Quranic root
رحب
r · ḥ · b
The root centers on spaciousness, breadth, and the absence of constriction.
The basic sense of physical expansiveness extends to spacious places and bodily breadth, figurative openness and capacity, landscape terms, and the greeting formula مَرْحَبًا, which invokes or declares spaciousness and ease.
- Maqāyīs · row 1982
- Mufradāt · row 538
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 4
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
رَحُبَ
raḥuba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To be or become spacious, ample, wide, or roomy.
Applied to a place or other thing. In the Quranic construction بِما رَحُبَتْ, the earth is described as spacious even while it became constricted for those concerned.
- Lane · entry 22745
- Mufradāt · row 538
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:118word 11
“it was vast”
مَرْحَبٌ
marḥabun
- Part of speech
- Noun · greeting formula
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Welcome; a greeting or invocation expressing that someone has come to, or found, spaciousness and ease.
Used as the greeting formula مَرْحَبًا and, in the Quranic passages, in the negative formula لا مَرْحَبًا بِهِمْ / بِكُمْ, meaning that no welcome or spacious reception is granted.
- Lane · entry 22759
- Mufradāt · row 538
Selected Quran examples
Quran 38:59word 6
“welcome”
Quran 38:60word 5
“welcome”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 9:25رَحُبَتْ(in spite) of its vastness
- 9:118رَحُبَتْit was vast
- 38:59مَرْحَبًۢاwelcome
- 38:60مَرْحَبًۢاwelcome
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 22 Classical meanings
رَحُبَ
To be spacious for or accommodating to someone or something.
Originally construed with بِـ, as in رَحُبَ بِكَ المَكَانُ; later usage also allowed direct transitive construction.
- Lane · entry 22745
رَحُبَ
In an anomalous transitive idiom, to be proper or allowable for someone.
Attested in the expression أَرَحُبَكُمُ الدُّخُولُ فِي طَاعَتِهِ, concerning entry into obedience; the construction is described as exceptional.
- Lane · entry 22745
رَحُبَ
To make something wide or spacious by transitive use.
Attested in the invocation رَحُبَ اللهُ جَوْفَهُ, meaning that God make his belly wide.
- Lane · entry 22745
رَحَّبَ
To welcome someone by saying مَرْحَبًا; to greet or invite someone to spaciousness.
Commonly construed with بِـ, as in رَحَّبَ بِهِ, and also used for welcoming or greeting generally.
- Lane · entry 22746
أَرْحَبَ
To make a thing ample, spacious, wide, or roomy.
Also used in commands meaning “make room” or “withdraw.”
- Lane · entry 22747
تَرَاحَبَ
To become easy or open in its routes or avenues.
Used of an affair whose ways of approach are easy although its ways of completion or return are difficult.
- Lane · entry 22748
رَحْبٌ
Ample, spacious, wide, or roomy, of a place or thing.
Includes a capacious cooking pot and the expression رَحَائِبُ التُّخُومِ, referring to the breadth or extent of territorial limits and regions.
- Lane · entry 22749
- Lane · entry 22757
رَحْبٌ
Physically wide in the genital region, in a specialized description of a woman.
An anatomical use of the adjective, distinct from ordinary spatial breadth.
- Lane · entry 22749
رَحْبُ الجَوْفِ
Broad-bellied; by extension, a great or voracious eater.
Used in the expression رَحْبُ الجَوْفِ and also reported as رَحِيبٌ when used alone with this sense.
- Lane · entry 22749
رَحْبُ الصَّدْرِ
Broad or open in breast and mind; free from distress or narrowness of mind.
Figurative use in the expression رَحْبُ الصَّدْرِ.
- Lane · entry 22749
رَحْبُ الذِّرَاعِ
Generous, munificent, or broad in capacity and power.
In expressions such as رَحْبُ الذِّرَاعِ and رَحْبُ البَاعِ, it may denote ability in difficulty and strength, courage, or prowess in conflict.
- Lane · entry 22749
رُحْبٌ
Ampleness, spaciousness, wideness, or roominess.
Used as an abstract noun and in invitations to advance into spaciousness or room.
- Lane · entry 22750
رَحَبَةٌ
A courtyard, open area, or spacious vacant portion of a mosque, house, or other place.
May include an enclosure or raised platform at the entrance of a mosque; the form رَحْبَةٌ is also attested.
- Lane · entry 22752
رَحَبَةٌ
An ample tract of land where people and herbage may gather; also a part of a valley where water flows in or collects.
The plural رِحَابٌ can denote smooth or soft water-collecting places, including valley basins and other low or elevated tracts.
- Lane · entry 22752
رَحَبَةٌ
A place where the plant ثُمَام, or panic grass, aggregates and grows.
A specialized landscape use.
- Lane · entry 22752
رَحَبَةٌ
A place where grapes are dried, like a drying floor for dates.
A specialized agricultural use.
- Lane · entry 22752
رُحْبَى
The broadest rib or a broad region of the chest.
The term can refer to the upper ribs near the armpits, the region where the heart beats, or related chest and flank areas; the paired form denotes corresponding ribs or flanks.
- Lane · entry 22753
رُحْبَى
A brand or mark made with a hot iron on the side of a camel.
A specialized pastoral use.
- Lane · entry 22753
أَرْحَبِيَّاتٌ
Certain excellent she-camels associated with Arhab.
The association is variously explained as being with the Arhab tribe, a stallion, or a Yemeni place named for the tribe.
- Lane · entry 22758
أَبُو مَرْحَبٍ
Shade.
Used in a figurative poetic expression comparing a person’s friendship with shade.
- Lane · entry 22759
أَبُو مَرْحَبٍ
A surname or byname of ʿUrqūb, the man proverbial for lying promises.
A proper-name and proverbial use.
- Lane · entry 22759
مَرْحَبٌ
The name of an idol formerly worshipped in Ḥaḍramawt.
A proper-name use, distinct from the greeting formula.
- Lane · entry 22759
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
A historical citation in the lexical evidence is not converted into an additional modern surah:ayah location; the listed Quran locations are those securely supplied by QAC.