الله يعيننا
Allah ye'inna
The English phrase "God help us" can be translated into Arabic as الله يعيننا (Allah ye'inna).
الله يعيننا is used in two primary ways: as a sincere prayer for divine assistance during times of hardship, or as an exclamation of exasperation when one feels helpless or overwhelmed by a difficult task or person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Allah (God), يعين (helps/assists) and the suffix -na (us).
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase الله يعيننا, the verb يعين is in the present tense, which in this context functions as a prayer or a supplication.
How do you pronounce it?
Allah ye'inna
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, using a phrase like الله يعيننا in response to a compliment can be a way to deflect praise and avoid the 'evil eye'.
- The word الله is theorized to be a contraction of الٱِلٰه, which literally means 'the deity'.
Examples in context
- يا ربO Lord
- ساعدنا يا إلهيHelp us, O my God
- الله يعيننا على هذا العمل الشاق.Allāhu yu‘īnunā ‘alā hādhā al-‘amal al-shāq.God help us with this hard work.
- الوضع صعب، الله يعيننا.Al-wad‘u ṣa‘b, Allāhu yu‘īnunā.The situation is difficult, God help us.
- الله يعيننا في هذه الأزمة.Allāhu yu‘īnunā fī hādhihi al-azma.God help us in this crisis.
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are discussing their heavy workload at the office.
- ليلى Laylaلدينا الكثير من المهام اليوم.Ladaynā al-kathīr min al-mahām al-yawm.We have many tasks today.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، الله يعيننا.Na‘am, Allāhu yu‘īnunā.Yes, God help us.
- ليلى Laylaهل ستنتهي يا يوسف؟Hal satantahī yā Yūsuf?Will you finish, Yusuf?
- يوسف Youssefسأحاول جاهدًا.Sa-uhāwilu jāhidan.I will try my best.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries الله, CC BY-SA 4.0.
