أي
ayy
In Arabic, 'which' is expressed as أي (ayy).
The word أي is used as a determiner to ask 'which' when referring to specific items among a set of mentioned or implied options.
Meaning: (interrogative) what, of those mentioned or implied (det)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
أي is a declinable noun, which means its final vowel can change depending on its grammatical role within a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
ayy
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word أي is used as a common filler or an exclamation similar to the English 'Yes' or 'Uh-huh' to show that you are listening.
- In certain classical poetic contexts, أي can be used as a calling particle, similar to how one might use 'O' in 'O, Great King' to address someone directly.
- While أي means 'which' in a question, it is also frequently used as an explanatory particle meaning 'that is to say' or 'namely' to clarify a previous statement.
Examples in context
- من أي بلد أنت؟Which country are you from?This sentence is useful for asking about a person's country of origin using أي.Tatoeba #370704 by saeb, translation #329612 by fcbond
- أي هذه القطط قطك؟Which cat is yours?This sentence is useful for asking which specific cat belongs to someone using أي.Tatoeba #1578526 by Amastan, translation #1572896 by fanty
- في أي جامعة تدرس؟Which university are you studying at?This sentence is useful for asking which university someone attends using أي.Tatoeba #4926136 by damascene, translation #1805229 by CM
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yusuf and Nour are choosing a movie to watch.
- يوسف Youssefأي فيلم تريد أن نشاهد؟Ayya filmin turidu an nushahida?Which movie do you want us to watch?
- نور Nourأريد مشاهدة فيلم كوميدي.Uridu mushahadat filmin kumidi.I want to watch a comedy movie.
- يوسف Youssefأي واحد تفضلين من هذه القائمة؟Ayya wahidin tufaddilina min hadhihi al-qa'ima?Which one do you prefer from this list?
- نور Nourهذا الفيلم يبدو مضحكاً جداً.Hadha al-film yabdu mudhikan jiddan.This movie looks very funny.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries أي, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
