إن شاء الله
ʔin šāʔa llāhu/ʔin ʃaː.ʔa‿lˤ.lˤaːh/
The Arabic phrase for "please God" is إن شاء الله (ʔin šāʔa llāhu).
This phrase is an expression used to say that something will happen if it is meant to be.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʔin ʃaː.ʔa‿lˤ.lˤaːh/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some social contexts, saying إن شاء الله can act as a polite way to avoid committing to a plan or to say 'maybe' without a firm 'no'.
- The word الله in this phrase is a linguistic relative of the Hebrew word 'Eloah' and the Aramaic 'Elaha'.
- In some dialects, إن شاء الله is used as a filler phrase similar to how English speakers use 'you know' or 'I mean' during a conversation.
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam are discussing their future travel plans.
- يوسف Youssefهل سنسافر في الصيف القادم؟Hal sanusafir fi al-sayf al-qadim?Will we travel next summer?
- مريم Maryamنعم، سنذهب إلى مكة إن شاء الله.Na'am, sanadhhab ila Makkah in sha' Allah.Yes, we will go to Mecca, God willing.
- يوسف Youssefأتمنى أن نجد تذاكر رخيصة.Atamanna an najid tadhakir rakhisa.I hope we find cheap tickets.
- مريم Maryamسنبحث عن تذاكر غداً.Sanabhath 'an tadhakir ghadan.We will look for tickets tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry إن شاء الله, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries إن, الله, شاء, CC BY-SA 4.0.
