Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| سأل | saʔal | /sa.ʔa.la/ | Egyptian Arabic |
| سَأَلَ | saʔala | ||
| سقصى | saqṣa | Moroccan Arabic | |
| سول | sawwal | Moroccan Arabic | |
| سال | sāl | Moroccan Arabic, alternative form |
The verb is used to request an answer. A general way to express 'to ask about' a specific topic or person is to use the verb followed by the preposition عن. While سأل is a general term for 'ask' that works in various contexts, you may use استفسر when specifically asking for information or clarifications in a formal setting.
Which one should you use?
The standard third-person masculine singular past tense form is سَأَلَ. In Egyptian Arabic, this is often simplified to سأل. In Moroccan Arabic, you may encounter سول to mean 'ask' or 'talk' or سقصى. Additionally, سال is used in Morocco as an alternative spelling for the standard form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the form سأل is used. In Moroccan Arabic, common forms include سول, سقصى and the alternative spelling سال.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form سأل (sa'ala) is the third-person masculine singular past tense, meaning 'he asked'. The present tense form is يسأل (yas'alu), meaning 'he asks' or 'he is asking'.
How do you pronounce it?
saʔal (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- The Moroccan form سول is listed as a borrowing from the Korean word 서울 (Seoul).
- In many Arabic-speaking regions, 'asking' for a price is less about receiving a number and more about initiating a social ritual of bargaining and negotiation.
- The Arabic word for 'question' سؤال is used to describe both the specific inquiry being made and the general act of asking.
Examples in context
- هل سألته عن رقمه؟Did you ask him his number?This sentence demonstrates how to use the verb to ask about someone's number.Tatoeba #6131024 by OsoHombre, translation #5826168 by OsoHombre
- كان سيخبرني بالحقيقة إذا كنت سألته.He would tell me the truth, if I would ask him.This sentence shows how to use the verb in a conditional context regarding telling the truth.Tatoeba #4982070 by wuvixx, translation #1193371 by rheotaxis
- لم سألتني؟Why did you ask me?This sentence shows how to ask the reason for a question.Tatoeba #7972812 by OsoHombre, translation #3822555 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Youssef and Laila are at home discussing a colleague.
- يوسف Youssefأنا سألت المدير عن الشغل الجديد.ana sa'alt el mudeer 'an el sho'l el gadeed.I asked the manager about the new job.
- ليلى Laylaوهو رد عليك؟we hwa radd 'aleek?And did he respond to you?
- يوسف Youssefلسه، بس سألت ليلى لو سمعت حاجة.lissa, bas sa'alt Laila law seme'et haga.Not yet, but I asked Laila if she heard anything.
- ليلى Laylaأنا مسمعتش أي حاجة خالص.ana masme'tesh ay haga khales.I didn't hear anything at all.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ask” translations and entries سأل, سول, سال, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سأل, سول, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
