jiddan' follows the adjective.
السيارة باهظة.
The car is exorbitant.
Feminine agreement.
بيت باهظ.
An exorbitant house.
Noun-Adjective pair.
ساعة باهظة الثمن.
An exorbitantly priced watch.
Idafa-like structure with 'al-thaman'.
هل هو باهظ؟
Is it exorbitant?
Question form.
ليس باهظاً.
It is not exorbitant.
Negation with 'laysa' requires accusative case.
أكل باهظ.
Exorbitant food.
Simple description.
اشتريتُ هاتفاً باهظ الثمن.
I bought an expensive phone.
Verb + Object + Adjective.
هذه الملابس باهظة جداً.
These clothes are very exorbitant.
Demonstrative pronoun agreement.
لماذا السعر باهظ؟
Why is the price exorbitant?
Interrogative 'limadha'.
الفنادق هنا باهظة.
The hotels here are exorbitant.
Plural noun + feminine singular adjective.
لا أحب الأسعار الباهظة.
I don't like exorbitant prices.
Definite noun + definite adjective.
كان الثمن باهظاً.
The price was exorbitant.
Kāna makes the predicate accusative (mansub).
هذه رحلة باهظة.
This is an expensive trip.
Feminine noun agreement.
المطعم باهظ لكنه جيد.
The restaurant is expensive but good.
Contrast using 'lakinna'.
تكاليف المعيشة أصبحت باهظة في هذه المدينة.
Living costs have become exorbitant in this city.
Asbaha (sister of Kana) usage.
دفعوا مبالغ باهظة لإصلاح السيارة.
They paid exorbitant amounts to fix the car.
Plural 'mabaligh' + feminine adjective.
التعليم الجامعي باهظ في بعض الدول.
University education is exorbitant in some countries.
Subject-predicate sentence.
تجنب شراء السلع باهظة الثمن.
Avoid buying exorbitantly priced goods.
Imperative verb.
هل تعتقد أن هذا السعر باهظ؟
Do you think this price is exorbitant?
Subordinate clause with 'anna'.
المشروع يتطلب استثمارات باهظة.
The project requires exorbitant investments.
Verb + Object + Adjective.
تعتبر هذه الماركة باهظة جداً.
This brand is considered very exorbitant.
Passive-like verb 'tu'tabar'.
الضرائب الباهظة ترهق المواطنين.
Exorbitant taxes exhaust the citizens.
Adjective describing the subject.
لقد دفع البطل ثمناً باهظاً من أجل حريته.
The hero paid a heavy price for his freedom.
Metaphorical usage.
الخسائر الباهظة أدت إلى إفلاس الشركة.
The heavy losses led to the company's bankruptcy.
Causal sentence structure.
تتميز هذه المنطقة بعقاراتها الباهظة.
This area is characterized by its exorbitant real estate.
Preposition 'bi-' + noun + possessive suffix.
لا تبرر الجودة دائماً السعر الباهظ.
Quality doesn't always justify the exorbitant price.
Negative present tense.
واجهت الحكومة نفقات باهظة غير متوقعة.
The government faced unexpected exorbitant expenses.
Multiple adjectives.
العملية الجراحية كانت باهظة التكاليف.
The surgical operation was exorbitantly costly.
Compound adjective structure.
رغم الثمن الباهظ، قرر شراء اللوحة.
Despite the exorbitant price, he decided to buy the painting.
Contrastive phrase 'raghma'.
تفرض الدولة رسوماً باهظة على الاستيراد.
The state imposes exorbitant fees on imports.
Verb 'tafrid' (imposes).
إن التبعات الباهظة لهذا القرار ستظهر لاحقاً.
The heavy consequences of this decision will appear later.
Abstract usage of 'bahiẓ'.
تتطلب صيانة هذه الطائرات ميزانيات باهظة.
Maintaining these aircraft requires exorbitant budgets.
Technical context.
لا يمكننا الاستمرار في تحمل هذه الأعباء الباهظة.
We cannot continue to bear these heavy burdens.
Modal verb 'la yumkinuna'.
تسببت الحرب في دمار باهظ للبنية التحتية.
The war caused heavy destruction to the infrastructure.
Describing 'damar' (destruction).
يسعى المستهلكون إلى بدائل أقل كلفة من السلع الباهظة.
Consumers seek less costly alternatives to exorbitant goods.
Comparative structure.
إنها مغامرة باهظة العواقب.
It is an adventure with heavy consequences.
Adjective modifying the result.
تجنب الدخول في صراعات باهظة الثمن سياسياً.
Avoid entering into politically costly conflicts.
Adverbial 'siyasiyyan'.
تعتبر تكلفة الفرصة البديلة باهظة في هذا الاستثمار.
The opportunity cost is considered exorbitant in this investment.
Economic terminology.
استنزفت الحروب الصليبية موارد باهظة من الممالك.
The Crusades drained exorbitant resources from the kingdoms.
Historical context.
كانت ضريبة النجاح باهظة على صحته النفسية.
The tax of success was heavy on his mental health.
Highly metaphorical.
تتجلى فخامة القصر في تفاصيله الباهظة.
The palace's luxury is evident in its exorbitant details.
Describing aesthetic detail.
إنها فاتورة باهظة يدفعها الجيل القادم.
It is a heavy bill that the next generation will pay.
Social commentary.
لم يكن يدرك أن طموحه سيكون له ثمن باهظ.
He did not realize that his ambition would have a heavy price.
Complex tense usage.
تتسم السياسة الخارجية بتكاليف باهظة أحياناً.
Foreign policy is characterized by exorbitant costs sometimes.
Formal academic tone.
أدت السياسات الخاطئة إلى خسائر باهظة في الأرواح.
Wrong policies led to heavy losses of lives.
Serious humanitarian context.
يبقى السؤال: هل تستحق النتيجة هذا الثمن الباهظ؟
The question remains: is the result worth this exorbitant price?
Rhetorical question.
Colocaciones comunes
Frases Comunes
Se confunde a menudo con
Modismos y expresiones
Fácil de confundir
Patrones de oraciones
Cómo usarlo
It is stronger than 'ghālī'.
High.
Very strong with 'Thaman' (price).
- Using it for cheap items sarcastically without context.
- Pronouncing it as 'Bāhit' (pale).
- Forgetting the feminine 'ah' for words like 'فاتورة' (bill).
- Using it to mean 'precious' (should be thamīn).
- Using it in very low-level street slang.
Consejos
Level Up
Replace 'ghālī' with 'bāhiẓ' in your writing to sound more professional. It shows you understand nuance in costs. This is especially effective in business contexts. It makes your Arabic sound more 'native' in formal settings.
Agreement
Remember that 'takālif' (costs) is feminine singular for adjectives. So you must say 'takālif bāhiẓah'. This is a common mistake for learners. Always check the gender of the noun.
The Ẓā
The letter Ẓā is emphatic. Keep your tongue flat and touch the tips of your upper teeth. Practice saying 'Bāhiẓ' slowly. Don't let it sound like a 'z' or 't'.
News Reading
When reading Arabic news, look for this word in the economy section. It will help you see how it's used with 'inflation' and 'prices'. It's a key word for understanding current events. You'll see it in headlines often.
Metaphors
Use 'thaman bāhiẓ' for life lessons. It adds a poetic touch to your speaking. For example, 'I paid a heavy price for my silence'. This is a very common literary device.
Bāhiẓ vs Thamīn
Thamīn is something you want (valuable). Bāhiẓ is something you struggle to pay (exorbitant). Use Thamīn for jewelry and Bāhiẓ for bills. This distinction is crucial for clear communication.
Audio Cues
Listen for the long 'ā' sound. It distinguishes 'Bāhiẓ' from shorter words. The rhythm of the word is distinct. It sounds heavy, just like its meaning.
Synonym Variety
Don't over-use the word. Mix it with 'muklif' or 'ghālī' to keep your writing interesting. Variety is the sign of a high-level learner. Use Bāhiẓ for the most extreme cases.
Complaining
In a formal setting, if you want to complain about a high fee, use this word. It sounds more polite and objective than just saying 'it's expensive'. It implies the price is objectively high.
Root Link
Link it to the word 'Bahaza' (to oppress). If a price 'oppresses' your wallet, it is 'Bāhiẓ'. This mental link helps retain the meaning. Think of economic oppression.
Memorízalo
Origen de la palabra
Classical Arabic
Contexto cultural
A major 'باهظ' expense for young couples.
Often described as having 'تكاليف باهظة'.
Generosity is expected, but 'باهظ' spending is sometimes seen as 'israf' (extravagance).
Practica en la vida real
Contextos reales
Inicios de conversación
"هل تعتقد أن السكن في دبي باهظ؟"
"ما هو أغلى شيء باهظ الثمن اشتريته؟"
"لماذا أصبحت تكاليف التعليم باهظة؟"
"هل السفر إلى أوروبا باهظ الثمن حالياً؟"
"كيف نتعامل مع الأسعار الباهظة؟"
Temas para diario
اكتب عن تجربة اشتريت فيها شيئاً باهظاً.
هل تعتقد أن السعادة تتطلب مالاً باهظاً؟
صف مدينة تعتبر العيش فيها باهظاً.
تحدث عن 'ثمن باهظ' دفعته لتعلم درس في الحياة.
قارن بين السلع الرخيصة والسلع الباهظة.
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasGhālī is the general word for expensive used in daily life. Bāhiẓ is more formal and implies the price is exorbitant or a burden.
Only if it costs $50! It is usually reserved for significant expenses like cars, houses, or large bills.
It is generally negative as it implies a burden, though it can be used neutrally in economic reports.
You can say 'ghālī jiddan' or simply use the word 'bāhiẓ'.
The feminine form is 'باهظة' (Bāhiẓah).
No, it is used for prices, costs, and consequences, not for describing people.
The root is B-H-Z (ب-ه-ظ), which relates to being heavy or oppressive.
It is mostly Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), but understood by all dialect speakers.
'Thaman Bāhiẓ' (Exorbitant price) is the most common pair.
Not exactly. 'Thamīn' means valuable. 'Bāhiẓ' focuses on the high cost to the buyer.
Ponte a prueba 180 preguntas
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Perfect score!
Summary
Use 'باهظ' (Bāhiẓ) when you want to emphasize that a cost is not just high, but excessive, shocking, or burdensome. It is the perfect word for formal writing and serious discussions about money and consequences.
- Bāhiẓ means exorbitant or unreasonably high in price, going beyond the standard 'ghālī' (expensive).
- It is a formal adjective commonly used in news, business, and literature to describe heavy financial burdens.
- The word can be used metaphorically to describe a 'heavy price' paid for mistakes or life choices.
- Grammatically, it follows the noun it describes and must agree in gender (bāhiẓ/bāhiẓah).
Level Up
Replace 'ghālī' with 'bāhiẓ' in your writing to sound more professional. It shows you understand nuance in costs. This is especially effective in business contexts. It makes your Arabic sound more 'native' in formal settings.
Agreement
Remember that 'takālif' (costs) is feminine singular for adjectives. So you must say 'takālif bāhiẓah'. This is a common mistake for learners. Always check the gender of the noun.
The Ẓā
The letter Ẓā is emphatic. Keep your tongue flat and touch the tips of your upper teeth. Practice saying 'Bāhiẓ' slowly. Don't let it sound like a 'z' or 't'.
News Reading
When reading Arabic news, look for this word in the economy section. It will help you see how it's used with 'inflation' and 'prices'. It's a key word for understanding current events. You'll see it in headlines often.
Ejemplo
كان سعر السيارة باهظاً جداً بالنسبة لميزانيتي.
Contenido relacionado
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عاجل
A1Este adjetivo significa que algo debe hacerse de inmediato.
عمولة
A1Una comisión es un pago realizado a un agente por los servicios prestados.
عمولات
A2Dinero extra que se le paga a alguien por mediar en una venta o facilitar un negocio.
إفلاس
B1La bancarrota es la situación jurídica en la que una persona o empresa no puede pagar sus deudas.
آجل
A1Esto significa que algo sucederá o se pagará en un momento posterior.
استهلاكي
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إيداع
A1Un depósito de dinero realizado en una cuenta bancaria para su custodia.
بضاعة
A1Mercancía o bienes destinados al comercio.
دائن
B1Un acreedor es una persona o empresa a la que se le debe dinero. Es la parte que tiene el derecho de exigir el pago.
دولار
A1El dólar es una unidad de moneda en muchos países, como los Estados Unidos.
