وأنت؟
wa-anta?
In Arabic, "and you" is expressed as وأنت؟ (wa-anta?).
The phrase is used as a question to ask the same thing back to the person who just asked you.
Which one should you use?
The form وأنت؟ must change its vowel ending based on the gender and number of the person being addressed.
How does it change in a sentence?
Depending on whom you are addressing, the form changes: وأنتَ؟ is used for a male, وأنتِ؟ is used for a female and وأنتم؟ is used when addressing a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
wa-anta?
Did you know?
- Because Arabic has a complex system of 'dual' nouns and pronouns, there is a specific form used if you are asking 'and you?' back to exactly two people, which differs from both the singular and the plural وأنتم؟.
- If you are addressing a group of people in a formal setting, using the plural form وأنتم؟ is often a sign of respect even if you are only speaking to one person.
- While وأنت؟ is the standard way to return a question, in some Levantine dialects, people might simply repeat the last word of your question with a rising intonation to achieve the same effect.
Examples in context
- نحن نستمع إلى الموسيقى، وأنت؟We are listening to music, and you?This sentence shows how to use وأنت؟ when returning a question about an activity.Tatoeba #3893571 by eeyinn, translation #13524649 by Abdaresrif
- أنا ألماني، وأنت؟I'm German, and you?This sentence shows how to use وأنت؟ when returning a question about nationality.Tatoeba #13739546 by Adelpa, translation #6796841 by Eccles17
- بخير، وأنت؟I'm fine, and you?
- بخير، وأنتم؟We're fine, and you?
- الحمد لله، وإنتَ؟Praise be to God, and you?
- كل شي تمام، وإنتو؟Everything's good, and you all?
- أنا أحب القهوة، وأنت؟ana uḥibbu al-qahwa, wa anta?I love coffee, and you?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their favorite hobbies.
- سارة Saraأنا أحب القراءة، وأنت؟ana uḥibbu al-qira'a, wa anta?I love reading, and you?
- يوسف Youssefأنا أحب الرياضة.ana uḥibbu al-riyāḍa.I love sports.
- سارة Saraهل تحب كرة القدم؟hal tuḥibbu kurat al-qadam?Do you like football?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، أحبها كثيراً.na'am, uḥibbuhā kathīran.Yes, I love it a lot.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
