سأتصل بك لاحقاً
sa'attaṣilu bika lāḥiqan
The English phrase "I will call you later" is translated into Arabic as سأتصل بك لاحقاً (sa'attaṣilu bika lāḥiqan).
This phrase is used to tell someone that you will telephone them at a future time.
What does it mean word for word?
The prefix سـ attached to the verb indicates the future tense "will". The verb أتصل is the first-person singular form meaning "I call/contact".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal tone, you can use سوف أتصل بك لاحقًا, where the keyword سوف translates to "will" and precedes the verb.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, the phrase بحكي معك بعدين is used to mean "I will talk to you later" when referring to a call or conversation. In many Arabic dialects (like Egyptian), people use هكلمك بعدين instead of the formal سأتصل بك لاحقاً.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb أتصل is in the first-person singular form. To address a female instead of a male, change the suffix from bika to biki, resulting in سأتصل بكِ لاحقاً.
How do you pronounce it?
sa'attaṣilu bika lāḥiqan
Did you know?
- In social settings, saying سأتصل بك لاحقاً can sometimes function as a polite way to end a conversation without a firm commitment to call back. This is similar to the English 'let's do lunch' and is more of a social lubricant than a literal promise.
- The formal verb أتصل in سأتصل بك literally means 'to connect' or 'to link' with someone, much like connecting a physical circuit.
- The formal prefix سـ used in سأتصل denotes a 'near future', implying the call will happen soon. In contrast, سوف is often used for a more distant or indefinite future, adding a subtle layer of timing to the promise.
Examples in context
- سوف أتصل بك لاحقًا بعد الاجتماع.I will call you later after the meeting.
- سوف أتصل بك لاحقًا بعد ساعتين.I will call you later in two hours.
- سأتصل بك لاحقاً.sa'attasilu bika lahiqan.I will call you later.
- لا أستطيع التحدث الآن، سأتصل بك لاحقاً.la astati'u al-tahadduth al-an, sa'attasilu bika lahiqan.I cannot talk now, I will call you later.
- سأتصل بك لاحقاً لمناقشة المشروع.sa'attasilu bika lahiqan li-munaqashat al-mashru'.I will call you later to discuss the project.
Example conversation
Ziad and Leila are ending a brief meeting.
- زياد Ziadعلينا الذهاب الآن يا ليلى.Alayna al-dhahab al-aan ya Layla.We have to go now, Leila.
- ليلى Laylaحسناً، هل نتحدث عن المشروع؟Hasanan, hal natahadath an al-mashru'?Okay, shall we talk about the project?
- زياد Ziadسأتصل بك لاحقاً لمناقشة التفاصيل.Sa-attasilu biki lahiqan limunaqashat al-tafasil.I will call you later to discuss the details.
- ليلى Laylaاتفقنا، سأنتظر اتصالك يا زياد.Ittafaqna, sa-antadhiru ittisalaka ya Ziad.Agreed, I will wait for your call, Ziad.
