ابن
ibn
The English phrase 'son of' is translated into Arabic as ابن (ibn).
ابن is used to indicate that a person is the male offspring of another. In many Arabic-speaking cultures, it is used in formal patronymics to establish much more than just biological relation, often serving as a formal identifier in legal or historical contexts.
Which one should you use?
While ابن specifically means 'son', the word ابنة is used to mean 'daughter'.
How do you pronounce it?
ibn
Did you know?
- The term ابن can be used metaphorically to describe someone's character, such as ابن بلد which literally means 'son of the country' but is used to describe a genuine, helpful, and authentic person.
- The word ابن is related to the Hebrew word 'ben', reflecting their shared origin from the same ancient linguistic family.
- The word ابن can be used in a phrase like ابن عمي to mean 'cousin', as Arabic specifies exactly which side of the family the 'son' belongs to.
Examples in context
- هو ابن سافلة متغطرس.He's an arrogant son of a bitch.This example shows the use of ابن in a derogatory expression.Tatoeba #5835305 by OsoHombre, translation #2230291 by Hybrid
- يؤمن المسلمون أن عيسى ابن مريم نبي الله.Muslims believe that Jesus, the son of Mary, was a prophet of God.This example demonstrates the use of ابن to indicate lineage in a religious context.Tatoeba #8827721 by LinaTamazight, translation #8827643 by LinaTamazight
- هو ابن جاري.huwa ibn jārī.He is the son of my neighbor.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Layla are talking about a person they saw at the park.
- أحمد Ahmedهل تعرف هذا الولد؟hal ta'rif hadhā al-walad?Do you know this boy?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، هو ابن صديقي.na'am, huwa ibn ṣadīqī.Yes, he is the son of my friend.
- أحمد Ahmedإنه طفل لطيف جداً.innahu ṭifl laṭīf jiddan.He is a very nice child.
- ليلى Laylaأوافقك الرأي تماماً.uwāfiquka al-ra'y tamāman.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ابن, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
