لا شيء
la shay'
The English phrase "nothing" is translated into Arabic as لا شيء (la shay').
لا شيء is used to express the absence of any thing.
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the negation particle لا (no/not) and the noun شيء (thing), literally meaning "no thing".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, an informal way to say "I don't have anything" is ما عنديش حاجة.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase لا شيء functions as a noun phrase that can serve as either the subject or the object of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
la shay'
Did you know?
- In certain poetic Arabic contexts, instead of saying 'nothing', one might use the word عدم (‘adam), which refers to the philosophical concept of non-existence or the void.
- The negation particle لا in لا شيء shares the same ancestral root as the Hebrew לֹא (lo), meaning both languages utilize a nearly identical way to express 'no' or 'not'.
- In Egyptian Arabic, the phrase ما عنديش حاجة swaps the standard word for 'thing' شيء with حاجة, which also means 'need' or 'requirement'.
Examples in context
- لا شيء هاجم زيري.Nothing attacked Ziri.This sentence uses لا شيء to describe an attacker.Tatoeba #11615772 by dididodo, translation #11221036 by Amastan
- لا شيء سهل في الحياة.Nothing in life is easy.This sentence uses لا شيء to discuss difficulty in life.Tatoeba #6372603 by OsoHombre, translation #5832582 by OsoHombre
- المرأة بلا رجل لا شيء.A woman without a man is nothing.This sentence uses لا شيء to describe a state of being.Tatoeba #2606055 by Samer, translation #656965 by U2FS
- قد لا تستطيع العثور على شيء للقيام به، أعتذر، لا شيء لديك للقيام به الآن.You may not find anything to do, I apologize, you have nothing to do now.
- لقد بحثت في كل مكان، لكن لم أجد شيئاً على الإطلاق.I have searched everywhere, but I didn't find anything at all.
- ساعدني في إيجاد موضوع للمحادثة، آسف، ما عندي موضوع حالياً.Help me find a topic for conversation, sorry, I don't have anything right now.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are talking about a mysterious noise in the house.
- نور Nourماذا يوجد هناك؟madha yujad hunak?What is there?
- أحمد Ahmedلا شيء، لا تقلقي يا نور.la shay', la taqlaqi ya nur.Nothing, don't worry, Nour.
- نور Nourهل سمعت صوتاً؟hal sami'ta sawtan?Did you hear a sound?
- أحمد Ahmedأنا متأكد أنه لا شيء.ana muta'akkid annahu la shay'.I am sure it is nothing.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries لا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
