الله يحفظه
allāh yaḥfaẓuhu
The English phrase "may God protect him" is translated into Arabic as الله يحفظه (allāh yaḥfaẓuhu).
الله يحفظه is a phrase used as a spontaneous prayer or as a way to express affection and concern for someone's well-being. It is a wish for God to keep someone safe from harm.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of الله (God), يحفظ (protects/preserves) and the suffix -ه (him).
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the object of the prayer by modifying the final suffix. To change the object from "him" to "her", replace the suffix -ه with -ها to get الله يحفظها. To change the object to "you" (masculine singular), replace the suffix -ه with -ك to get الله يحفظك.
How do you pronounce it?
allāh yaḥfaẓuhu
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, saying الله يحفظه when talking about a child is a way to ward off the 'evil eye'. It protects the child from the jealousy of others.
- The word يحفظ shares a root with the word for 'memorization'. In Arabic, to protect something and to preserve a text by heart come from the same conceptual root.
- The word الله is a cognate with the Hebrew word for God 'Eloah' אֱלוֹהַּ and the Aramaic word 'Alaha' ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. This shared ancestry stems from an ancient Proto-Semitic root.
Examples in context
- هو طفل صغير، الله يحفظه.Huwa tifl saghir, Allah yahfadhuh.He is a small child, may God protect him.
- سافر أخي، الله يحفظه في رحلته.Safara akhi, Allah yahfadhuh fi rihlatih.My brother traveled, may God protect him on his journey.
- ابن عمي في العمل، الله يحفظه.Ibn ammi fil 'amal, Allah yahfadhuh.My cousin is at work, may God protect him.
Example conversation
Mariam and Yusuf are talking about Yusuf's brother who is traveling.
- يوسف Youssefأخي ذاهب إلى المطار الآن.Akhi dhahib ila al-matar al-an.My brother is going to the airport now.
- مريم Maryamالله يحفظه من كل شر.Allah yahfadhuh min kulli sharr.May God protect him from all evil.
- يوسف Youssefآمين، شكراً لك يا مريم.Amin, shukran laki ya Maryam.Amen, thank you, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamعفواً، أتمنى له رحلة سعيدة.Afwan, atamanna lahu rihla sa'ida.You're welcome, I wish him a happy journey.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries الله, CC BY-SA 4.0.
