At the A1 level, the word يتناقص might be a bit advanced, as beginners usually focus on simpler verbs like يقل (yaqill) which means 'to be less.' However, you can think of it as a way to say 'it is getting smaller' or 'there is less of it.' Imagine you have ten apples, and every day you eat one. The number of apples is يتناقص. It is a word you use when things don't just disappear all at once, but go away slowly, one by one. You might hear it when talking about simple things like the battery on a phone or the water in a bottle. Even at this early stage, knowing that 'ya-' at the beginning means 'he' or 'it' and that the word is about things becoming 'less' will help you recognize it in stories or simple news clips. It is the opposite of يزداد (yazdad), which means 'to get more.' So, if you see a picture of a moon getting smaller throughout the month, that is يتناقص. It’s a useful word to start recognizing because it appears in many places, like on signs about resources or in simple science lessons for children. Just remember: it means things are going down, not up!
At the A2 level, you are starting to learn more 'Form' verbs. يتناقص is a 'Form VI' verb. You can recognize this by the 'ta' after the first 'ya' (ya-ta-naa-qas). At this level, you should use it to describe simple trends. For example, if you are talking about the weather, you can say 'The heat decreases in the evening' (يتناقص الحر في المساء). You are moving beyond just saying 'less' and starting to describe processes. You will likely see this word in simple news articles or textbooks. It is an intransitive verb, which means you don't need to put an object after it. You just say 'The thing decreases.' This makes it easier to use in sentences! You can also start using it with the word تدريجياً (tadriijiyyan), which means 'gradually.' This is a very common pair. For instance, 'The noise decreases gradually' (يتناقص الضجيج تدريجياً). This helps you sound more natural. You should also be aware that if the thing decreasing is feminine, like القهوة (the coffee) or التفاحة (the apple), the verb changes to تتناقص. Practice using it to describe your daily life, like your money at the end of the month or the food in your fridge!
By the B1 level, you should be comfortable using يتناقص to discuss more abstract topics like social trends, money, and simple science. You are expected to understand that this verb implies a measurable, progressive reduction. You can use it in the past tense (تناقص) to talk about history, or the future tense (سيتناقص) for predictions. For example, 'The number of students in the class decreased last week' (تناقص عدد الطلاب في الفصل الأسبوع الماضي). You should also start using it with prepositions. If you want to say something decreased 'by' a certain amount, use the letter 'bi' (بـ). For example, 'The price decreased by ten percent' (يتناقص السعر بنسبة عشرة بالمئة). This is a very important structure for business and academic Arabic. You will also encounter the active participle متناقص (mutanaqis), which acts as an adjective. You can use it to describe things like 'diminishing resources' (موارد متناقصة). At this level, you should be able to distinguish يتناقص from ينقص. Remember: ينقص is for when something is missing or lacking, while يتناقص is for a trend of going down. This distinction is key to reaching the next level of fluency.
At the B2 level, يتناقص is a standard part of your vocabulary for formal writing and debate. You should use it to analyze complex data and describe sociological or economic phenomena. You are expected to understand its morphological roots and how the Form VI pattern adds the meaning of 'gradualness.' You can use it to describe the waning of intangible things like enthusiasm, political influence, or the strength of a movement. For example, 'Support for the candidate is decreasing' (يتناقص التأييد للمرشح). You should also be able to use it in complex sentence structures, such as 'While technology advances, the need for manual labor decreases' (بينما تتقدم التكنولوجيا، يتناقص الاحتياج للعمالة اليدوية). At this level, you should also be aware of the verbal noun (Masdar) تناقص. You can use it as a subject in its own right: 'The decrease in water levels is worrying' (تناقص مستويات المياه أمر مقلق). You should also be able to use synonyms like يتضاءل or ينخفض appropriately, choosing يتناقص specifically when you want to highlight a steady, quantitative decline. Your use of the word should reflect a sophisticated understanding of Arabic verb forms and their nuances.
At the C1 level, you should use يتناقص with precision in academic and professional contexts. You should be able to discuss 'The Law of Diminishing Returns' (قانون العوائد المتناقصة) or the 'diminishing marginal utility' in economics. Your understanding should extend to the poetic and literary uses of the word, where it might describe the 'shortening' of life or the 'fading' of a legacy. You should be able to integrate it into high-level analysis of climate change, demographics, or physics. For example, you might describe 'radioactive decay' as a form of تناقص. Furthermore, you should be adept at using the word in rhetorical structures, such as using it in parallel with يتزايد (to increase) to create balanced, persuasive arguments. You should also understand the subtle difference between يتناقص and يضمحل (to decay/fade away), using the latter for more absolute or entropic processes. Your vocabulary should be rich enough to know when يتناقص is the most 'clinical' or 'objective' choice. In writing, you should be able to use the word's various forms (verb, noun, participle) to avoid repetition and maintain a high formal register. You are now treating the word not just as a translation for 'decrease,' but as a specific tool for describing the dynamics of change.
At the C2 level, your mastery of يتناقص is absolute. you understand its place within the vast semantic field of 'reduction' in Arabic, including its relationship to concepts like النقصان (an-nuqsan) in Islamic philosophy or classical literature. You can use it to describe the most subtle shifts in abstract concepts—perhaps the 'diminishing' of a philosophical argument or the 'waning' of a historical era. You should be able to use it in highly technical fields, from describing the 'decay' of signals in telecommunications to the 'depreciation' of assets in high-level finance. Your usage should be indistinguishable from a highly educated native speaker, utilizing the word's inherent rhythm and weight in formal speeches or academic papers. You might explore the word's roots in classical lexicons like Lisan al-Arab, understanding how the concept of نقص has evolved from physical deficiency to modern statistical decline. At this level, you don't just 'use' the word; you employ it to convey specific nuances of time, scale, and inevitability. Whether you are translating complex legal documents or writing a critique of modern economic policy, يتناقص is a precise instrument in your linguistic arsenal, used to depict the entropy and shifting balances of the world with absolute clarity.

يتناقص 30초 만에

  • Means to decrease or diminish gradually over time.
  • Rooted in N-Q-S (ن-ق-ص), signifying lack or deficiency.
  • Commonly used in news, science, and economic contexts.
  • Intransitive verb: the subject itself performs the decrease.

The Arabic verb يتناقص (yatanaqas) is a sophisticated and essential term in the Arabic language, primarily used to describe a gradual, ongoing process of reduction or decrease. Rooted in the triliteral root ن-ق-ص (N-Q-S), which fundamentally pertains to deficiency, lack, or shortage, this specific Form VI (Tafa'ul) construction carries a unique semantic weight. Unlike the Form I verb ينقص (yanqus), which might simply mean 'to be less' or 'to lack,' يتناقص implies a progressive movement over time. It is the linguistic equivalent of watching a sand timer or a melting ice cube; the decrease is not instantaneous but a series of diminishing states. This makes it particularly prevalent in scientific, economic, and sociological contexts where trends and cycles are discussed. When an Arabic speaker uses this word, they are often pointing toward a trajectory of decline rather than a single event of loss.

The Morphological Nuance
The Form VI pattern (Tafa'ul) in Arabic grammar often signifies reciprocity or a gradual progression. In the case of يتناقص, it emphasizes the 'unfolding' of the decrease. It suggests that with each passing moment, the quantity is becoming slightly less than it was before. This is why you will hear it used in weather reports regarding temperatures or in news reports regarding population growth rates.
Semantic Range
While 'decrease' is the primary translation, يتناقص covers a range of English concepts including 'dwindle,' 'diminish,' 'wane,' and 'subside.' It can apply to tangible objects like water in a well or intangible concepts like enthusiasm, hope, or influence. If your phone battery is slowly dying, it is يتناقص. If the light of the sun is fading at dusk, it is يتناقص.

يتناقص مستوى الماء في البحيرة بشكل ملحوظ خلال فصل الصيف الجاف.
(The water level in the lake decreases significantly during the dry summer season.)

In formal Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), this verb is a staple of academic and professional discourse. You will find it in reports from the World Bank discussing currency value, or in medical journals describing the diminishing efficacy of a drug. It conveys a sense of observation and measurement. Because it is an intransitive verb (it doesn't usually take a direct object in this form), the subject is the thing that is doing the decreasing. For example, 'The number (subject) decreases.'

يتناقص الضوء تدريجياً مع غياب الشمس خلف الأفق.
(The light gradually diminishes as the sun disappears behind the horizon.)

Contextual Usage
In economic discussions, يتناقص is used for 'diminishing returns' (العوائد المتناقصة). In physics, it describes radioactive decay or the fading of sound waves. It is a word of precision and scientific observation.

بدأ مخزون الطعام يتناقص بعد مرور أسبوعين على الحصار.
(The food supply began to dwindle after two weeks of the siege.)

Note: The word is highly formal. In casual Levantine or Egyptian dialects, speakers might prefer simpler verbs like بيقل (bi-yi'ill), but يتناقص remains the standard for writing and news.

Mastering the use of يتناقص requires understanding its syntactic role as an intransitive verb that focuses on the subject's state. It is rarely followed by a direct object; instead, it is often accompanied by adverbs of manner or prepositional phrases that define the rate or cause of the decrease. Because it describes a process, it is frequently paired with the word تدريجياً (tadriijiyyan), meaning 'gradually.'

يتناقص عدد السكان في القرى بسبب الهجرة إلى المدن الكبرى.
(The population in the villages is decreasing due to migration to major cities.)

Subject-Verb Agreement
In Arabic, if the verb comes before the subject, it remains singular even if the subject is plural. However, it must match the gender. For example: تتناقص الموارد (Resources decrease - 'Mawarid' is a non-human plural, treated as feminine singular). If the verb comes after, it matches both: الموارد تتناقص.

One of the most common ways to use this verb is to describe quantitative data. If you are presenting a graph or a report, يتناقص is your go-to word for a downward slope. It is also used metaphorically to describe emotions or social phenomena.

يتناقص اهتمام الشباب بالصحف الورقية في عصر الإنترنت.
(Young people's interest in paper newspapers is diminishing in the age of the internet.)

تتناقص قيمة العملة المحلية أمام الدولار الأمريكي.
(The value of the local currency is decreasing against the US dollar.)

You can also use it in the past tense تناقص (tanaqasa) to describe a completed trend or in the future tense سيتناقص (sayatanaqasu) for predictions. The active participle متناقص (mutanaqis) acts as an adjective meaning 'decreasing' or 'diminishing.'

نحن نعيش في عالم ذي موارد متناقصة.
(We live in a world with diminishing resources.)

Comparative Structures
Often, يتناقص is paired with its opposite, يتزايد (to increase), to show contrast in a sentence. 'While X increases, Y decreases.' This is a classic structure in analytical Arabic writing.

The word يتناقص is a pillar of formal Arabic media and education. If you tune into Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic, or Sky News Arabia, you will hear it during the economic segment, weather forecast, or environmental reports. It is the language of statistics and empirical reality. In an era of global warming, you will frequently hear about how 'the polar ice is decreasing' (يتناقص الجليد القطبي).

أشار التقرير إلى أن مخزون النفط العالمي يتناقص بوتيرة سريعة.
(The report indicated that global oil reserves are decreasing at a rapid pace.)

In the Classroom
In math and science classes across the Arab world, this verb is used to describe functions, chemical reactions, or physical decay. A teacher might say, 'As the temperature rises, the volume of the gas decreases' (though usually it increases, but you get the point of the linguistic structure!). It is fundamental for students of STEM fields.

In business meetings, executives use يتناقص to discuss market share or profit margins. It carries a serious, analytical tone. If a manager says 'Our profits are decreasing,' they use تتناقص أرباحنا to sound professional and objective, rather than emotional.

مع مرور السنين، يتناقص عدد أصدقاء الطفولة الذين نتواصل معهم.
(With the passing of years, the number of childhood friends we keep in touch with decreases.)

News Headlines
Headlines often use the verbal noun تناقص (decreasing) or the verb itself to save space. 'Population Decreases in Eastern Europe' would be تناقص عدد السكان في شرق أوروبا.

Finally, you'll hear it in sports commentary when discussing a team's energy or the time remaining in a match. 'The time is decreasing, and the pressure is mounting!' (الوقت يتناقص والضغط يزداد).

Learning يتناقص comes with a few pitfalls, especially for English speakers who might over-rely on a single translation for 'decrease.' The most common error is confusing it with other verbs from the same root or similar semantic fields. Here is a breakdown of what to avoid to sound like a native speaker.

Confusing يتناقص with ينقص
While both come from N-Q-S, ينقص (yanqus) usually means 'to be missing' or 'to lack.' For example, if you are cooking and 'the salt is missing,' you use ينقص. If the amount of salt in a container is 'gradually going down,' you use يتناقص. Using ينقص to describe a statistical trend sounds slightly 'off' or overly simplistic.
Transitive vs. Intransitive
A major mistake is trying to 'decrease something' using يتناقص. You cannot say 'He decreased the price' using this verb. يتناقص is intransitive; the price decreases on its own. To say 'He decreased the price,' you must use the Form II verb ينقّص (yunaqqis) or يخفض (yukhaffid).

Wrong: يتناقص المدير الرواتب.
Right: تتناقص الرواتب بسبب الأزمة.
(The manager is decreasing salaries [Wrong]. Salaries are decreasing due to the crisis [Right]. )

Another mistake is using يتناقص for physical size reduction (like shrinking a shirt in the wash). For physical shrinking, ينكمش (yankamish) is the correct term. يتناقص is almost always about quantity, number, or abstract intensity.

Incorrect context: يتناقص قميصي في الغسيل.
Correct: ينكمش قميصي في الغسيل.
(My shirt is 'decreasing' in the wash [Wrong]. My shirt is shrinking in the wash [Right].)

Lastly, remember the gender of the subject. Since many 'groups' or 'quantities' in Arabic are feminine, forgetting to change يتناقص to تتناقص is a frequent error for intermediate learners.

Arabic is a language of vast synonyms, each with a specific flavor. While يتناقص is excellent for gradual numerical decrease, other words might be more appropriate depending on the context. Understanding these nuances will elevate your Arabic from functional to eloquent.

يتناقص vs. يقل (yaqill)
يقل is more general and common in daily speech. It simply means 'to become less.' يتناقص is more formal and emphasizes the process. If you say 'The rain is becoming less,' يقل المطر is fine. If you say 'The annual rainfall is decreasing over decades,' يتناقص is better.
يتناقص vs. ينخفض (yankhafid)
ينخفض means 'to drop' or 'to sink' (literally or figuratively). It is used for levels (like water or temperature) and prices. You can use both for prices, but ينخفض focuses on the lower level reached, while يتناقص focuses on the reduction of the amount.
يتناقص vs. يتضاءل (yatada'al)
يتضاءل means 'to dwindle' or 'to shrivel.' It is often used for things that are becoming very small or disappearing, like hope, influence, or a physical object seen from a distance. It carries a more dramatic or poetic tone than the clinical يتناقص.

تتضاءل فرص النجاة مع مرور الوقت.
(The chances of survival are dwindling as time passes.)

For more extreme cases, you might use يضمحل (yadmahilla), which means 'to decay' or 'to fade away completely,' often used for civilizations or physical matter in physics (like an atom decaying). Using يتناقص in these contexts might be too 'weak' or 'dry.'

تضمحل الثقافات القديمة إذا لم يتم الحفاظ عليها.
(Ancient cultures decay/fade away if they are not preserved.)

In summary, choose يتناقص when you want to sound objective, professional, and focused on a measurable downward trend.

수준별 예문

1

يتناقص الماء في الكوب.

The water in the cup is decreasing.

Simple present tense verb.

2

عدد الطلاب يتناقص اليوم.

The number of students is decreasing today.

Verb following the subject.

3

يتناقص التفاح في السلة.

The apples in the basket are decreasing.

Verb before plural non-human subject (stays singular).

4

شحن الهاتف يتناقص.

The phone charge is decreasing.

Common daily use.

5

يتناقص الضوء في الغرفة.

The light in the room is decreasing.

Describing a physical state.

6

هل يتناقص السكر عندك؟

Is your sugar decreasing (running low)?

Question form.

7

الثلج يتناقص في الشمس.

The ice is decreasing in the sun.

Natural process.

8

يتناقص الوقت بسرعة.

Time is decreasing fast.

Abstract concept in simple sentence.

1

يتناقص عدد الأشجار في الغابة.

The number of trees in the forest is decreasing.

Subject-verb agreement with 'number'.

2

تتناقص الحرارة في الليل.

The heat decreases at night.

Feminine verb for 'heat' (al-harara).

3

يتناقص الضجيج عندما ينام الناس.

The noise decreases when people sleep.

Using a 'when' clause.

4

المطر يتناقص تدريجياً الآن.

The rain is decreasing gradually now.

Using the adverb 'gradually'.

5

سيتناقص سعر الخبز غداً.

The price of bread will decrease tomorrow.

Future tense with 'sa-'.

6

تناقص عدد السياح هذا العام.

The number of tourists decreased this year.

Past tense form.

7

تتناقص مياه النهر في الصيف.

The river water decreases in summer.

Feminine plural agreement.

8

هل يتناقص وزنك مع الرياضة؟

Is your weight decreasing with exercise?

Interrogative with a prepositional phrase.

1

يتناقص مخزون القمح في المستودعات.

The wheat stock in the warehouses is decreasing.

Economic/Resource context.

2

تتناقص فرص العمل في هذا القطاع.

Job opportunities are decreasing in this sector.

Abstract plural subject.

3

يتناقص اهتمام الناس بالأخبار القديمة.

People's interest in old news is diminishing.

Psychological state.

4

يتناقص عدد المهاجرين بنسبة كبيرة.

The number of migrants is decreasing by a large percentage.

Using 'bi-nisba' for percentage.

5

بدأ صبر المعلم يتناقص مع الطلاب.

The teacher's patience began to dwindle with the students.

Verbal sentence with 'bada'a' (began).

6

يتناقص الطلب على الفحم الحجري.

The demand for coal is decreasing.

Business/Market term.

7

سيتناقص عدد السكان في المستقبل.

The population will decrease in the future.

Sociological prediction.

8

تتناقص قيمة السيارة كلما قدمت.

The car's value decreases the older it gets.

Conditional 'kullama' structure.

1

يتناقص الغطاء النباتي بسبب الزحف العمراني.

The vegetation cover is decreasing due to urban sprawl.

Environmental terminology.

2

تتناقص الثقة بين الطرفين بعد الخلاف.

Trust between the two parties is diminishing after the dispute.

Relational/Political context.

3

يتناقص تأثير الدواء بعد عدة ساعات.

The medicine's effect diminishes after several hours.

Medical/Technical context.

4

يتناقص احتمال وقوع الحادث الآن.

The probability of the accident occurring is decreasing now.

Probability/Statistical use.

5

تتناقص الموارد الطبيعية بشكل مقلق.

Natural resources are decreasing in a worrying manner.

Adverbial phrase 'bi-shakl muqliq'.

6

يتناقص الدعم الشعبي لهذه السياسة.

Public support for this policy is waning.

Political analysis.

7

يتناقص الفارق بين الفريقين في النتيجة.

The gap between the two teams' scores is decreasing.

Sports/Competitive context.

8

تتناقص الرؤية بسبب الضباب الكثيف.

Visibility is decreasing due to thick fog.

Safety/Weather context.

1

يتناقص هامش الربح نتيجة ارتفاع التكاليف.

The profit margin is decreasing as a result of rising costs.

Advanced economic terminology.

2

تتناقص سيادة الدول في ظل العولمة.

State sovereignty is diminishing in the shadow of globalization.

Political science discourse.

3

يتناقص الزخم الثوري بعد سنوات من الصراع.

The revolutionary momentum is waning after years of conflict.

Sociopolitical analysis.

4

يتناقص معدل الوفيات بفضل التطور الطبي.

The mortality rate is decreasing thanks to medical development.

Demographic terminology.

5

تتناقص المادة المشعة بمرور الزمن.

The radioactive material diminishes over time.

Physics/Technical use.

6

يتناقص بريق النجوم كلما اقترب الفجر.

The stars' brightness diminishes as dawn approaches.

Literary/Poetic tone.

7

يتناقص احتمال الخطأ مع زيادة الخبرة.

The probability of error decreases with increasing experience.

Logic/Professional context.

8

تتناقص قدرة المحرك على العمل بكفاءة.

The engine's ability to operate efficiently is diminishing.

Engineering context.

1

يتناقص الوعي الجمعي بالقيم التقليدية.

The collective consciousness of traditional values is waning.

Sociological/Philosophical discourse.

2

تتناقص حدة التوترات الجيوسياسية في المنطقة.

The intensity of geopolitical tensions in the region is subsiding.

International relations terminology.

3

يتناقص أمد الحياة الافتراضي للمنتجات الاستهلاكية.

The expected lifespan of consumer products is decreasing.

Economic/Consumerist critique.

4

تتناقص مشروعية النظام مع تزايد القمع.

The regime's legitimacy diminishes with increasing repression.

Political theory.

5

يتناقص التنوع البيولوجي بمعدلات غير مسبوقة.

Biodiversity is decreasing at unprecedented rates.

Scientific/Environmental urgency.

6

يتناقص الفارق الجوهري بين الحقيقة والخيال.

The fundamental difference between reality and fiction is diminishing.

Philosophical/Technological critique.

7

تتناقص فاعلية المؤسسات الدولية في حل النزاعات.

The effectiveness of international institutions in resolving conflicts is waning.

Global governance analysis.

8

يتناقص الحيز المخصص للخصوصية في العصر الرقمي.

The space allocated for privacy is diminishing in the digital age.

Digital ethics discourse.

자주 쓰는 조합

يتناقص تدريجياً
يتناقص بسرعة
يتناقص العدد
يتناقص الاحتمال
يتناقص الضغط
يتناقص الفارق
يتناقص الاهتمام
يتناقص الوزن
يتناقص بنسبة
يتناقص المدى
도움이 되었나요?
아직 댓글이 없습니다. 첫 번째로 생각을 공유하세요!