Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| أَمَلَ | ʔamala |
| رَجَا | rajā |
| تَأَمَّلَ | taʔammala |
The primary verbs for to hope are أَمَلَ and رَجَا, both of which mean to want something to happen with the expectation that it might. In a related sense, the noun أَمَل refers to a single hope, a general sense of hope or a person or thing that serves as a source of hope. Similarly, the noun رَجَاء can mean the belief that something wished for can happen or a source of hope. In formal writing and correspondence, the adverbial form رَجَاءً is frequently used to mean 'please' or 'it is requested'.
Which one should you use?
While أَمَلَ and رَجَا are used to express hoping for a specific outcome, تَأَمَّلَ means to contemplate or reflect deeply on something. Additionally, رَجَا often carries a nuance of 'hoping and requesting' or 'appealing', making it more common in formal requests or prayers than أَمَلَ.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form أَمَلَ is the third-person masculine singular past tense, meaning 'he hoped'. The noun أَمَل is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔamala
Did you know?
- While أَمَل means 'hope', the same root is used to create the word أَمَال, which means 'to bend' or 'to incline'. This suggests a historical linguistic link between the idea of hoping and the idea of leaning toward something.
- The word أَمَل is used as a common given name for both men and women in many Arabic speaking countries. It is chosen to symbolize optimism and a bright future for the child.
- When using رَجَا in a religious context, it refers to a specific spiritual state of 'hope in God's mercy'. This is considered a virtuous middle ground between total certainty and total despair.
Examples in context
- أتمنى أن تتحقق أمنياتك في المستقبل.I hope your wishes come true in the future.
- نتمنى أن تأخذ شكواي في الاعتبار. رجاءً.We hope you will consider my complaint. Please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hope” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
