اذهب للأكل
idhhab lil-akl
The English phrase 'go eat' is translated into Arabic as اذهب للأكل (idhhab lil-akl).
This phrase is an imperative used to instruct someone to leave their current location to find and consume food. The component اِذْهَبْ means 'go' and وكُلْ means 'and eat'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase اذهب للأكل is composed of the imperative verb اذهب (go) and the prepositional phrase للأكل (for the eating).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
A more formal way to say 'go eat' is to use the phrase اِذْهَبْ وكُلْ طَعامَك, which translates to 'go and eat your food'. Conversely, in daily spoken conversation, the phrase روح كُل is more common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many spoken Arabic dialects, the colloquial phrase روح كُل is used more frequently than the formal version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative verb changes depending on who you are addressing: to address a female, use اذهبي للأكل and to address a group of people, use اذهبوا للأكل.
How do you pronounce it?
idhhab lil-akl
Did you know?
- While اذهب means 'go', in various dialects the word روح (used in 'go eat') literally means 'soul' or 'spirit'.
- In many Arabic cultures, telling someone to روح كُل (go eat) is often accompanied by the phrase بالهناء والشفاء, which wishes the person health and healing through their meal.
- Depending on the region, saying go eat might be phrased using the word تغدى for lunch or تعشى for dinner, as Arabic has specific verbs for different meals of the day.
Examples in context
- اذهب للأكل.Go eat.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase اذهب للأكل.Tatoeba #12858352 by Melmi, translation #12861313 by rul
- يجب أن اذهب للأكل.yajibu an azhaba lil-akl.I must go eat.
Example conversation
Youssef tells Sarah that it is time for a break.
- يوسف Youssefسارة، لقد عملتِ كثيراً اليوم.Sarah, laqad 'amilti kathiran al-yawm.Sarah, you have worked a lot today.
- سارة Saraنعم، أنا جائعة جداً.Na'am, ana ja'i'a jiddan.Yes, I am very hungry.
- يوسف Youssefاذهب للأكل في المطعم.Idhhab lil-akl fil-mat'am.Go eat at the restaurant.
- سارة Saraشكراً يا يوسف، سأفعل ذلك.Shukran ya Youssef, sa-af'alu dhalik.Thank you Youssef, I will do that.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
