سنوات
sanawāt
The English word 'years' is translated into Arabic as سنوات (sanawāt).
The word is used to refer to periods of twelve months.
Which one should you use?
There are two plural forms for 'years': سنوات (sanawāt) and سنين (sinīn). While both mean 'years', سنوات is often used in more formal or standard contexts, whereas سنين is very common in both formal and spoken Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
sanawāt
Did you know?
- In classical Arabic literature and the Quran, the form سنين (sinīn) is frequently chosen specifically to convey the feeling of heavy, difficult, or exhausting stretches of time.
- When stating a specific age, such as 'twenty years old', Arabic speakers often revert to the singular سنة (sana) rather than using a plural form. This is due to a specific numerical rule in Arabic grammar.
- In some Arabic dialects, people use the word عمر (umr), meaning 'lifetime', as a shorthand to ask about someone's 'years' or age.
Examples in context
- لم أرك منذ سنوات.I haven't seen you in years.The sentence is useful for expressing how much time has passed using سنوات.Tatoeba #2606031 by Samer, translation #2360298 by CK
- لقد مرّت عشر سنوات.Ten years have passed.The sentence is useful for stating a specific number of سنوات that have elapsed.Tatoeba #7238059 by OsoHombre, translation #6173541 by OsoHombre
- عمره عشر سنوات فقط.He's only ten years old.The sentence is useful for stating an age in terms of سنوات.Tatoeba #11621505 by elmassoudi, translation #12269550 by Miktsoanit
- عام ٢٠٢١ ميلاديًا2021 CE
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Ahmed are talking about how long they have lived in the city.
- سارة Saraكم سنة عشت هنا؟kam sana 'ishta huna?How many years have you lived here?
- أحمد Ahmedعشت هنا لعدة سنوات.ishtu huna li-idat sanawat.I lived here for several years.
- سارة Saraهل كانت سنوات جميلة؟hal kanat sanawat jamila?Were they beautiful years?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، كانت سنوات رائعة.na'am, kanat sanawat ra'i'a.Yes, they were wonderful years.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
