Arabic vocabulary
مَنَّةٌfavor in Arabic
مَنَّةٌ is how you say “favor” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in a real example sentence from classical texts below.
Root م ن (m-n)noun (verbal noun / maṣdar)Pronounced minnah
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
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
- مَنَّto confer a favour upon someone; also, to reproach someone for a favour already given
- مَنَّانٌvery bountiful or generous; also one who gives nothing without reproaching for it
- اِمْتِنَانِىٌّgratuitous; given freely as a favour, as opposed to owed as a duty
- إِمْتَنَنَform VIII of مَنَّ, tied to conferring or claiming a favour
- تَمَنَّنَform 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.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
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 →
Related words
Learn Arabic vocabulary in context
OpenArabic teaches words like مَنَّةٌ through real bilingual reading with native audio and spaced-repetition practice.
Get the app