Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أَنْتَ | ʔanta | masculine |
| أَنْتِ | ʔanti | feminine |
| حَضْرَتُكَ | ḥaḍratuka | formal, masculine |
| حَضْرَتُكِ | ḥaḍratuki | feminine, formal |
| انت | inta | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| انتي | inti | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| حضرتك | ḥaḍritak | Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| إنت | ʔinta/ʔinte | South Levantine Arabic, masculine |
| إنتي | ʔinti | South Levantine Arabic, feminine |
| نْتا | nta | Moroccan Arabic, masculine |
| نْتي | nti | Moroccan Arabic, feminine |
| نْتينا | ntina | Moroccan Arabic, Morocco, Northern, feminine, masculine |
Arabic uses different forms of "you" depending on the gender of the person being addressed and the level of formality required. The standard forms أَنْتَ and أَنْتِ are used in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and are understood across all dialects.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term حَضْرَتُكَ (masculine) or حَضْرَتُكِ (feminine) literally translates to "your presence" and is used to address someone with high politeness.
Which one should you use?
In the standard forms, the distinction between masculine and feminine is marked by the final vowel: -a for the masculine أَنْتَ and -i for the feminine أَنْتِ. Similarly, in the formal version, the gender is indicated by the final vowel: -u-ka for masculine حَضْرَتُكَ and -u-ki for feminine حَضْرَتُكِ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms أَنْتَ and أَنْتِ are the informal singular pronouns used when addressing one male or one female. For highly polite and formal situations, use حَضْرَتُكَ (masculine) or حَضْرَتُكِ (feminine).
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various dialects use different versions of "you": * Egyptian Arabic: انت (masculine), انتي (feminine) or the formal حضرتك (masculine). * South Levantine Arabic: إنت (masculine) or إنتي (feminine). * Moroccan Arabic: نْتا (masculine), نْتي (feminine) or نْتينا (used for both masculine and feminine).
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form أَنْتَ is used when addressing one male, while the feminine singular form أَنْتِ is used when addressing one female.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔanta
When do people say it?
In formal settings, such as when addressing a teacher or professor, you may use the title أستاذ for a male or أستاذة for a female.
Did you know?
- The formal term حَضْرَتُكَ literally refers to the person's 'presence' rather than the person themselves. This creates a polite social distance by addressing the space around the individual.
- When using the formal حَضْرَتُكَ, the 'you' part is actually a possessive suffix attached to a noun, rather than a standalone pronoun.
- Using حَضْرَتُكَ is not just about formality but can be a strategy to avoid the perceived bluntness of the informal أَنْتَ in sensitive conversations.
Examples in context
- هل انت مع توم؟Are you with Tom?This sentence uses انت to ask about someone's company.Tatoeba #7782598 by aljilani, translation #4235722 by Hybrid
- لقد اغضبتهم انت.You ticked them off.This sentence uses انت to show who performed the action.Tatoeba #4114941 by fadi, translation #3723647 by CM
- هل انت ضد الاجهاض؟Are you against abortion?This sentence uses انت to ask about someone's position on a topic.Tatoeba #4519402 by lomy1988, translation #4494294 by CK
- أنتَ تتكلم العربية جيداً.You speak Arabic well.
- أنتِ طالبة مجتهدة.You are a diligent student.
- أنتُم تعملون بجدية.You all work diligently.
- أنتَ واحد من أعز الأصدقاء لي.You are one of my dearest friends.
- أنتِ تعني لي الكثير.You mean a lot to me.
- أنتم أصدقائي المفضلين.You all are my favorite friends.
- 67 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla is asking Youssef about his job.
- ليلى Laylaهل أَنْتَ مُهَنْدِسٌ؟Hal anta muhandis?Are you an engineer?
- يوسف Youssefنَعَمْ، أَنَا مُهَنْدِسٌ.Na'am, ana muhandis.Yes, I am an engineer.
- ليلى Laylaأَيْنَ تَعْمَلُ أَنْتَ؟Ayna ta'malu anta?Where do you work?
- يوسف Youssefأَعْمَلُ فِي المَدِينَةِ.A'malu fil-madinah.I work in the city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries حضرتك, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
