Learn ArabicA2 › مَسْأَلَة

مَسْأَلَة

matter, issue /ˈmasʔala/

nounA2#865 most common

Also: question, problem, affair

Example sentences

هَذِهِ مَسْأَلَةٌ سَهْلَةٌ.
This is an easy matter.
عِنْدِي مَسْأَلَةٌ فِي الرِّيَاضِيَّاتِ.
I have a math problem.
إِنَّهَا مَسْأَلَةُ وَقْتٍ فَقَطْ.
It is only a matter of time.
نَاقَشَ الْوُزَرَاءُ مَسْأَلَةَ الْأَمْنِ فِي الِاجْتِمَاعِ.
The ministers discussed the security issue at the meeting.
تُعَدُّ مَسْأَلَةُ اللَّاجِئِينَ مِنْ أَكْثَرِ الْمَسَائِلِ تَعْقِيدًا.
The refugee question is among the most complex issues.
لَا يُمْكِنُ اخْتِزَالُ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ الشَّائِكَةِ فِي بُعْدٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَهِيَ مُتَشَعِّبَةٌ.
This thorny issue cannot be reduced to a single dimension, for it is multifaceted.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeمَسْأَلَةٌمَسَائِلُ
Genitiveمَسْأَلَةٍمَسَائِلَ
Accusativeمَسْأَلَةًمَسَائِلَ
Vocativeيَا مَسْأَلَةُيَا مَسَائِلُ

Word family

سُؤَالquestion
سَأَلَto ask
مَسْؤُولresponsible person; official
مَسْؤُولِيَّةresponsibility
سَائِلquestioner; beggar

Etymology

The word derives from the Semitic root s-ʔ-l, 'to ask'. It follows the maC-CaCa noun pattern, so it names the thing asked about: a question or matter. The same root gives سؤال, 'a question', and مسؤول, 'one held responsible'.

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