ما هو
In Arabic, the phrase for "what is" is ما هو.
The phrase ما هو is used in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to make formal inquiries.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of ما (ma), meaning 'what' and هو (huwa), meaning 'he/it'.
Which one should you use?
Use ما هو for masculine subjects and ما هي for feminine subjects.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the subject being asked about is a feminine noun, هو changes to هي.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, rather than using ما هو, people simply use the word شو (shu) or إيش (eesh) to mean 'what'.
- The word ما shares the same ancient roots as the Hebrew word מָה, meaning 'what'.
- In some contexts, the word ما can function as a negation meaning 'not', which can confuse a beginner trying to ask 'what is'.
Examples in context
- ما هو أسمُ جدّكَ؟What is your grandfather's name?This sentence is useful for asking for a grandfather's name using ما هو.Tatoeba #3064719 by altusi, translation #3944807 by ANEESNT
- ما هو رقم الطوارئ؟What is the emergency telephone number?This sentence is useful for asking for an emergency number using ما هو.Tatoeba #1569097 by Amastan, translation #18790 by Swift
- ما هو تاريخ ميلادك؟What is your date of birth?This sentence is useful for asking for a date of birth using ما هو.Tatoeba #3664324 by Alaakhalid, translation #703328 by papabear
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla are at a restaurant looking at the menu.
- ليلى Laylaما هو طبق اليوم؟ma huwa tabaqu l-yawm?What is the dish of the day?
- زياد Ziadإنه الدجاج بالليمون.innahu al-dajaju bi-l-laymun.It is lemon chicken.
- ليلى Laylaوهل هو حار؟wa hal huwa harr?And is it spicy?
- زياد Ziadلا، هو لذيذ جداً.la, huwa ladhidhun jiddan.No, it is very delicious.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ما, هو, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
