Arabic vocabulary
مِنَّةٌfavor in Arabic
مِنَّةٌ 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 ن (m-n-n)noun (verbal noun / maṣdar), femininePronounced minnah
Meaning of favor in Arabic
- a favor or benefit bestowed on someone — the core sense behind the given gloss 'favor'
- an obligation created by a favor received — can rest upon one person or be owed to another
- reproach for a favor already given — as verbal noun of مَنَّ, used when a giver recounts or throws back a kindness to make the receiver feel indebted
مِنَّةٌ is the verbal noun tied to مَنَّ عَلَيْهِ and carries two opposite shades: neutrally, a favor or benefit conferred, and negatively, the act of reproaching someone for a favor already given — recounting one's own generosity in a way that burdens the receiver with obligation. Classical commentary ties this negative sense to Qur'an 2:264.
Words from the same root
- مَنَّto confer a favor on someone; also, to reproach someone for a favor already given
- مَنٌّverbal noun of مَنَّ: the act of bestowing a favor, or of reproaching for one
- مَنَّانٌvery bountiful; or, one who never gives without reproaching the receiver for it
- تَمَنَّنَform V verb, carrying the same senses as مَنَّ (to confer or to reproach a favor)
- اِمْتِنَانِىٌّgratuitous, granted purely as a favor rather than owed as a duty
Common questions
- How do you say "favor" in Arabic?
- مِنَّةٌ (minnah) — a favor or benefit conferred or bestowed on someone.
- Why does مِنَّةٌ sometimes have a negative meaning?
- Because it also serves as the verbal noun for مَنَّ in the sense of reproaching someone for a favor already given, i.e. bringing it up to make them feel indebted.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
فَإِن قبلهَا فمنّة وَصدقَة ثَانِيَة،
So if He accepts it, it is a further favor and charity,
فَمِنَّةٌ — a favor. fa- = 'then' (answering the 'if'); minna means 'a favor'; the '-un' ending marks it as an indefinite subject ('then it is a favor').
From: Returning to God →
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