Learn ArabicA1 › عَنَى

عَنَى

to mean, to signify /ˈʕa.naː/

verbA1#101 most common

Also: to concern (someone), to intend, to be concerned with (passive عُنِيَ بـ)

Example sentences

ماذا تَعْنِي؟
What do you mean?
ماذا يَعْنِي هٰذا؟
What does this mean?
ماذا تَعْنِي كَلِمَةُ «صَداقة»؟
What does the word 'friendship' mean?
هٰذا الأَمْرُ لا يَعْنِينِي في شَيْء.
This matter does not concern me in the least.
لَمْ أَعْنِ الإِساءَةَ، وإِنَّما أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَنْصَحَك.
I did not mean any offense; I only wanted to advise you.
ماذا عَنَى الشّاعِرُ بِهٰذِهِ الاسْتِعارَةِ الغامِضَةِ في قَصيدَتِهِ؟
What did the poet mean by this obscure metaphor in his poem?

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgأَعْنِيعَنَيْتُسَأَعْنِي
2sgتَعْنِيعَنَيْتَسَتَعْنِي
3sgيَعْنِيعَنَىسَيَعْنِي
1plنَعْنِيعَنَيْناسَنَعْنِي
2plتَعْنُونَعَنَيْتُمْسَتَعْنُونَ
3plيَعْنُونَعَنَوْاسَيَعْنُونَ

Word family

مَعْنَىmeaning, senseعِنايَةcare, attention
اِعْتَنَى بـto take care of, look after (form VIII)
مَعْنِيّconcerned, meant
مَعانٍmeanings (plural of مَعْنَى)

Etymology

عَنَى comes from the Semitic root ʿ-n-y, which holds together the ideas of concern, intent, and meaning. The same root gives Arabic مَعْنَى, 'meaning,' and عِنايَة, 'care.' Hebrew keeps a relative in עִנְיָן (ʿinyān), 'matter' or 'affair.' Arabic is a Semitic language, so it has no Proto-Indo-European root.

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More Arabic words

أَخَذto take (he took)حَياةlifeجَمِيعall (of); everyone; the wholeحَصَلto happen, to occurخَيْرgoodness, goodصَحِيحcorrectنَظَرto look (at)أَسَفregret