شيء
shay'
The Arabic word for "something" is شيء (shay').
شيء is a pronoun used to refer to an unspecified object.
Meaning: unspecified object (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the idea of "something" (an unspecified thing), the word شيء is often followed by the particle ما to form شيء ما. If you add the particle أي to the word, the meaning changes from "something" to "anything" (forming أي شيء). To express "nothing", you negate the word using لا شيء.
How do you pronounce it?
shay'
Did you know?
- In certain poetic contexts, referring to a person as 'a thing' or شيء can be a way to imply they are insignificant or lack a soul.
- In some legal or philosophical Arabic texts, شيء is used to define the very concept of existence, where something that is 'not a thing' is considered non-existent.
- While شيء is masculine in grammar, it can be used to refer to objects of any gender without needing to change its form.
Examples in context
- هل حصل شيء ما؟Did something happen?This sentence is useful for asking if شيء happened.Tatoeba #617246 by saeb, translation #435199 by CK
- هل حدث أي شيء؟Has something happened?Tatoeba #617510 by saeb, translation #435754 by CK
- في يدها شيء ما.She has something in her hand.This sentence is useful for stating that she has شيء in her hand.Tatoeba #376203 by saeb, translation #314869 by CK
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariam and Ziad are sitting in a cafe.
- مريم Maryamهل تريد شيء؟hal turīdu shay'an?Do you want something?
- زياد Ziadلا، شكراً يا مريم.lā, shukran yā Maryam.No, thank you, Mariam.
- مريم Maryamأنت تبدو متعباً.anta tabdū mut'aban.You look tired.
- زياد Ziadنعم، لدي شيء يشغل بالي.na'am, ladayya shay'un yashghalu bālī.Yes, I have something on my mind.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
