ل
li-/li./
In Arabic, 'of' can be expressed in several ways, most commonly using the preposition ل (li-). Wiktionary also lists لدى (ladā) and مْتاع (mtēʕ-).
Meaning: possessive genitive: belonging to (prep)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ل | li- | /li./ /laːm/ (letter, name) |
| لدى | ladā | |
| مْتاع | mtēʕ- |
The primary way to express possession or belonging is through the preposition ل. In certain dialects or contexts, other forms like لدى or مْتاع may appear and in Egyptian slang, بتاع is used to show possession or affiliation.
Which one should you use?
While ل is the standard way to indicate belonging, لدى and مْتاع are alternative forms provided for this concept. In the Egyptian dialect, the slang term بتاع serves a similar purpose of indicating possession.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Egyptian dialect, the word بتاع is commonly used as slang to indicate possession or affiliation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition ل is typically used as a prefix, meaning it is attached directly to the beginning of the noun it precedes.
How do you pronounce it?
li- is pronounced /li./.
Did you know?
- Arabic often expresses 'of' using a structure called the 'Idafa' where no word for 'of' is used at all, but two nouns are simply placed side by side.
- The Egyptian term بتاع can be used not just for ownership, but as a vague placeholder word similar to 'thingy' or 'stuff' when a speaker forgets a specific name.
- The letter ل is a distant relative of the Latin letter 'L' and the Greek 'Lambda', both descending from a common ancestral root in the Phoenician alphabet.
Examples in context
- يا لك من وقح!How rude of you!This sentence shows how ل can be used to attribute a quality to someone.Tatoeba #393982 by saeb, translation #16444 by CK
- هل لي بكأس ماء؟May I have a glass of water?This sentence uses ل to express a request for something.Tatoeba #372990 by saeb, translation #64354 by CK
- هل تلك صورةٌ لي؟Is that a picture of me?This sentence uses ل to indicate possession in relation to a person.Tatoeba #411522 by saeb, translation #67030 by CK
- المحل بتاع صالح في شارع الهرمThe shop of Saleh is in Haram Street.
- 969 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmad and Nour are looking for a lost item in a room.
- أحمد Ahmedهل هذا المفتاح لي؟Hal hadha al-miftahu li?Is this key mine?
- نور Nourلا، ليس لك.La, laysa laka.No, it is not yours.
- أحمد Ahmedإذن، لمن هذا؟Idhan, liman hadha?Then, to whom does this belong?
- نور Nourإنه لـنور.Innahu li-Nour.It is for Nour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “of” translations and entries ل, لدى, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ل, لدى, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
