Learn ArabicA1 › شَأْن

شَأْن

matter, affair /ˈʃaʔn/

nounA1#164 most common

Also: concern, business, importance, standing, rank, significance

Example sentences

هٰذا شَأْني.
This is my business.
ما شَأْنُكَ؟
What concern is it of yours?
هٰذا شَأْنٌ داخِليٌّ.
This is an internal matter.
لا تَتَدَخَّلْ في شُؤُونِ غَيْرِكَ.
Do not meddle in the affairs of others.
رَفَعَ العَمَلُ الجادُّ مِن شَأْنِهِ بَيْنَ زُمَلائِهِ.
Hard work raised his standing among his colleagues.
تُديرُ الوِزارَةُ شُؤُونَ المُواطِنينَ بِكَفاءَةٍ عالِيَةٍ.
The ministry manages the citizens' affairs with high efficiency.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeشَأْنٌشُؤُونٌ
Genitiveشَأْنٍشُؤُونٍ
Accusativeشَأْناًشُؤُوناً
Vocativeيا شَأْنُيا شُؤُونُ

Word family

شُؤُونaffairs, matters (plural)
شَأَنَto concern, to matter
ذو شَأْنsignificant, of importance
مِن شَأْنِهِit is liable to, it tends to

Etymology

شَأْن comes from the triliteral Arabic root ش-أ-ن, which carries the sense of concern or affair. The verb شَأَنَ means to be concerned with something. The noun grew to cover both a person's business and their standing or importance. Its broken plural شُؤُون is standard in administrative language for departments and affairs.

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