يا

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: یا and ئا

Arabic[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Particle[edit]

يَا • (yā)

  1. O; hey; you; vocative particle preceding a noun used in direct address, only rarely omitted in such contexts
    يَا كَرِيمُ... ― yā karīmu... ― (Hey) Kareem, ...
    يَا حِمارُ! ― yā ḥimāru! ― You idiot!
    • 1971, “زَهْرَةُ المَدَائِن (zahratu l-madāʔin)”, in Said Akl (lyrics), The Rahbani Brothers (music), القُدْسْ فِي البَال (al-quds fī l-bāl), performed by Fairuz:
      يَا قُدْسُ يَا قُدْسُ يَا قُدْسُ يَا مَدِينَةَ الصَّلَاة أُصَلِّي
      yā qudsu yā qudsu yā qudsu yā madīnata ṣ-ṣalāh ʾuṣallī
      O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, O city of prayer... I pray

Usage notes[edit]

  • If the noun following يَا describes a certain person and is singular, sound feminine plural or broken plural, it governs the nominative case in the construct state. If it describes a certain person and is sound dual or sound masculine plural, it governs the nominative case in the indefinite state.
  1. يَا مُحَمَّدُ! ― yā muḥammadu! ― O Muhammad!
    يَا طَبِيبُ دَاوِنِي! ― yā ṭabību dāwinī! ― O doctor, treat me! (addressing a certain doctor)
    يَا مُوَظِّفُونَ! ― yā muwaẓẓifūna! ― O employees!
    يَا نَاسُ! ― yā nāsu! ― O people!
  • If the noun following يَا is meant in general and isn't meant to adress a certain person, it governs the accusative case in the indefinite state.
  1. يَا طَبِيبًا دَاوِنِي! ― yā ṭabīban dāwinī! ― O any doctor, treat me! (calling for a doctor)
    يَا فَاهِمًا اِلدَّرْسَ اِشْرَحْهُ لَنَا! ― yā fāhiman id-darsa išraḥhu lanā! ― O anyone who understands the lesson, explain it to us!
  • If the noun following يَا is in a genitive construction, it governs the accusative case in the construct state.
  1. يَا مُدَرِّسَ ٱلْفَصْلِ نَظِّمْ فَصْلَكَ! ― yā mudarrisa l-faṣli naẓẓim faṣlaka! ― O teacher of the class, organise your class!
    يَا مُوَظِّفِي هٰذِهِ ٱلشَّرِكَةِ ― yā muwaẓẓifī hāḏihi š-šarikati ― O employees of this company!
    يَا أَبَانَا! ― yā ʔabānā! ― O our father!
    يَا حَبِيبِي! ― yā ḥabībī! ― O my dear!
  • If we want to use the noun following يَا in the definite state, we must use another particle أَيُّهَا (ʔayyuhā) (masculine) or أَيَّتُهَا (ʔayyatuhā) (feminine) together with يَا.
  1. يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلطَّبِيبُ دَاوِنِي! ― yā ʔayyuhā ṭ-ṭabību dāwinī! ― O you doctor, treat me!
    يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ! ― yā ʔayyuhā n-nāsu! ― O you people.
  • In Qur'anic and to some degree Classical orthography, يَا (yā) was written يَٰـ and joined to the following word. Compare the following verse (Surat al-Baqara 55, translation Muhammad Asad).
    (original orthography) وَإِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرى ٱللَّهَ جَهۡرَةࣰ فَأَخَذَتۡكُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمۡ تَنظُرُونَ
    (modernized orthography) وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى ٱللّٰه جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ ٱلصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
    And [remember] when you said, "O Moses indeed we shall not believe thee unto we see God face to face!" - whereupon the thunderbolt of punishment overtook you before your very eyes.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • → Armenian: յա (ya)
  • → Hebrew: יא (ya)
  • → Hindi: या (yā)
  • → Ottoman Turkish: یا (ya)
    • Turkish: ya
  • → Persian: یا (yâ)

See also[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Egyptian Arabic[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic يَا (yā).

Particle[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. vocative particle
    طمني يا دكتور، ايه حالة ابننا دلوقت؟
    ṭamminni ya doktor, ē ḥālet ibnena dilwaʾt?
    Assure me O doctor, what's the health status of our son now?
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Persian یا (yâ).

Conjunction[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. either ... or
    يا ده يا ده.
    ya da ya da.
    Either this or that.

Gujarati[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from Classical Persian یا (yā).

Conjunction[edit]

يا • (yā) (Standard Gujarati યા) (Lisan ud-Dawat)

  1. or

Etymology 2[edit]

Borrowed from Arabic يَا (yā).

Interjection[edit]

يا • (yā) (Standard Gujarati યા) (Lisan ud-Dawat)

  1. O!

Gulf Arabic[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic يَا (yā).

Particle[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. vocative particle
    يا غريب كون اديب
    yā ḡərīb kūn ədīb
    O stranger be respectful

Etymology 2[edit]

Borrowed from Persian یا (yâ, “or”).

Conjunction[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. either ... or
    يَا هَذَا يَا هَذَا.
    yā hāḏa yā hāḏa.
    Either this or that.

North Levantine Arabic[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic يَا (yā).

Particle[edit]

يا • (yā)

  1. vocative particle

Etymology 2[edit]

From Arabic إيَّا (ʔiyyā).

Particle[edit]

يا • (yā-)

  1. accusative particle, used with pronominal suffixes to express English object pronouns, like me, him, etc.
    شو بدك ياني قول؟
    šū baddak yāni ʔūl?
    What do you want me to say?
    رح فرجيك ياهن.
    raḥ farjīk yāhun.
    I'll show them to you.
    ما فيني اشرحلك ياه.
    mā fīni ʔišraḥ-lak yā.
    I can't explain it to you.
Usage notes[edit]
  • Used with false verbs (example 1) and in double accusative constructions (example 2). Optionally used after verbs that are already suffixed with an indirect-object pronoun (example 3).

South Levantine Arabic[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic يَا (yā).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ja/, [ja]
  • Audio (Ramallah)(file)

Particle[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. vocative particle

Etymology 2[edit]

Borrowed from Persian یا (yâ, “or”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

يا • (ya)

  1. either ... or
    Synonyms: ولّا (willa), أو (ʔaw)
    معيش وقت اليوم — يا بروح عالنادي يا بشوف صحابي.
    maʕīš waʔt il-yōm — ya barūḥ ʕan-nādi ya bašūf ṣḥābi
    I don't have time today — I either go to the gym or see my friends.

Etymology 3[edit]

From Arabic إِيَّا (ʔiyyā).

Particle[edit]

يّا • (yyā-)

  1. Alternative spelling of ايا (iyya-), especially after a vowel
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=يا&oldid=78867469"