معنى
ma'na
The Arabic word for "meaning" is معنى (ma'na).
معنى is used to refer to the definition or the connotation of a word.
Meaning: definition or connotation of a word (noun)
Which one should you use?
While معنى refers to the meaning itself, you might use تفسير to mean "interpretation" or تعريف to mean "definition".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of معنى is معاني.
How do you pronounce it?
ma'na
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, if you want to ask 'What does this mean?', you might use the word يعني (ya'ni), which literally translates to 'it means'.
- The word معنى is often paired with مبنى (structure) in linguistic studies. This creates a mnemonic pair where مبنى is the 'body' of the word and معنى is its 'soul'.
- The word معنى is rooted in an ancient concept of 'being on someone's mind', suggesting that a 'meaning' is something that occupies the consciousness.
Examples in context
- ما معنى هذه الكلمة؟What is the meaning of this word?This sentence is useful for asking for the meaning of a specific word using معنى.Tatoeba #507421 by saeb, translation #57971 by CC
- ما قلته ليس له أي معنى.What you said has no meaning.This sentence is useful for stating that something lacks any معنى.Tatoeba #507415 by saeb, translation #1959329 by swingman57
- أراد سامي أن يعطي معنى لحياته.Sami wanted to give meaning to his own life.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to give life a sense of معنى.Tatoeba #6699553 by OsoHombre, translation #5932543 by OsoHombre
- أريد معنى هذه الكلمة.I want the meaning of this word.
- معناها إيه؟What does it mean?
- يمكنك توضيح المعنى بتقديم تفسير مفصل؟Can you clarify the meaning by providing a detailed interpretation?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Ziad are discussing a book they are reading.
- سارة Saraهل فهمت معنى هذه الجملة؟hal fahimta ma'na hadhihi al-jumla?Did you understand the meaning of this sentence?
- زياد Ziadلا، ليس لها معنى واضح لي.la, laysa laha ma'na wadih li.No, it has no clear meaning to me.
- سارة Saraسأشرح لك المعنى الآن.sa-ashrahu laka al-ma'na al-an.I will explain the meaning to you now.
- زياد Ziadشكراً لك يا سارة.shukran laki ya Sara.Thank you, Sara.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries معنى, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
