Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أعطى | ʔaʕṭa | /ʔaʕ.tˤaː/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| أَعْطَى | ʔaʕṭā | ||
| وَهَبَ | wahaba | ||
| مَنَحَ | manaḥa | ||
| آتَى | ʔātā | ||
| إدى | ʔidda | Egyptian Arabic | |
| عطى | ʕaṭa | Gulf Arabic | |
| أدَّى | ʔadda | Hijazi Arabic |
أعطى is the everyday verb for giving something to someone, whether an object, money or time. Like other Arabic verbs it is listed in its past tense form, he gave.
Which one should you use?
أعطى is the general word for give. وَهَبَ (wahaba) is used for more significant acts, such as bestowing a gift or a talent, including gifts from God. مَنَحَ (manaḥa) is used for granting privileges, awards, scholarships or official permission. قدِّم means present or offer and suits formal situations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic إدى (ʔidda) is commonly used instead of أعطى. In Gulf Arabic the verb is often said and written عطى (ʕaṭa), without the first letter. In Hijazi Arabic you will hear أعطى and also أدَّى (ʔadda).
How does it change in a sentence?
The command form for one man is أَعْطِ, which drops the final long vowel of أعطى. Object endings attach to it, as in أَعْطِنِي, give me. In casual speech هَات is a common informal way to say give me.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /ʔaʕ.tˤaː/, two syllables. It starts with a glottal stop, then the deep throat sound written ʕ and the t is heavy, said with the tongue pulled back.
Did you know?
- The verb أدَّى is used in certain Hijazi dialects to mean 'give', but it can also mean 'to perform' or 'to fulfill' in other contexts. This creates a linguistic overlap between the act of giving and the act of carrying out a duty.
- While أعطى is the general term for giving, the word وَهَبَ is used to describe the 'giving' of a child in a spiritual or familial context, as it implies a divine gift.
- The grammar of the command أَعْطِ involves a 'hidden' vowel drop that changes the word's length, which is a characteristic of Arabic imperative verbs.
Examples in context
- أَعْطِنِي قَهْوَةً أُخْرَى، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ.Give me another coffee, please.أَعْطِنِي means give me, the command form with the ending for me.
- هل بإمكانك أن تعطيني التقرير؟Could you please give me the report?
- قدَّمت له الشركة ترقية.The company gave him a promotion.
- هاتلي رقمك.Give me your phone number.
- اديني دقيقة.Give me a minute.
- أعطى الرجل الكتاب لصديقه.a'ta al-rajul al-kitab li-sadiqihiThe man gave the book to his friend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “give” translations and entries أعطى, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
