هي
hiya
The Arabic word for "she" is هي (hiya).
The term هي is widely understood across different dialects as 'she'.
Meaning: person (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun هي is used for both the subject and the predicate in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
hiya
Did you know?
- Unlike English where 'she' is strictly a person, in Arabic, you might use a feminine construction for a 'she' that represents a non-human entity, such as a 'ship' or 'city', depending on the noun's grammatical gender.
- The word هي shares a common ancestral root with other Semitic languages, descending from the Proto-Semitic form *šiʔa.
- In classical Arabic poetry, the use of feminine pronouns like هي can sometimes be used to personify abstract concepts such as 'the world' or 'life', which are grammatically feminine.
Examples in context
- هل تعرف من هي؟Do you know who she is?This sentence is useful for asking for the identity of a female person using هي.Tatoeba #407068 by saeb, translation #308085 by CK
- هي لم تزر أحدا.She didn't visit anybody.This sentence shows the use of هي in a negative context.Tatoeba #1579767 by Amastan, translation #313829 by CK
- هي تعمل في بنك.She works in a bank.This sentence demonstrates the use of هي to describe a female's occupation.Tatoeba #10644227 by ANANASA, translation #313334 by CK
- 313 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are talking about a new colleague.
- عمر Omarهل هي موظفة جديدة؟hal hiya muwazzafa jadida?Is she a new employee?
- نور Nourنعم، هي تبدو لطيفة.na'am, hiya tabdu latifa.Yes, she seems kind.
- عمر Omarهل هي من هنا؟hal hiya min huna?Is she from here?
- نور Nourلا، هي من مدينة أخرى.la, hiya min madina ukhra.No, she is from another city.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries هي, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
