متى ستأتي؟
mata sata'ti?
The English phrase "when are you coming?" is translated into Arabic as متى ستأتي؟ (mata sata'ti?).
This phrase is used to ask someone about the time or date of their expected arrival.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of متى (when), the prefix سـ (will) and the verb تأتي (you come).
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form متى ستأتي؟ is used when addressing a single male. To address a female, the verb ending changes to متى ستأتين؟. To address a group of people, use the plural form متى ستأتون؟.
How do you pronounce it?
mata sata'ti?
Did you know?
- When asking someone 'when are you coming?' as a warm invitation, an Arabic speaker might follow the question with تنورنا, which literally means 'you will light us up'.
- The word متى shares a common ancient root with the Hebrew word מתי, making it a linguistic relative of words used in many Semitic languages.
- In many Arabic dialects, instead of using the formal متى, people often use the word إمتى (emta) to ask 'when' in casual conversation.
Example conversation
Noor is calling Omar to coordinate their meeting.
- نور Nourأهلاً يا عمر، متى ستأتي؟ahlan yā ʿumar, matā sataʾtī?Hello Omar, when are you coming?
- عمر Omarسأصل بعد عشر دقائق.saʾasil baʿda ʿashr daqāʾiq.I will arrive in ten minutes.
- نور Nourحسناً، سأنتظرك عند الباب.hasanan, saʾantaziruka ʿinda al-bāb.Okay, I will wait for you at the door.
- عمر Omarشكراً يا نور، أراكِ قريباً.shukran yā nūr, arākī qarīban.Thank you Noor, see you soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries متى, CC BY-SA 4.0.
