بالفعل

Arabic

Etymology

Composed of بِـ (bi-, “in, with”) +‎ ال (al-, definite article) +‎ فِعْل (fiʕl, “deed, act, action”). Compare English indeed, in fact.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bil.fiʕ.li/

Adverb

بِٱلْفِعْلِ • (bi-l-fiʕli)

1. truly, actually, as of now, being already effective

   Synonyms: فِعْلًا (fiʕlan), حَقًّا (ḥaqqan)

   بِٱلْفِعْلِ أَنَا مُحْتَارٌ. ― bi-l-fiʕli ʔanā muḥtārun. ― I am truly confused.

   هٰذَا ٱلْاِسْمُ مُسْتَخْدَمٌ بِٱلْفِعْلِ.

   hāḏā l-ismu mustaḵdamun bi-l-fiʕli.

   Indeed this name is already in use.

See also

• أَصْلًا (ʔaṣlan)
• حَالِيًّا (ḥāliyyan)
• سَابِقًا (sābiqan)
• سَلَفًا (salafan)
• لَقَدْ (laqad)
• مُنْذُ الْآن (munḏu l-ʔān)
• مُنْذُ وَقْتٍ (munḏu waqtin)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic بِالْفِعْلِ (bi-l-fiʕli), corresponding to بـ (bi-, “by”) +‎ الفعل (il-fiʕl, “the action”).

Adverb

بالفعل • (bil-fiʕl)

1. really, actually, indeed

   Synonyms: فعلا (fiʕlan), والله (walla), عن جد (ʕan jadd)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian بِالْفِعْل (bi-lfi'l), from Arabic بِٱلْفِعْلِ (bi-l-fiʕli).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /bɪl.fɪʕl/, [bɪl.feːl]

Adverb

بِالْفِعْل • (bilfi'l) (Hindi spelling बिल्फ़ेल)

1. presently; now; in the current moment

   Synonym: فِالْحال (filhāl)

Further reading

• “بالفعل”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “فعل”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.