ما اسمك؟
mā ismuka?
ما اسمك؟ (mā ismuka?) is the Arabic way to say "what is your name?"
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for their name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mā (what), ism (name) and the suffix -ka (your).
Which one should you use?
The suffix -ka in ismuka is used when the listener is male, whereas -ki is used for a female listener.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending based on who you are addressing: use ما اسمكِ؟ (mā ismuki?) when asking a woman, and use ما اسمكم؟ (mā ismukum?) when asking a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
mā ismuka?
Did you know?
- Arabic has a distinct 'plural of respect' where you might use the group form ما اسمكم؟ to address a single person of high status.
- The word ما (mā) is a cognate with the Hebrew word מָה (ma) and the Ugaritic 𐎎𐎅 (mh).
- In many traditional settings, a person might respond to 'what is your name?' not with their personal name, but with a description of their lineage, such as 'son of [Father's Name]'.
Examples in context
- ما اسمك؟ma ismuka?What is your name?
- يا عزيزي، ما اسمك؟ya 'azizi, ma ismuka?My dear, what is your name?
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour meet for the first time at a party.
- زياد Ziadأهلاً، ما اسمك؟Ahlan, ma ismuki?Hi, what is your name?
- نور Nourأهلاً، اسمي نور.Ahlan, ismi Nour.Hi, my name is Nour.
- زياد Ziadتشرفنا يا نور، أنا زياد.Tasharrafna ya Nour, ana Ziad.Nice to meet you Nour, I am Ziad.
- نور Nourتشرفت بمعرفتك يا زياد.Tasharaftu bima'rifatika ya Ziad.Nice to meet you too, Ziad.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ما, CC BY-SA 4.0.
