اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة
inḥanā li-t-taḥiyya
The English verb 'bow' can be translated into Arabic as اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة (inḥanā li-t-taḥiyya) or اِنْحَنَى. Wiktionary also lists رَكَعَ (rakaʕa).
Meaning: to bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة | inḥanā li-t-taḥiyya |
| اِنْحَنَى | inḥanā |
| رَكَعَ | rakaʕa |
The term اِنْحَنَى is the most common way to describe the physical act of bending the body forward. Related nouns such as اِنْحِنَاءَة and اِلْتِوَاءَة can be used to describe the gesture itself, which is a movement made by bending forward at the waist.
Which one should you use?
While اِنْحَنَى refers to a general bend or bow, رَكَعَ specifically describes the act of bowing or kneeling, often used in a religious context. For example, رَكَعَ is used when referring to the bowing posture during prayer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb اِنْحَنَى is a Form VII verb. To say 'she bowed', use the feminine singular past tense form اِنْحَنَتْ.
How do you pronounce it?
inḥanā li-t-taḥiyya
When do people say it?
This specific action is associated with the term الركوع.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the physical act of 'bowing' is actually less common than a slight nod of the head or placing a hand over the heart, which can convey the same level of deference as a waist-bend.
- The root letters of رَكَعَ are shared with words describing the act of kneeling, blurring the line between a bow and a kneel in a way English does not.
- In certain poetic Arabic contexts, the word اِنْحَنَى can be used metaphorically to describe how branches of trees bend under the weight of fruit or even how the sun sets.
Examples in context
- اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة أَمَامَ المَلِكِ.inḥanā li-t-taḥiyyati amāma al-maliki.He bowed in greeting before the king.
- اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة بِاحْتِرَامٍ شَدِيدٍ.inḥanā li-t-taḥiyyati bi-ḥtirāmin shadīdin.He bowed with great respect.
- اِنْحَنَى لِلتَّحِيَّة عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِ القَاعَةَ.inḥanā li-t-taḥiyyati 'inda dukhūlihi al-qā'ata.He bowed in greeting upon entering the hall.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
