صَلَّى
ṣallā
To pray in Arabic is to say صَلَّى (ṣallā) or دَعَا.
Meaning: to talk to God (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| صَلَّى | ṣallā |
| دَعَا | daʕā |
Arabic uses different verbs depending on the nature of the prayer. Use دَعَا for the general act of supplication, such as calling upon God or asking for something specific like guidance or help. Use صَلَّى when referring to the performance of formal, ritualized Islamic prayers.
Which one should you use?
صَلَّى is specifically used for performing the formal, ritualized Islamic prayers (Salah), whereas دَعَا is used for general supplication or making a request to God.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, the word صَلِّي is also used to express 'pray'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form of صَلَّى is يُصَلِّي, and the present tense form of دَعَا is يَدْعُو.
How do you pronounce it?
ṣallā
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word دَعَا (supplication) is the root for the word 'invitation', meaning that every time you invite someone to a party, you are linguistically 'calling' them.
- Using دَعَا can also mean 'to pray against' someone, which is a way of asking God to punish another person.
- The verb صَلَّى literally means 'to send blessings' upon someone, which is why it is used in the phrase 'Peace be upon him' when mentioning prophets.
Examples in context
- صَلِّي عَلَى النَّبِيِّSend prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad
- الرَّجُلُ صَلَّى فِي المَسْجِدِ.al-rajulu ṣallā fī al-masjid.The man prayed in the mosque.
- هَلْ صَلَّى يَوْسُفُ اليَوْمَ؟hal ṣallā yūsufu al-yawm?Did Yusuf pray today?
Example conversation
Maryam and Yusuf are talking about their daily routine.
- مريم Maryamهل صَلَّى يوسف صلاة الفجر؟Hal salla Yusuf salat al-fajr?Did Yusuf pray the dawn prayer?
- يوسف Youssefنعم، لقد صَلَّيتُ مبكراً.Na'am, laqad sallaytu mubakkiran.Yes, I prayed early.
- مريم Maryamهذا جيد جداً يا يوسف.Hadha jayyid jiddan ya Yusuf.That is very good, Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefشكراً لكِ يا مريم.Shukran laki ya Maryam.Thank you, Maryam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pray” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
