اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ
al-ʕāma al-māḍiyamasculine
The English phrase "last year" can be translated into Arabic as اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ (al-ʕāma al-māḍiya) or اَلسَّنَةَ ٱلْمَاضِيَةَ.
Meaning: year before this one (adv)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ | al-ʕāma al-māḍiya | masculine |
| اَلسَّنَةَ ٱلْمَاضِيَةَ | as-sanata l-māḍiyata |
Both forms are used to refer to the year that occurred before the current one.
Which one should you use?
The difference between the two forms is based on the gender of the noun used for "year." The form اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ uses the masculine noun al-ʿām, while اَلسَّنَةَ ٱلْمَاضِيَةَ uses the feminine noun as-sanah.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the form اَلسَّنَةَ ٱلْمَاضِيَةَ, the adjective al-māḍiya must take the feminine form to agree in gender with the feminine noun as-sanah.
How do you pronounce it?
al-ʕāma al-māḍiya
Did you know?
- The root of الماضي is also used to describe the sharpness of a blade, as both 'passing' and 'cutting' involve a clean, decisive movement.
- The root of the word as-sanah is linked to the concept of 'teeth' in some linguistic traditions, as the passage of years is often compared to the changing of teeth in children.
- Arabic has two distinct calendar systems, so 'last year' could refer to the Gregorian calendar or the Islamic Hijri calendar, which is a lunar system and shorter by about eleven days.
Examples in context
- سَافَرْتُ إِلَى مِصْرَ اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ.safartu ila misra al-ʿāma al-māḍiya.I traveled to Egypt last year.
- كُنْتُ أَسْكُنُ فِي دُبَيَ اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ.kuntu askunu fi dubaya al-ʿāma al-māḍiya.I was living in Dubai last year.
- اِشْتَرَيْتُ سَيَّارَةً جَدِيدَةً اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ.ishtaraytu sayyāratan jadīdatan al-ʿāma al-māḍiya.I bought a new car last year.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travels in a café.
- ليلى Laylaهَلْ زُرْتَ لَنْدَنَ اَلْعَامَ اَلْمَاضِيَ؟hal zurta landana al-ʿāma al-māḍiya?Did you visit London last year?
- زياد Ziadنَعَمْ، زُرْتُهَا فِي اَلصَّيْفِ.naʿam, zurtuhā fi al-ṣayf.Yes, I visited it in the summer.
- ليلى Laylaهَلْ كَانَتْ رِحْلَتُكَ جَيِّدَةً؟hal kānat riḥlatuka jayyida?Was your trip good?
- زياد Ziadنَعَمْ، كَانَتْ رِحْلَةً رَائِعَةً جِدًّا.naʿam, kānat riḥlatan rāʾiʿatan jiddan.Yes, it was a very wonderful trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “last year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
