Significado
Something that is gone, over, or no longer exists.
Contexto cultural
The phrase is a testament to the prestige of the Arabic language's grammatical heritage. Even people with little formal education use this grammatical metaphor. In Egypt, the phrase is often used with a specific sarcastic tone to mock someone who has lost their influence or 'coolness'. It is frequently used in political talk shows to describe failed peace initiatives or outdated political alliances. While dialects here are distinct, 'في خبر كان' remains a bridge to Modern Standard Arabic and is used in formal education and media.
Use with 'Asbaha'
For the most natural sound, always start the sentence with 'Asbaha' (became). It makes you sound like a native speaker.
Not for People
Be careful using this for living people. It can sound like you are saying they are dead or totally irrelevant, which might be offensive.
Significado
Something that is gone, over, or no longer exists.
Use with 'Asbaha'
For the most natural sound, always start the sentence with 'Asbaha' (became). It makes you sound like a native speaker.
Not for People
Be careful using this for living people. It can sound like you are saying they are dead or totally irrelevant, which might be offensive.
Journalism Hack
If you read Arabic newspapers, look for this phrase in the headlines. It's a very common way to describe political shifts.
Teste-se
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'أصبح' and the idiom.
بعد أن كُسر الكرسي، _______ في خبر كان.
The subject 'الكرسي' (the chair) is masculine singular, so we use 'أصبح'.
Which situation best fits the use of 'في خبر كان'?
Choose the correct context:
The idiom is used for things that are outdated or no longer functional.
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
أحمد: هل ما زلت تحب تلك الفرقة الموسيقية؟ خالد: لا، شهرتهم _______.
Khaled is saying they are no longer famous/relevant.
Match the event to the result.
Match 'الزلزال دمر البيت' (The earthquake destroyed the house) with the correct result:
Destruction leads to something becoming 'history'.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosبعد أن كُسر الكرسي، _______ في خبر كان.
The subject 'الكرسي' (the chair) is masculine singular, so we use 'أصبح'.
Choose the correct context:
The idiom is used for things that are outdated or no longer functional.
أحمد: هل ما زلت تحب تلك الفرقة الموسيقية؟ خالد: لا، شهرتهم _______.
Khaled is saying they are no longer famous/relevant.
Match 'الزلزال دمر البيت' (The earthquake destroyed the house) with the correct result:
Destruction leads to something becoming 'history'.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasYes, it is understood and used across the Arab world, from Morocco to Iraq, though it sounds slightly more educated than local slang.
It's better to use 'Fi dhimmat Allah'. Using 'Fi khabar kana' for a person is usually metaphorical (e.g., their career is over).
Literally yes, but grammatically it means 'predicate'. In the idiom, it means the person/thing has become a 'story of the past'.
It's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
There isn't a direct idiomatic opposite, but you could say 'في أوج عطائه' (at the peak of its giving/success).
No, the phrase is fixed in the past tense 'كان'.
Because in Arabic grammar, the 'khabar' is the part that gives the information about the past state.
Yes! 'محفظتي أصبحت في خبر كان' is a very common way to say you lost it and don't expect to find it.
The grammatical structure is everywhere in the Quran, but this specific idiom is a later linguistic development.
It's like the 'ch' in 'Loch Ness' or the Spanish 'j'.
Frases relacionadas
كان ياما كان
similarOnce upon a time
أصبح أثراً بعد عين
synonymTo vanish completely
راحت عليه
informal alternativeHe missed out / It's gone
في ذمة الماضي
similarIn the care of the past
