سما
samaeveryday, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic "sky" is سما (sama). With the article it is السما (es-sama). It is also called سماء (samāʾ).
Meaning: sky (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سما | sama | everyday, Egyptian |
| سماء | samāʾ | Standard Arabic, formal |
Use السما (es-sama) for the sky you look at, for example to talk about the weather or the stars.
Which one should you use?
Standard Arabic writes سماء (samāʾ) with a final hamza. Egyptians drop the last sound in speech, so سما (sama) is what you hear.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is feminine, so adjectives take the feminine ending, as in السما زرقا (es-sama zarʾa), "the sky is blue".
Did you know?
- The same word سما (sama) also means "heaven" in Egyptian expressions, such as يا سما in songs and poems.
Examples in context
- السما زرقا النهارده.es-sama zarʾa en-naharda.The sky is blue today.
- بص على السما.buṣṣ ʿala s-sama.Look at the sky.
- السما مليانة نجوم.es-sama malyāna nugūm.The sky is full of stars.
Example conversation
Karim and his daughter Nour sit on the roof of their house in Luxor at night.
- Nourبابا، السما حلوة قوي.baba, es-sama ḥilwa ʾawi.Dad, the sky is so beautiful.
- Karimأيوه، مفيش غيم النهارده.aywa, mafīsh ghēm en-naharda.Yes, there are no clouds today.
- Nourعايزة أشوف النجوم.ʿāyza ashūf en-nugūm.I want to see the stars.
