What does it mean word for word?
ماذا (mādha) means what, and تقول (taqūl) is the you form of the verb to say, used for one man.
Which one should you use?
ما الذي تود قوله؟ means what is it that you wish to say, and is a more formal, polite way to ask someone to explain themselves.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mādha taqūl? is Modern Standard Arabic and suits formal writing or speech. In everyday conversation people use their local dialect instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine dialects, spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, people say شو بتحكي؟. In Gulf dialects, such as in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, it is شنو تقول؟. In Egyptian Arabic it is إيه اللي بتقوله؟.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes with the person you are talking to. For a woman say ماذا تقولين؟, with taqūlīn and for a group say ماذا تقولون؟, with taqūlūn.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced mādha taqūl?, with long a and u sounds and the voice rising as a question.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use ماذا تقول؟ when speaking to a woman. Use ماذا تقولين؟ instead.
Did you know?
- Using the formal ماذا تقول؟ in a casual setting like a Cairo cafe can make a speaker sound like they are in a historical drama or a news report.
- The word ماذا is actually a combination of two separate words: مَا meaning 'what' and the demonstrative particle ذَا meaning 'this'.
- Arabic speakers often use different verbs to distinguish between the physical act of uttering words and the underlying intention of the speaker.
Examples in context
- شنو تقول؟What are you saying?
- لم أسمعك، ماذا تقول؟lam asma'ak, mādhā taqūl?I didn't hear you, what are you saying?
Example conversation
Sarah and Ziyad are talking in a noisy room.
- سارة Saraزياد، هل يمكنك تكرار ذلك؟Ziyad, hal yumkinuka tikrar dhalik?Ziyad, can you repeat that?
- زياد Ziadقلت إنني سأذهب الآن.Qultu innani sa-adhhab al-an.I said that I am going now.
- سارة Saraعفواً، ماذا تقول؟ المكان صاخب جداً.Afwan, madha taqul? Al-makan sakhib jiddan.Excuse me, what are you saying? The place is very noisy.
- زياد Ziadأقول إنني سأخرج من هنا.Aqul innani sa-akhruj min huna.I am saying that I will leave here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ماذا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
