ajar

See also: Ajar

English

WOTD – 9 December 2015

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈd͡ʒɑː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈd͡ʒɑɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English ajar, on char (“on [the] turn”), from on (“on”) + char (“turn, occasion”), from Old English ċierr, cyrr (“turn”), from ċierran (“to turn, convert”), equivalent to a- +‎ char. Akin to Scots char, chare (“to turn, cause to turn”), Dutch akerre, kier (“ajar”), German kehren (“to turn”). See char.

Alternative forms

• achar (Scotland)

Adverb

ajar (not comparable)

1. Slightly turned or opened.

   The door was standing ajar.

Translations

slightly turned or opened

• Bulgarian: открехнат (bg) (otkrehnat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 虚掩地 (xūyăn de), 半开地 (bànkāi de)

• Danish: på klem, klem
• Dutch: op een kier
• Esperanto: malfermete
• Finnish: raollaan (fi)
• French: entrouvert (fr), entrebâillé (fr)
• German: angelehnt (de)
• Icelandic: í hálfa gátt
• Ingrian: rakoisillaa
• Italian: socchiuso (it)
• Japanese: 少し開いて (すこしあいて, sukoshi aite)
• Māori: matata
• Occitan: entredobèrt, entrebadat
• Persian: نیمه‌لا (nime-lâ)
• Portuguese: entreaberto (pt)
• Romanian: întredeschis (ro)
• Russian: (adjective) приоткры́тый (ru) (priotkrýtyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: odškrinut (sh)
• Spanish: entreabiertamente, entornadamente, entrecerradamente, juntadamente
• Swedish: på glänt (sv)

Adjective

ajar (comparative more ajar, superlative most ajar)

1. Slightly turned or opened.

   The door is ajar.

   • 1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems:

     I know—for Death, who comes for me
     From regions of the blest afar,
     Where there is nothing to deceive,
     Hath left his iron gate ajar, […]

Translations

slightly turned or opened

• Bulgarian: открехнат (bg) (otkrehnat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 虚掩地 (xūyăn de), 半开地 (bànkāi de)

• Czech: pootevřený (cs)
• Danish: på klem
• Dutch: op een kier
• Esperanto: malfermetita
• Finnish: raollaan (fi)
• French: entrebâillé (fr), entrouvert (fr)
• German: angelehnt (de)
• Icelandic: opinn til hálfs; opinn í hálfa gátt
• Māori: matata
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: på gløtt

  Nynorsk: på gløtt

• Persian: نیمه‌باز (nime-bâz)
• Polish: uchylony, niedomknięty
• Portuguese: entreaberto (pt)
• Romanian: întredeschis (ro)
• Russian: приоткры́тый (ru) (priotkrýtyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: odškrinuto (sh)

  Cyrillic: одшкринут m

  Latin: odškrinut (sh) m

• Slovak: pootvorený, odchýlený
• Spanish: entreabierto (es), entornado (es), entreajustado (Colombia), entrecerrado (es), juntado (es)
• Swedish: på glänt (sv)
• Ulwa (Nicaragua): yurahka

Verb

ajar (third-person singular simple present ajars, present participle ajarring, simple past and past participle ajarred)

1. (rare, perhaps nonstandard) To turn or open slightly; to become ajar or to cause to become ajar; to be or to hang ajar.
   • 1970, John H. Evans, Mercer County law journal, volume 10:

     A plainclothes detective knocked on a slightly ajarred door.

   • 1977, Bill Reed, Dogod:

     Yes, and the door also lops off stairs leading to a landing on whose landing is another door on whose hinges much of this story ajars, if it hasn't jarred too much already.

   • 2007, Loki, Shard of the Ancient:

     Just as the gates fully ajarred themselves, the Lamborghini soared through them, and out into the freedom of the poorly defined road.

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

English a-

English jar

English ajar

From a- (“in, at”) + jar (“discord, disagreement”).

Adverb

ajar (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Out of harmony.
2. Being at variance or in contradiction to something.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.14:

     There is a sort of unexpressed concern, / A kind of shock that sets one's heart ajar […] .

Translations

Being at variance or in contradiction to something

• Finnish: ei sopusoinnussa
• Icelandic: úr samræmi, í ósamræmi, úr takti

Verb

ajar (third-person singular simple present ajars, present participle ajarring, simple past and past participle ajarred)

1. (rare, perhaps nonstandard) To show variance or contradiction with something; to be or cause to be askew.
   • 1907, The English Illustrated Magazine, volume 36:

     It clean deafened the two of us, and set all the crockery ware ajarring ; and when the neighbours heard it they came running into the street to see who was getting hurt.

Translations

To show variance

• Finnish: erota (fi)

Anagrams

• raja

Albanian

Noun

ajar m

1. (archaic) large basket for holding or measuring grain

Declension

Declension of ajar

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ajar	ajari	ajarë	ajarët
accusative		ajarin
dative	ajari	ajarit	ajarëve	ajarëve
ablative			ajarësh

Further reading

• Newmark, Leonard (1999), “ajar”, in Oxford Albanian-English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Ambonese Malay

Etymology

From Malay ajar

Verb

ajar

1. to learn

Iban

Etymology

From Malay ajar, from Sanskrit आचार्य (ācārya, “teacher, master”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.d͡ʒar/
• Rhymes: -jar
• Hyphenation: a‧jar

Noun

ajar

1. lesson
2. advice

Verb

ajar

1. to teach

Derived terms

• diajar
• dipelajarka
• ngajar
• pemelajar
• pengajar

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• adjar (1901–1947, 1947–1972)

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈad͡ʒar/ [ˈa.d͡ʒar]
• Rhymes: -ad͡ʒar
• Syllabification: a‧jar

Etymology 1

Inherited from Malay ajar, from Classical Malay اجر (ajar), from Sanskrit आचार्य (ācārya, “teacher, master”), likely derived from आचार (ācāra, “conduct, behavior”). Doublet of acar, acara, acarya, and hajar.

Verb

ajar (base-imperative ajar, active mengajar, passive diajar)

1. to teach

Conjugation

Conjugation of ajar (meng-, transitive)

root	ajar
	active	passive		basic imperative	emphatic jussive
		reflective1	ordinary
	ordinary
nominative	mengajar	terajar	diajar	ajar	ajarlah
accusative / dative / locative	mengajari	terajari	diajari	ajari	ajarilah
perfective causative / applicative2	mengajarkan	terajarkan	diajarkan	ajarkan	ajarkanlah
	causative
nominative	mempelajar	terpelajar	dipelajar	pelajar	–
accusative / dative / locative	mempelajari	terpelajari	dipelajari	pelajari	pelajarilah
perfective causative / applicative2	memperajarkan	terpelajarkan	diperajarkan	perajarkan	perajarkanlah

¹ There is another form of reflective passive verb with affixation of ke- -an which is not included in the table. This form is only attested in active voice without causative affixation of per-.
² The -kan row is either causative or applicative. With transitive roots it mostly has applicative meaning.
Some of these forms do not normally exist or are rarely used in standard Indonesian. Some forms may also change meaning.

Derived terms

Affixations

• ajar (“to teach (imperative)”)
• ajari (“to teach (imperative)”)
• ajarkan (“to teach (imperative)”)
• belajar (“to learn, to study”)
• belajari
• belajarkan
• diajar
• diajari
• diajarkan
• diperajar
• diperajari
• diperajarkan
• kepengajaran
• membelajarkan
• mengajar (“to teach”)
• mengajari (“to teach (someone)”)
• mengajarkan (“to teach (someone something)”)
• pelajar (“student, pupil”)
• pelajaran (“lesson”)
• pelajari
• pelajarkan
• pembelajar
• pembelajaran (“a learning process”)
• pemelajar
• pengajar (“teacher”)
• pengajaran (“the act of teaching”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Malay [Term?] (Medan/Deli dialect).

Noun

ajar (plural ajar-ajar)

1. (dialect) first fruit

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Javanese ꦲꦗꦂ (ajar, “section of fruit”).

Classifier

ajar

1. (dialect) classifier for durian compartment

Related terms

• larikan buah
• pongge

Further reading

• “ajar”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Javanese

Romanization

ajar

1. romanization of ꦲꦗꦂ

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit आचार्य (ācārya, “teacher, master”). Doublet of acar, acara, and hajar.

Verb

ajar (Jawi spelling اجر)

1. to teach

Derived terms

Affixations

• ajar-ajar (“ascetics”)
• ajaran (“teachings”)
• ajari
• ajarkan
• belajar (“to learn”)
• berajar
• berpelajaran (“educated”)
• diajar (“being taught (intr.)”)
• diajarkan (“being taught (tr.)”)
• mempelajari
• mengajar (“to teach”)
• mengajari
• mengajarkan (“to teach (tr.)”)
• pelajar (“student”)
• pelajaran (“subject; education”)
• pembelajaran
• pemelajaran
• pengajar (“teacher”)
• pengajaran (“lesson; moral of story”)
• terpelajar (“well-educated”)

Compounds

• tunjuk ajar

Descendants

• > Ambonese Malay: ajar (inherited)
• > Indonesian: ajar (inherited)
• → Iban: ajar

Further reading

• "ajar" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Old Javanese

Etymology

Unknown, probably from Sanskrit आचार्य (ācārya, “teacher, master”) (hence, doublet of ācārya), likely derived from आचार (ācāra, “conduct, behavior”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ad͡ʒar/
• Rhymes: -d͡ʒar
• Hyphenation: a‧jar

Noun

ajar

1. communication, information, announcement
2. teaching, training
3. hermit

Derived terms

• ajar-ajar
• ajar-ajaran
• ajaran
• amājar
• amājarakĕn
• apaṅajaran
• aṅajar
• aṅajar-ajar
• aṅajarakĕn
• inajar
• inajarakĕn
• kājar
• kājaran
• mapājar
• mapājaran
• mājar
• mājar-ajar
• paṅajaran
• pinājar
• pinājarakĕn
• pājar
• pājar-ajar
• pājar-ajaran
• pājaran
• umajar
• umajarakĕn
• umājar
• ājar
• ājar-ajar

Descendants

• > Javanese: ꦲꦗꦂ (ajar) (inherited)
  • → Indonesian: hajar
• >? Classical Malay: اجر (ajar)
  • > Malay: ajar (inherited)
    • > Ambonese Malay: ajar (inherited)
    • > Indonesian: ajar (inherited)
    • → Iban: ajar

Further reading

• "ajar" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈxaɾ/ [aˈxaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: a‧jar

Etymology 1

From older ahajar, from Old Spanish haja, probably from Vulgar Latin *fallia (“defect”), from Latin fallĕre.

Alternative forms

• ahajar (obsolete)

Verb

ajar (first-person singular present ajo, first-person singular preterite ajé, past participle ajado)

1. (transitive or reflexive) to fade, wither

   Synonym: marchitar

   El sol ajó las flores.

   The sun withered the flowers.

   Se te olvidó regar esta planta, así que se ajó.

   You forgot to water this plant, so it withered.

2. (transitive or reflexive) to wear out

   Synonyms: desgastar, deteriorar

   El sol y la humedad suelen ajar las alfombras.

   The sun and humidity generally wear rugs out.

3. (transitive or reflexive) to wrinkle

   Synonym: arrugar

   No es bueno guardar los pantalones así, o los vas a ajar.

   It's not good to put away your pants this way, or you're going to wrinkle them.

   Ve a planchar esta camisa, que se te ajó después de que la guardaste doblada.

   Go iron this shirt, as it got wrinkled after you put it away folded.

4. (transitive) to humiliate someone

   Synonym: humillar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of ajar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			ajar
gerund			ajando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		ajado		ajada
		plural		ajados		ajadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	ajo	ajastú ajásvos	aja	ajamos	ajáis	ajan
	imperfect	ajaba	ajabas	ajaba	ajábamos	ajabais	ajaban
	preterite	ajé	ajaste	ajó	ajamos	ajasteis	ajaron
	future	ajaré	ajarás	ajará	ajaremos	ajaréis	ajarán
	conditional	ajaría	ajarías	ajaría	ajaríamos	ajaríais	ajarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	aje	ajestú ajésvos2	aje	ajemos	ajéis	ajen
	imperfect (ra)	ajara	ajaras	ajara	ajáramos	ajarais	ajaran
	imperfect (se)	ajase	ajases	ajase	ajásemos	ajaseis	ajasen
	future1	ajare	ajares	ajare	ajáremos	ajareis	ajaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		ajatú ajávos	aje	ajemos	ajad	ajen
	negative		no ajes	no aje	no ajemos	no ajéis	no ajen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of ajar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive ajar	dative	ajarme	ajarte	ajarle, ajarse	ajarnos	ajaros	ajarles, ajarse
	accusative	ajarme	ajarte	ajarlo, ajarla, ajarse	ajarnos	ajaros	ajarlos, ajarlas, ajarse
with gerund ajando	dative	ajándome	ajándote	ajándole, ajándose	ajándonos	ajándoos	ajándoles, ajándose
	accusative	ajándome	ajándote	ajándolo, ajándola, ajándose	ajándonos	ajándoos	ajándolos, ajándolas, ajándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative aja	dative	ájame	ájate	ájale	ájanos	not used	ájales
	accusative	ájame	ájate	ájalo, ájala	ájanos	not used	ájalos, ájalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative ajá	dative	ajame	ajate	ajale	ajanos	not used	ajales
	accusative	ajame	ajate	ajalo, ajala	ajanos	not used	ajalos, ajalas
with formal second-person singular imperative aje	dative	ájeme	not used	ájele, ájese	ájenos	not used	ájeles
	accusative	ájeme	not used	ájelo, ájela, ájese	ájenos	not used	ájelos, ájelas
with first-person plural imperative ajemos	dative	not used	ajémoste	ajémosle	ajémonos	ajémoos	ajémosles
	accusative	not used	ajémoste	ajémoslo, ajémosla	ajémonos	ajémoos	ajémoslos, ajémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative ajad	dative	ajadme	not used	ajadle	ajadnos	ajaos	ajadles
	accusative	ajadme	not used	ajadlo, ajadla	ajadnos	ajaos	ajadlos, ajadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative ajen	dative	ájenme	not used	ájenle	ájennos	not used	ájenles, ájense
	accusative	ájenme	not used	ájenlo, ájenla	ájennos	not used	ájenlos, ájenlas, ájense

Etymology 2

From ajo +‎ -ar.

Noun

ajar m (plural ajares)

1. garlic field, garlic patch

Further reading

• “ajar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025