How to Say "Everything" in Arabic

كل شيء

kull shay'

The English word "everything" is translated into Arabic as كل شيء (kull shay').

Meaning: all the things (pron)

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of kull (every/all) and shay (thing).

While كل شيء means "everything," the alternative form كل الأشياء can be used to specifically mean "all the things" in a more pluralized sense.

The phrase كل شيء is grammatically masculine and is treated as a singular noun phrase in a sentence.

kull shay'

The word كل is derived from the Proto-Semitic root *kull-, making it a linguistic relative of the Akkadian kalûm.
While كل شيء is the standard form, speakers in many dialects swap the word 'thing' for حاجة, which literally means a 'need' or 'matter'.
In Arabic, the word شيء for 'thing' is used to denote an unknown variable in mathematics, mirroring how English uses the letter 'x'.

أبي ينسى كل شيء.
My father forgets everything.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use كل شيء with a verb in the present tense.
Tatoeba #1595371 by Amastan, translation #1734746 by futurulus
جرب زيري كل شيء.
Ziri tried everything.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use كل شيء with a verb in the past tense.
Tatoeba #10240705 by Amastan, translation #10223023 by Amastan
فهم زيري كل شيء.
Ziri understood everything.
Tatoeba #11615436 by dididodo, translation #11190185 by Amastan
76 more sentences on Tatoeba

Maryam and Ahmed are talking about their day.

مريم Maryam

هل انتهيت من العمل يا أحمد؟
Hal intahayta min al-amal ya Ahmad?
Did you finish work, Ahmed?
أحمد Ahmed

نعم، لقد جهزت كل شيء.
Na'am, laqad jahaztu kulla shay.
Yes, I have prepared everything.
مريم Maryam

ممتاز، هل أنت جاهز للذهاب؟
Mumtaz, hal anta jahiz lil-dhahab?
Great, are you ready to go?
أحمد Ahmed

نعم، أنا مستعد الآن.
Na'am, ana musta'id al-an.
Yes, I am ready now.

Sources

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