ما

Algerian Arabic

Noun

ما (mā)

  1. water

Andalusian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic مَاء‎ (māʾ, “water”).

Noun

ما (mā)

  1. water

Arabic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /maː/

Pronoun

مَا • (mā) m

  1. (interrogative) what?
  2. (indefinite) some, a certain
  3. (relative) that which, what
  4. (relative) something which
  5. (indefinite relative) whatever, all that

Synonyms

  • (whatever): مَهْمَا‎ (mahmā)

Particle

مَا • (mā)

  1. not

Conjunction

مَا • (mā)

  1. as long as

Adverb

مَا • (mā)

  1. whenever
  2. as far as, to the extent that, to the degree that
  3. (with an elative in the accusative) (oh) how...!
    ‏مَا أَجْمَلَ ٱلْحَيَاةَ!‎‎
    Mā ʾajmala l-ḥayāh!
    How beautiful life is!

Usage notes

  • (oh how): The above accusative construction is called تَعَجُّب‎ (taʿajjub, “amazement”) in Arabic. According to traditional grammar, if a nominative were used in the example above (resulting in mā ʾajmalu l-ḥayāh), it would turn into a question meaning: “What is the most beautiful kind of life?”

References

  • Wehr, Hans (1979), “ما”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Hassaniya

Noun

ما (mā)

  1. water

Moroccan Arabic

Noun

ما (mā)

  1. water

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian 𐭫𐭭𐭤‎ (amāh, “we, us”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mɒː/
    audio(file)

Pronoun

Dari Persian ما‎
Iranian Persian ما‎
Tajiki Persian мо (mo)

ما • (mâ)

  1. we
  2. (generally with following را‎) us
  3. (at end of an ezafe) our

Interjection

ما • (mâ)

  1. sound of a cow, moo
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