Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| يَحْيَا | yaḥyā | masculine |
| تَحيا | taḥyā | feminine |
| عَاشَ | ʕāša | masculine |
| عاشَت | ʕāšat | feminine |
These verbs are used to express a wish for someone or something to live long, prosper or remain strong. In political or celebratory slogans, the verb is often used alone or followed immediately by the subject to mean "Long live [Subject]!"
Which one should you use?
The form يَحْيَا is a subjunctive or present tense form used in formal contexts or slogans. In contrast, the form عَاشَ uses the past tense to express a strong, emphatic wish, such as in the phrase "Long live the leader!"
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase عاشت بلادي (Long Live My Country) is a formal expression used in Gulf Arabic, while تحيا بلادي (Long Live My Country) is the formal way to say this in Levantine Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the emphatic "long live" construction with a female subject, use the feminine past form عَاشَت. For masculine subjects, use the masculine past form عَاشَ.
How do you pronounce it?
yaḥyā
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, a person might say عاش (he lived) to express that a person's actions were noble or admirable, much like saying 'bravo' in English.
- The use of the past tense عَاشَ to express a future wish is a rhetorical device called 'past for the sake of certainty', treating the wish as if it has already happened.
- The word يَحْيَا shares its root with the name 'Yahya', which is a common Arabic name and the equivalent of the biblical 'John'.
Examples in context
- يَحْيَا الْعَدْلُ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ.yahya al-'adlu fi kulli makan.Long live justice everywhere.
Example conversation
Omar and Layla are watching a national parade on TV.
- عمر Omarيَحْيَا الْوَطَنُ!yahya al-watan!Long live the homeland!
- ليلى Laylaنَعَمْ، يَحْيَا الْوَطَنُ دَائِمًا.na'am, yahya al-watan da'iman.Yes, long live the homeland always.
- عمر Omarلِيَحْيَ الشَّعْبُ بِعِزَّةٍ.li-yahya ash-sha'bu bi-'izzah.May the people live with pride.
- ليلى Laylaآمين، هَذَا مَا نَتَمَنَّاهُ.amin, hadha ma natamannahu.Amen, that is what we wish for.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long live” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
