ـي
i, Egyptian Arabic
In Arabic, my is not a separate word but the ending ـي (-ī), attached to the end of a noun. If unsure, use ـي. Wiktionary also lists ـِي (-ī) and ـيا (ya).
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ـي | i, Egyptian Arabic | |
| ـِي | -ī | enclitic, pronoun, suffix |
| ـيا | ya | Egyptian Arabic |
To say my plus a noun, attach ـي to the end of the noun. The result is one word that means my and the noun together.
Which one should you use?
ـِي and ـي are the same ending, written with and without the vowel mark.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic the ending is also ـي. After words that end in a vowel, Egyptians use ـيا (ya).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Modern Standard Arabic the suffix -ī is attached directly to the end of a noun to show possession.
Did you know?
- Arabic uses the same suffix ـي for 'my' that it uses to create adjectives of nationality, such as turning 'Egypt' into 'Egyptian'.
- When expressing 'my' in a deeply emotional or romantic context, Arabic speakers may avoid the suffix ـي in favor of phrases that translate to 'of my heart' or 'of my soul' to show intensity.
- In Arabic, you cannot simply say ـي alone to mean 'mine' as you can with 'my' in English. You must attach it to a noun or use a separate word like لِي to express possession without naming the object.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
