إلى أين نحن ذاهبون؟
ilā ayna naḥnu dhāhibūn?
The English phrase "where are we going?" is translated into Arabic as إلى أين نحن ذاهبون؟ (ilā ayna naḥnu dhāhibūn?).
Which one should you use?
أَيْنَ نَحْنُ ذَاهِبُونَ؟ is a formal way to ask 'Where are we going?' in Arabic. أَيْنَ سَنَذْهَبُ؟ is a formal way to ask 'Where are we going?' in Arabic. The phrase وَيْنَ رَايْحِينَ؟ is a colloquial way of asking 'Where are we going?' in Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
ilā ayna naḥnu dhāhibūn?
Did you know?
- In some cultures, asking وَيْنَ رَايْحِينَ؟ when someone is leaving can be a polite social ritual to show interest in their life rather than a literal request for a destination.
- The word for 'where', أين, is rooted in an ancient concept of 'approaching' or 'drawing near' to a place.
- In Arabic, the phrase can be shifted slightly to imply a philosophical question about the direction of a society or a relationship, rather than a physical trip.
Examples in context
- أَيْنَ نَحْنُ ذَاهِبُونَ؟ (Ayina naḥnu dhaahiboon?) / سَنَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبِ. (Sanadhabu ilā al-maktab.)Where are we going? – We are going to the office.
Example conversation
A couple is getting into a car.
- ليلى Laylaإلى أين نحن ذاهبون؟Ila ayna nahnu dhahibun?Where are we going?
- زياد Ziadسوف نذهب إلى المطعم.Sawfa nadhabu ila al-mat'am.We are going to the restaurant.
- ليلى Laylaأي مطعم يا زياد؟Ayya mat'am ya Ziyad?Which restaurant, Ziyad?
- زياد Ziadالمطعم الإيطالي الجديد.Al-mat'am al-italy al-jadid.The new Italian restaurant.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries أين, إلى, نحن, CC BY-SA 4.0.
