غالبا

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic غَالِبًا (ḡāliban). By surface analysis, غالب (ğâleb) +‎ ـاً (-an).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ɣɑː.li.ˈβan]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣɑː.lɪ.bǽn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ɣɑː.lɪ.bǽn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ɣɑː.lɪ.bǽn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ɣɔː.li.bǽn]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [qɒː.le.bǽn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʁɔ.li.bǽn]

Readings
Classical reading?	ğāliḇan
Dari reading?	ğāliban
Iranian reading?	ğâleban
Tajik reading?	ġoliban

Adverb

Dari	غالبا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ғолибан

غالباً • (ğâleban)

1. mostly
2. often; very often
3. (archaic) probably
   • c. 1520, Badr-ud-Dīn Hilālī, دیوان [Dīvān]:

     چیست دامان سپهر امروز پرخون از شفق؟
     غالبا امشب ز درد عشق گردون می‌گریست

     čî-st dâmân-i sipihr imrôz purxûn az šafaq?
     ğâliban imšab zi dard-i išq gardûn mê-girîst

     What is it, the robe of heaven today bloody from the sunset?
     Probably, the firmament was weeping from the pain of love tonight.

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian غالباً (ğâliban), from Arabic غَالِبًا (ḡāliban).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɣɑː.lɪ.bən/
• Rhymes: -ən

Adverb

غالِباً • (ġāliban) (Hindi spelling ग़ालिबन)

1. probably, apparently, for the most part, mostly, chiefly

References

• “غالبا”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “غالبا”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.