إنه
innahu
In Arabic, "it is" can be expressed using إنه (innahu).
The phrase is used to identify or describe a thing or a situation.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where "it" is gender-neutral, the Arabic "it is" must match the grammatical gender of the object being described. For example, while the default form إنه refers to a masculine subject or a non-gendered concept, other forms are used for feminine subjects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form إنه specifically refers to a masculine subject or a non-gendered concept.
How do you pronounce it?
innahu
Did you know?
- The word إنه actually contains a hidden 'he' inside it. It is a combination of the pronoun 'he' and a particle used for emphasis.
- Arabic lacks a single, universal word for 'it', requiring the speaker to assign a gender to every single object in the environment.
- The phrase can be used to emphasize certainty, turning a simple 'it is' into something more like 'verily it is'.
Examples in context
- إنها تمطر بشدة الآن.It is raining hard now.This sentence shows how to say "it is" when describing the weather.Tatoeba #372794 by saeb, translation #241940 by saeb
- إنها صعبة في البداية.At first, it is difficult.This sentence uses "it is" to describe the difficulty of a situation.Tatoeba #384207 by saeb, translation #267027 by CK
- إنه خطر أن تقود بتهور.It is dangerous to drive so fast.This sentence uses "it is" to describe a dangerous action.Tatoeba #498926 by saeb, translation #41267 by CK
- هاد لذيذIt's delicious
- ده لذيذIt is delicious
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are looking at a new piece of technology.
- عمر Omarإنه جهاز جديد جداً.Innahu jihaz jadid jiddan.It is a very new device.
- سارة Saraهل هو غالي الثمن؟Hal huwa ghali al-thaman?Is it expensive?
- عمر Omarإنه رخيص مقارنة بغيره.Innahu rakhis muqaranatan bi-ghayrihi.It is cheap compared to others.
- سارة Saraهذا رائع حقاً.Hadha ra'i' haqqan.That is truly wonderful.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
