من أنت؟
man anta?
The English phrase "who are you?" is translated into Arabic as من أنت؟ (man anta?) in its default form.
This phrase is a question used to ask for a person's identity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase من أنت؟ is composed of من (who) and أنت (you, masculine singular).
Which one should you use?
The default form من أنت؟ is masculine and is used when addressing a male or when the gender of the person being addressed is unknown.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use the informal phrase إنت مين؟ to ask "Who are you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Arabic uses different forms depending on the gender and number of the person you are addressing. Use the feminine form من أنتِ؟ when asking a female. To address a group of people, use the plural form من أنتم؟. When addressing a group in a formal situation, you can say من فضلك، من أنتم؟.
How do you pronounce it?
man anta?
Did you know?
- While English uses 'you' for any amount of people, Arabic has a special 'dual' form of the phrase من أنتما؟ specifically for asking two people who they are.
- The word من traces its roots back to the ancient Akkadian word 𒈠𒉡𒌑 and the even older Sumerian word 𒈠𒈾.
- In many Arabic cultures, asking من أنت؟ directly can be perceived as confrontational or aggressive. People often use indirect phrases or ask about a person's family or origins to politely determine their identity.
Examples in context
- عذرًا، من أنت؟udhran, man anta?Excuse me, who are you?
Example conversation
Maryam answers the door to a stranger.
- مريم Maryamمن أنت؟man anta?Who are you?
- عمر Omarأنا عمر، جاركم الجديد.ana Omar, jarukum al-jadid.I am Omar, your new neighbor.
- مريم Maryamأهلاً بك يا عمر.ahlan bika ya Omar.Welcome, Omar.
- عمر Omarشكراً لكِ يا مريم.shukran laki ya Maryam.Thank you, Maryam.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries من, CC BY-SA 4.0.
