ماذا يحدث
maadha yahduth
In Arabic, "what is happening" is translated as ماذا يحدث (maadha yahduth).
The phrase is used to ask about current events or a situation occurring at a particular moment.
What does it mean word for word?
ماذا يحدث is composed of the interrogative pronoun ماذا (what) and the present tense verb يحدث (happens or is happening).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form ماذا يحدث is Modern Standard Arabic and is suitable for news reports, formal writing or formal speech. For formal contexts, you can also use ما الذي يحدث؟ or ماذا يجري؟. In informal situations, you might use the slang شو القصة؟ or the casual phrase شو عم بصير؟ when speaking with friends or acquaintances.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic dialects, speakers are more likely to use the colloquial شو عم يصير in daily conversation instead of the formal ماذا يحدث.
How do you pronounce it?
maadha yahduth
Did you know?
- The verb يجري used in ماذا يجري؟ literally means 'to run', implying that events are running or flowing.
- In some dialects, the word شو used in شو عم بصير؟ is a shortened evolution of the formal أي شيء, meaning 'which thing'.
- The word ماذا is actually a fusion of two separate words: ما meaning 'what' and ذا meaning 'this'.
Examples in context
- قارِنْ هذا مع ماذا يحدث في مصر.Compare this with what is happening in Egypt.This sentence is useful for comparing situations using ماذا يحدث.Tatoeba #4973573 by eeyinn, translation #2996359 by AlanF_US
- ماذا يحدث هنا؟mādhā yaḥduthu hunā?What is happening here?
- أنا لا أعرف ماذا يحدث.anā lā a'rifu mādhā yaḥduthu.I do not know what is happening.
Example conversation
Youssef and Layla are walking in the street and see a crowd.
- يوسف Youssefماذا يحدث في هذا الشارع؟mādhā yaḥduthu fī hādhā ash-shāri'?What is happening in this street?
- ليلى Laylaيبدو أن هناك احتفالاً.yabdū anna hunāka iḥtifālan.It looks like there is a celebration.
- يوسف Youssefهل أنتِ متأكدة يا ليلى؟hal anti muta'akkidah yā Laylā?Are you sure, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaنعم، الجميع يبتسمون.na'am, al-jamī'u yabtasimūn.Yes, everyone is smiling.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ماذا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
