Arabic vocabulary
أَبُوAbu
How to say “Abu” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
Example sentences
لقيني أبو بكر رضي الله عنه فقال كيف أنت يا حنظلة؟
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, met me and said: 'How are you, Hanzala?'
أَبُو — Abu. This is the first half of the name 'Abu Bakr', literally 'father of'. It belongs to a special set of nouns that show their case with a long vowel rather than a short ending — the long 'u' here marks it as the subject (the one who met). It heads a possessive with the next name.
From: Devotion and Daily Life →قال أبو بكر رضي الله عنه فوالله إنا لنلقى مثل هذا،
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'By Allah, we experience the same.'
أَبُو — Abu. The first half of 'Abu Bakr', 'father of'. It shows its case with a long vowel — the long 'u' marking it as the subject (the one who said). It heads a possessive with the next name.
From: Devotion and Daily Life →وقال أبو إسحاق الرجع المطر لأنه يجيء ويرجع ويتكرر
Abu Ishaq said that 'returning' is rain because it comes and returns and repeats.
أَبُو — Abu. Part of a teknonym name, 'father of', opening an 'of' pairing with the following name; as the subject of 'said' it sits in the nominative with its special long-vowel ending.
From: Signs of Resurrection →وقال أبو الدرداء إني لأستجم نفسي ببعض الباطل كراهية أن أحمل عليها من لحق ما يكلها
And Abu al-Darda said, 'Indeed, I refresh myself with some idle talk, fearing that I might burden it with so much truth that it becomes weary.'
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' word that begins a kunya, a name by fatherhood. As the doer of 'said' it takes the -u subject ending and then owns the name after it, 'father of al-Darda'.
From: Reviving the Heart →أخبرنا أبو نعيم أحمد بن عبد الله قال
Abu Nu`aim Ahmad bin Abdullah informed us, saying,
أَبُو — Abu. This is the 'father of' element that opens a teknonym, the honorific by-name built from a person's eldest son. It is not a first name; it forms a tight possessive pair with the name after it, literally setting up 'father of so-and-so' as a single title.
From: Trust in God →لمّا نظرتَ في كتاب حلية الأولياء لأبي نعيم الأصبهاني أعجبك ذكر الصالحين والأخيار،
When you looked into the book 'Adornment of the Saints' by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, you were impressed by the mention of the righteous and the virtuous.
لِأَبِي — by Abu. A preposition 'for / by' fused to the 'father of' element that opens a teknonym, marking authorship, 'by Abu...'. The preposition forces the name into its governed ending and links the book to the one who wrote it.
From: Gaps in a Collection of Pious Lives →وقال أبو الدرداء
And Abu Darda said:
أَبُو — Abu. This is a title meaning 'father of', and here it sits as the named speaker of the verb, so it carries the subject ending that marks the doer of the sentence. It is the front part of a possessive pairing with the name that follows.
From: Health as a Blessing →فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ فَصَلَّى أَبُو بَكْرٍ تِلْكَ الأَيَّامَ،
Umar said to him, "You are more entitled to that," so Abu Bakr led the prayer during those days.
أَبُو — Abu. The 'father of' word opening the kunya, front term of a pairing with the following name and the subject of 'led the prayer'. It heads the two-word name.
From: Prayer During Illness →فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ذَهَبَ لِيَتَأَخَّرَ
When Abu Bakr saw him, he stepped back to stand further behind.
أَبُو — Abu. The 'father of' word opening the kunya, front term of a pairing with the following name and the subject of 'saw'. It heads the two-word name.
From: Prayer During Illness →قَالَ فَجَعَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ يَأْتَمُّ بِصَلَاةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
He said: Abu Bakr then led the prayer while following the Prophet's prayer.
أَبُو — Abu. The 'father of' word opening the kunya, front term of a pairing with the following name and the subject of 'began'. It heads the two-word name.
From: Prayer During Illness →فَقَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ أَفِي الْقَوْمِ مُحَمَّدٌ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ،
Then Abu Sufyan said, "Is Muhammad among the people?" three times.
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of...' word used as the front of a name (a kunya), owned by the name that follows to form 'Abu Sufyan'. It pairs directly with the next word as an 'of' name-unit and carries the doer role of the speaking.
From: A Companion at Battle →جَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرِ ـ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ـ إِلَى أَبِي فِي مَنْزِلِهِ،
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came to my father in his house.
أَبُو — Abu. The 'father-of' element that opens a by-name title, here the first half of the well-known 'Abu Bakr'. As the subject of the verb 'came' it takes a subject-marking shape. It pairs with the following name to form a single 'of'-style appellation.
From: A Night with the Prophet →أَبُو مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيُّ، أَنَّهُ تَوَضَّأَ فِي بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ،
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that he performed ablution in his house, then he went out.
أَبُو — father of. This is the first half of a 'father-of' name, the head of a name-pairing that leans on the name to follow. Arabic builds these honorific kunya names as an 'of' possessive - two nouns set directly side by side - so this 'father of' word draws its completion from the name that comes next.
From: Three Companions Promised Paradise →فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَدَفَعَ الْبَابَ،
Then Abu Bakr came and pushed the door.
أَبُو — Abu. This is the first half of a 'father-of' name, the head of a name-pairing that leans on the name to follow. Arabic builds these honorific kunya names as an 'of' possessive - two nouns set directly side by side - so this 'father of' word draws its completion from the name that comes next.
From: Three Companions Promised Paradise →فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ،
I asked, "Who is this?" He replied, "Abu Bakr."
أَبُو — Abu. This is the first half of a 'father-of' name, the head of a name-pairing that leans on the name to follow. Arabic builds these honorific kunya names as an 'of' possessive - two nouns set directly side by side - so this 'father of' word draws its completion from the name that comes next.
From: Three Companions Promised Paradise →فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَسْتَأْذِنُ
So I said, O Messenger of God, this is Abu Bakr asking permission to enter.
أَبُو — Abu. This is the first half of a 'father-of' name, the head of a name-pairing that leans on the name to follow. Arabic builds these honorific kunya names as an 'of' possessive - two nouns set directly side by side - so this 'father of' word draws its completion from the name that comes next.
From: Three Companions Promised Paradise →فَدَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَجَلَسَ عَنْ يَمِيْنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَهُ فِي الْقُفِّ،
So Abu Bakr entered and sat to the right of the Messenger of God, beside him in the pit.
أَبُو — Abu. This is the first half of a 'father-of' name, the head of a name-pairing that leans on the name to follow. Arabic builds these honorific kunya names as an 'of' possessive - two nouns set directly side by side - so this 'father of' word draws its completion from the name that comes next.
From: Three Companions Promised Paradise →لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ مَبْعَثَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
When the Prophet's mission reached Abu Dharr, may God bless him and grant him peace.
أَبُو — Abu. The first piece of a teknonym, the 'father of…' style of name. It heads a tight pairing with the word behind it and so leans on that word for its full sense, the two read together as one name.
From: A Stranger Finds the Prophet →فَلَاقَاهُمَا أَبُو جَهْلٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا صَفْوَانَ،
So Abu Jahl met them and said, "O Abu Safwan,"
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' name-word (kunya) standing as the subject (nominative) here; it heads an 'of' pairing with the next word to build the full byname. As subject it takes the long -u ('Abu') subject form.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَهْلٍ أَلاَ أَرَاكَ تَطُوفُ بِمَكَّةِ آمِنًا،
So Abu Jahl said to him, "Do I not see you moving about in Mecca in safety?"
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' name-word as subject (nominative), heading an 'of' pairing with the next word to build the full byname. It identifies the speaker.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ اِسْتَنْفَرَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ النَّاسَ قَالَ أَدْرِكُوا عِيرَكُمْ
When the day of Badr came, Abu Jahl roused the people and said, "Save your caravan!"
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' name-word as the subject (nominative) of the summoning verb, heading an 'of' pairing with the next word to build the full byname. It names the one rousing the people.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو جَهْلٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبُو صَفْوَانَ،
Then Abu Jahl came to him and said, "O Abu Safwan,"
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' name-word as the subject (nominative) of the coming verb, heading an 'of' pairing with the next word. It names the one who came.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو جَهْلٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبُو صَفْوَانَ،
Then Abu Jahl came to him and said, "O Abu Safwan,"
أَبُو — Abu. A 'father of' name-word in address (vocative) use; the byname keeps its subject-style 'Abu' form here as written. It heads an 'of' pairing with the name next, naming the addressee.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَلَمْ يَزَلْ بِهِ أَبُو جَهْلٍ حَتَّى قَالَ أَمَّا إِذْ غَلَبْتَنِي،
So Abu Jahl did not cease at him until he said, "As for when you have overcome me,"
أَبُو — father of. A 'father of' name-word as the subject (nominative) of the 'did not cease' verb, heading an 'of' pairing with the next word. It names the one persisting.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →
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