انتظر
intaẓir
انتظر (intaẓir) is the Arabic way to say wait.
This verb is used to express the action of delaying something until a specific event occurs.
Meaning: delay until some event (verb)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form انتظر is the standard imperative used in Modern Standard Arabic and is considered a formal way to say wait. If you wish to ask someone to wait patiently for a short period of time in a formal setting, you can also use اصبر.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the imperative, the form changes based on who you are addressing: use انتظري when addressing a female and انتظروا when addressing a group of people. The third-person masculine singular present tense form is ينتظر, meaning he waits.
How do you pronounce it?
intaẓir
Did you know?
- The word اصبر (isbir), used for patient waiting, shares the same root as the word for 'aloes' or 'bitter plant'. This connects the act of waiting patiently with the idea of enduring something bitter.
- While انتظر means to wait, the related word صبر (sabr) describes a specific kind of 'patient endurance'. This root is so culturally central that 'Sabr' is often used as a given name for both men and women.
- The root of انتظر is related to the word for 'sight' or 'looking'. Literally, to wait in Arabic is closely tied to the act of 'watching for' or 'looking out for' something to appear.
Examples in context
- انتظر. عد إلى هنا.Wait. Come back.This example shows how to use the imperative انتظر for a command.Tatoeba #6966076 by OsoHombre, translation #5817671 by OsoHombre
- انتظر لحظة من فضلك.Please wait a moment.This sentence demonstrates using انتظر to make a polite request.Tatoeba #398466 by saeb, translation #430067 by witbrock
- انتظر حتى أنهي الأكل.Wait until I'm done eating.This example shows how to use انتظر to express waiting until a specific action is completed.Tatoeba #1579790 by Amastan, translation #1579402 by fanty
- انتظر لحظة، من فضلك.Wait a moment, please.
- اصبر قليلاً، سأعود قريباً.Please wait a little, I'll be back soon.
- صبراً، راح يرجع بعد شوي.Wait, he will come back in a moment.
- انتظري شوية، سأكون هنا قريباً.Wait a bit, I'll be here soon.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are waiting for a bus at the stop.
- زياد Ziadهل وصل الحافلة؟Hal wasala al-hafila?Has the bus arrived?
- ليلى Laylaلا، انتظر خمس دقائق أخرى.La, intazir khams daqa'iq ukhra.No, wait five more minutes.
- زياد Ziadسأتأخر عن موعدي!Sa-ata'akhar 'an maw'idi!I will be late for my appointment!
- ليلى Laylaفقط انتظر قليلاً وسوف تأتي.Faqat intazir qalilan wa sawfa ta'ti.Just wait a little and it will come.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
