A1phrase
عَفْوًا
ʿafwan
you're welcome / excuse me
Example
عَفْوًا، أَيْنَ الْمَحَطَّةُ؟
ʿafwan, ayna al-maḥaṭṭatu?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Grammar
Can mean 'you're welcome' (response to shukran) or 'excuse me/pardon'.
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Arabic root
ع-ف-و
3 words from this root family
B1verb
عَفَا
ʿafā
he pardoned / he excused
Example
وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ
wal-yaʿfū wal-yaṣfaḥū alā tuḥibbūna an yaghfira Allāhu lakum
Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? (24:22)
Grammar
Defective verb. Noun: عَفْوٌ (pardon). God's name: الْعَفُوُّ (The Pardoner). Present: يَعْفُو. Distinguished from مَغْفِرَة (forgiveness).
Culture
ʿAfw (pardon) goes beyond forgiveness — it means erasing the sin entirely as if it never happened. It is a divine quality Muslims are urged to emulate.
B1noun
عَفُوٌّ
ʿafuww
The Pardoner (divine name) / Most Forgiving
Example
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا
inna Allāha kāna ʿafuwwan ghafūrā
Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving (4:43)
Grammar
Intensive adjective (faʿūl pattern). From عَفَا (to pardon). الْعَفُوُّ goes beyond الْغَفُورُ — it means to erase the sin completely, as if it never existed.
Culture
The Prophet ﷺ taught Aisha to say on Laylat al-Qadr: 'O Allah, You are ʿAfuww, You love pardoning, so pardon me.' A beloved duʿāʾ.