Does مِنَّةٌ always have a positive sense?

Not always — since it comes from مَنَّ ("to confer a favour" but also "to reproach someone for a favour given"), مِنَّةٌ can mean a plain benefit or, more pointedly, an obligation someone is made to feel.

مَنَّةٌ favor in Arabic

مَنَّةٌ is how you say “favor” in Arabic.

Root م ن m-n. noun (verbal noun / maṣdar). minnah.

Arabic

English

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Meaning of favor in Arabic

a favour or benefit conferred or bestowed on someone
an obligation owed to, or placed upon, someone
the act of reproaching someone for a favour given, or recounting one's own gifts to them as a verbal noun of مَنَّ عَلَيْهِ, this sense carries a negative, self-congratulatory undertone

Example sentence

وَإِن عمل حَسَنَة رَآهَا من منّته وصدقته عَلَيْهِ،

And if he performs a good deed, he sees it as from His favor and charity upon him,

مَنَّتِهِ His favor

minna means 'favor, gracious gift'; the ending '-hi' adds 'His' — 'His favor'.

From Returning to God

The English is machine-translated.

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How it is used

مِنَّةٌ is the noun bound to the verb مَنَّ عَلَيْهِ, which covers both bestowing a favour on someone and reproaching them for one already given — so the word can mean a plain benefit or, more pointedly, an obligation incurred by another's generosity. اِمْتِنَانِىٌّ (gratuitous) is used in contrast to وُجُوبِىٌّ (obligatory) to mark something given purely as a favour rather than owed.

Words from the same root

مَنَّ to confer a favour upon someone; also, to reproach someone for a favour already given
مَنَّانٌ very bountiful or generous; also one who gives nothing without reproaching for it
اِمْتِنَانِىٌّ gratuitous; given freely as a favour, as opposed to owed as a duty
إِمْتَنَنَ form VIII of مَنَّ, tied to conferring or claiming a favour
تَمَنَّنَ form V of مَنَّ, tied to conferring a favour

Common questions

How do you say "favor" in Arabic?: مِنَّةٌ (minnah).
Does مِنَّةٌ always have a positive sense?: Not always — since it comes from مَنَّ ("to confer a favour" but also "to reproach someone for a favour given"), مِنَّةٌ can mean a plain benefit or, more pointedly, an obligation someone is made to feel.

Related words

Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).