عندما يموت شخص ما
'indama yamutu shakhsun ma
The phrase "when someone dies" in Arabic is عندما يموت شخص ما ('indama yamutu shakhsun ma).
This phrase is a neutral and descriptive way to refer to the event or time of a person's death. It is suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of indama (when), yamutu (dies), shakhsun (a person) and ma (some/a certain).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may hear the phrase ربنا يغفر له و يصبر عيلته, meaning "May God forgive him and give his family patience". In Levantine Arabic (used in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine), a common expression is الله يرحمو و يصبر أهلو, which means "May God have mercy on him and give patience to his family".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase عندما يموت شخص ما, the verb yamutu (dies) is in the third-person masculine singular present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
'indama yamutu shakhsun ma
Did you know?
- In many regions, it is customary to respond to the news of death by saying البقاء لله ('Permanence is for God alone'). This reminds the listener that human life is temporary while the divine is eternal.
- The term انتقل إلى رحمة الله, meaning 'he moved to the mercy of God', is the standard phrasing for death in professional news broadcasts and obituaries.
- The word ما in the phrase شخص ما functions as an indefinite particle, a linguistic feature it shares with ancient Semitic languages like Ugaritic.
Examples in context
- أتقدم إليكم بخالص التعازي في وفاة السيدة فاطمة. أعزيكم في هذا المصاب الجلل.I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Mrs. Fatima. I sympathize with you during this great sorrow.
- أعزيكم في فقدان فقيدنا الغالي. أنا بجانبكم في هذه اللحظات الصعبة.I offer my condolences on the loss of our dear departed. I am here for you in these difficult moments.
- أشعر بالحزن عندما يموت شخص ما.ash'uru bi-l-huzni 'indama yamutu shakhsun ma.I feel sad when someone dies.
- كيف نتصرف عندما يموت شخص ما؟kayfa natasarrafu 'indama yamutu shakhsun ma?How do we act when someone dies?
- من الصعب تقبل الأمر عندما يموت شخص ما.min a-s'bi taqabbul al-amr 'indama yamutu shakhsun ma.It is hard to accept it when someone dies.
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are discussing life and death.
- عمر Omarهل تفكرين كثيراً فيما يحدث عندما يموت شخص ما؟Hal tufakkirina katheeran feema yahduthu indama yamootu shakhsun ma?Do you think a lot about what happens when someone dies?
- سارة Saraنعم، هذا موضوع عميق ومحزن جداً يا عمر.Na'am, hadha mawdoo'un ameequn wa muhzinun jiddan ya Omar.Yes, this is a very deep and sad topic, Omar.
- عمر Omarأعتقد أن الذكريات هي ما يبقى معنا.A'taqidu anna al-dhikrayat hiya ma yabqa ma'ana.I believe that memories are what stay with us.
- سارة Saraأوافقك الرأي تماماً.Uwafiquka al-ra'ya tamamun.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries عندما, ما, CC BY-SA 4.0.
