صنع
sana'a
In Arabic, the verb to make is صنع (sana'a).
The verb صنع is used to express the act of producing or manufacturing something physical.
Meaning: to produce (verb)
Which one should you use?
While صنع focuses on the physical production or manufacturing of an object, the term عمل is more commonly used to mean general 'doing' or 'working'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form صنع (sana'a) is the third-person singular masculine past tense, meaning 'he made'. The present tense form is يصنع (yasna'u), meaning 'he makes' or 'to make'.
How do you pronounce it?
sana'a
Did you know?
- In Arabic, you 'make' a mistake using the verb 'to fall', using the phrase وقع في خطأ (waqa'a fi khata').
- In Arabic, you cannot 'make' a bed in the way English speakers do. To 'make the bed' usually requires a verb meaning 'to arrange' or 'to tidy', as صنع would imply you are physically constructing the bed frame.
- If you want to say 'to make a decision', you would not use صنع, but rather the verb اتخذ (ittakhadha), which means 'to take'.
Examples in context
- ماذا صنعت؟What did you make?This sentence is useful for asking what someone has made using the form صنع.Tatoeba #371671 by saeb, translation #24693 by CK
- عملت كل شيء بنفسها.She made everything by herself.
- صاغَتْ خاتَمًا جَمِيلًا مِنَ الذَّهَبِ.She made a beautiful ring out of gold.
- عمل مكالمة هاتفيةMake a phone call
- قطع وعدًاMake a promise
- وضع خطةMake a plan
- ارتكب خطأMake a mistake
- هو صنع هذا الكرسي.huwa sana'a hadha al-kursi.He made this chair.
- صنع الخباز خبزاً طازجاً.sana'a al-khabbaz khubzan tazajan.The baker made fresh bread.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmed are looking at a handmade gift.
- سارة Saraهل صنع أحمد هذه الهدية؟Hal sana'a Ahmed hadhihi al-hadiya?Did Ahmed make this gift?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، لقد صنعها بنفسه.Na'am, laqad sana'aha binafsihi.Yes, he made it himself.
- سارة Saraإنها جميلة جداً.Innaha jamila jiddan.It is very beautiful.
- أحمد Ahmedشكراً لكِ يا سارة.Shukran laki ya Sarah.Thank you, Sarah.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
