What does it mean word for word?
The phrase أعطني إياه is composed of the verb 'give' (a'ṭi), the suffix 'me' (nī) and the object pronoun 'it' (iyyāh).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can make the request more polite by adding 'min faḍlik' (from your favor) to the end, resulting in أعطني إياه من فضلك. For a much more formal tone, you can use يرجى تسليمه لي, which means 'Please hand it to me'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the pronoun at the end of the phrase changes depending on the gender and number of the object you are referring to. Use أعطني إياه for a masculine object, أعطني إياها for a feminine object and أعطني إياهم for a plural object. Additionally, you can use the shorter form أعطني (give me) if the specific object is not being identified within the same phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
a'ṭinī iyyāh
Did you know?
- The word أعطني (a'ṭinī) comes from a root meaning 'to give' or 'to grant' which is also used to describe the act of providing a divine blessing or a legal grant of land.
- In some cultures, instead of saying أعطني إياه, it is more polite to say لو سمحت (law samaḥt), which literally means 'if you permit'.
- The word هات is used as a casual 'hand it over', creating a sharp social distinction between a formal request and a peer-to-peer command.
Examples in context
- أعطني إياها من فضلك.Give it to me, please.This sentence is useful for practicing a polite request using أعطني إياه.Tatoeba #400758 by saeb, translation #41825 by CK
- أعطني إياه الآن.A'tini iyyahu al-an.Give it to me now.
Example conversation
Youssef and Sarah are in the kitchen, and Youssef wants a book from the table.
- يوسف Youssefيا سارة، هل هذا كتابك؟Ya Sarah, hal hadha kitabuki?Sarah, is this your book?
- سارة Saraنعم، إنه كتابي.Na'am, innahu kitabi.Yes, it is my book.
- يوسف Youssefأعطني إياه من فضلك.A'tini iyyahu min fadlik.Give it to me, please.
- سارة Saraتفضل يا يوسف.Tafaddal ya Youssef.Here you go, Youssef.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
