وصية
waṣiyyah
In Arabic, the English phrase "will" can be translated as وصية (waṣiyyah).
In Arabic, وصية refers to a legal document or verbal instruction regarding one's estate or final wishes, rather than the auxiliary verb used to indicate the future tense.
Meaning: indicating future action (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word وصية literally refers to a testament, bequest or a set of instructions left by a person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of وصية is وصايا.
How do you pronounce it?
waṣiyyah
What mistakes should you avoid?
The word سَوْف is a formal way to express "will" in Arabic.
Did you know?
- In Islamic law, a person cannot leave more than one third of their estate to a non-heir in their وصية. The remaining two thirds must be distributed according to strict inheritance laws.
- While وصية is the legal testament, the Arabic language uses the prefix سـ attached to a verb to express a near-future 'will'. This is far more common in daily speech than the formal سَوْف.
- The term وصايا can be used in literature to describe 'commandments' or 'moral lessons' passed down through generations, not just financial assets.
Examples in context
- مات من دون أن يترك وصية.He died without having made a will.This sentence illustrates the use of وصية in the context of a person dying without leaving a legal testament.Tatoeba #384410 by saeb, translation #28124 by CK
- سَوْف أذهب إلى المكتب غدًا.I will go to the office tomorrow.
- سَوْف أقرأ هذا الكتاب قريبًا.I will read this book soon.
Example conversation
Yousef and Leila are discussing family estate planning.
- يوسف Youssefيجب أن نجهز وصية الآن.Yajibu an nujahhiza wasiyya al-aan.We must prepare a will now.
- ليلى Laylaلماذا العجلة يا يوسف؟Limadha al-ajala ya Yousef?Why the rush, Yousef?
- يوسف Youssefلضمان حقوق الجميع في الوصية.Li-daman huquq al-jami' fi al-wasiyya.To ensure everyone's rights in the will.
- ليلى Laylaحسناً، سأفكر في الأمر.Hasanan, sa-ufakkiru fi al-amr.Alright, I will think about it.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
