Learn ArabicB2 › سَنَح

سَنَح

to occur to (someone), to present itself (of an idea or opportunity) /ˈsa.na.ħa/

verbB2#3694 most common

Also: to arise unexpectedly, to come to mind, to happen upon someone

Example sentences

سَنَحَتْ لَهُ فِكْرَةٌ.
An idea occurred to him.
سَنَحَتْ لِي فُرْصَةٌ جَيِّدَةٌ.
A good opportunity presented itself to me.
سَنَحَتْ لَهَا فُرْصَةُ السَّفَرِ إِلَى مِصْرَ.
The chance to travel to Egypt presented itself to her.
كُلَّمَا سَنَحَتْ لِي فُرْصَةٌ لِلْقِرَاءَةِ أَغْتَنِمُهَا.
Whenever an opportunity to read presents itself to me, I seize it.
لَمْ تَسْنَحْ لَهُ فُرْصَةٌ لِلِاعْتِذَارِ قَبْلَ سَفَرِهَا.
No chance to apologize presented itself to him before her departure.
سَنَحَتْ لِلْبَاحِثِ فِكْرَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ أَثْنَاءَ مُرَاجَعَتِهِ لِلنَّتَائِجِ، فَغَيَّرَتْ مَسَارَ دِرَاسَتِهِ بِأَكْمَلِهِ.
A new idea occurred to the researcher while he reviewed the results, and it changed the entire course of his study.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأَسْنَحُسَنَحْتُسَأَسْنَحُ
2sgتَسْنَحُسَنَحْتَسَتَسْنَحُ
3sgيَسْنَحُسَنَحَسَيَسْنَحُ
1plنَسْنَحُسَنَحْنَاسَنَسْنَحُ
2plتَسْنَحُونَسَنَحْتُمْسَتَسْنَحُونَ
3plيَسْنَحُونَسَنَحُواسَيَسْنَحُونَ

Word family

سَانِحopportune, favorable, occurring at the right moment
سُنُوحthe act of occurring or presenting itself
فُرْصَة سَانِحَةan opportune, available opportunity
الوَقْت السَّانِحthe opportune moment

Etymology

The verb comes from the Arabic triliteral root س-ن-ح (s-n-ḥ), which carries the sense of something crossing one's path or presenting itself unbidden. In pre-Islamic usage the root also described a bird or animal crossing one's path from the right, an event read as a good omen. From that concrete image of an unbidden crossing, the meaning extended to abstract things, ideas and opportunities, that occur to the mind or present themselves to a person.

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