Learn Arabic › A1 › بَيْنَما
بَيْنَما
while /ˈbaj.na.maː/
particleA1#421 most common
Also: whereas, as, whilst
Example sentences
أَقْرَأُ بَيْنَما تَطْبُخُ أُمّي.
I read while my mother cooks.
بَيْنَما كُنْتُ في السّوقِ، اِشْتَرَيْتُ خُبْزاً.
While I was at the market, I bought bread.
بَيْنَما كانَ يَدْرُسُ، كانَ أَخوهُ يَلْعَبُ في الحَديقَةِ.
While he was studying, his brother was playing in the garden.
بَيْنَما تُحِبُّ هي القَهْوَةَ، يُفَضِّلُ هو الشّايَ.
Whereas she likes coffee, he prefers tea.
بَيْنَما يَرى البَعْضُ في القَرارِ فُرْصَةً، يَعْتَبِرُهُ آخَرونَ تَهْديداً.
While some see the decision as an opportunity, others regard it as a threat.
بَيْنَما تَتَّجِهُ الأَنْظارُ نَحْوَ الاقْتِصادِ، تَظَلُّ القَضايا الاجْتِماعِيّةُ مُهَمَّلَةً في النِّقاشِ العامِّ.
While attention turns toward the economy, social issues remain neglected in public debate.
Word family
بَيْنَbetween
بَيَّنَto clarify
بَيانstatement, declarationمُبِينclear, evident
تَبايُنcontrast, divergence
Etymology
بَيْنَما combines بَيْنَ, meaning 'between', with the particle ما. بَيْنَ comes from the Semitic root b-y-n, which carries the sense of separation and distinction. The same root gives بَيَّنَ, 'to make clear', and بَيان, 'statement'. The added ما turns the spatial 'between' into a temporal and contrastive link.
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