لَمَّا when in Arabic
لَمَّا is how you say “when” in Arabic.
Arabic
English
The audio uses AI voices.
Example sentence
فلما وصل إلى بيته وجد الدبس قد سال كله
When he reached his home, he found all the molasses had spilled.
فَلَمَّا so when
This is fa- 'so' plus the time word 'when'; together 'so when he reached...', framing a completed past circumstance that expects a past verb.
The English is machine-translated.
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More example sentences
فلما نزل سألوه من أين جئت بهذا؟
When he came down, they asked him: Where did you get this?
فَلَمَّا so when
The 'fa-' links to the prior scene, and the rest is a 'when' word that opens a time clause. Together they mean 'so when', setting up 'when he did X, then they did Y'. It governs the clause that follows as the trigger half of that pattern.
والبنين وكم صغر قاسى الأب لأجل الصغار، فلما ترقوا فعقوا والعقوق من الذنوب الكبار،
And the children, how much hardship the father endures for the sake of the young; but when they grow up, they disobey, and disobedience is among the grave sins,
فَلَمَّا but when
The 'and' joins the clause, and beneath it 'when' sets up a 'once X happened, then Y' time frame that expects a follow-up result clause. It marks the turning point of the line: the moment the children matured, after which the disobedience comes.
فلما حل الهدم بودي سارة منع الولدان يجوز،
When the ruin befell Sarah’s town, children were no longer allowed to pass.
فَلَمَّا so when
The 'so/then' prefix opens the next scene, and beneath it 'when' sets up a 'once X happened, then Y' time frame that expects a result clause. Together they mark the turning point of the tale, the moment ruin struck, after which the consequences unfold.
فَلَمَّا رَأَتْنِي أَتَمايَلُ بِسُكْرِي،
When she saw me swaying, drunk,
فَلَمَّا so when
Two joined particles: the narrative fa- plus a word meaning 'when', which together open a time-clause whose main event lands later in the sentence. This 'when' specifically pairs a completed moment with its consequence, so it primes the reader to expect 'when she saw..., she then...'. It is a connector of whole clauses, not just words.
فَلَمَّا رَآهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ذَهَبَ لِيَتَأَخَّرَ
When Abu Bakr saw him, he stepped back to stand further behind.
فَلَمَّا so when
The fa- links to the prior scene, 'so', while the rest is a 'when' word that sets up a time clause: its main verb completes only when the second clause arrives. Together they frame 'so when he saw him...'.
فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ أُمَيَّةُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ قَالَ يَا أُمُّ صَفْوَانِ،
So when Umayya returned to his household, he said, 'O Umm Safwan,'
فَلَمَّا so when
A fa- of sequence joined to 'when': it opens a time-clause whose main answer comes later. So it sets up 'and when X happened...' and holds the result in suspense.
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!"
فَلَمَّا so when
A fa- of sequence joined to 'when': it opens a time-clause awaiting its later answer. So it sets up 'and when the day came...' and leaves the main event pending.
فَلَمَّا سَارَ قَالَ لِلْعَبَّاسِ
When he set out, he said to al-Abbas.
فَلَمَّا so when
The prefix fa- ('then') is welded to lamma, a 'when' conjunction that frames a completed past event. Together they set up the scene, 'then when he set out...', with this clause as the setting and the main reaction still to come.
فَلَمَّا مَرَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِأَبِي سُفْيَانَ
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by Abu Sufyan.
فَلَمَّا so when
The prefix fa- ('so/then') is welded to lamma, a 'when' conjunction framing a completed past event. Together they set the scene, 'then when the Messenger passed...', this clause being the setting with the main event still to come.
قَالَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ لَمْ أَصْبِرْ
He said, and when he came I could not remain patient.
فَلَمَّا so when
Two pieces: the connector fa- ('then') and a 'when' word that frames a once-it-happened moment. Together they set up 'and when he came', a time-clause whose main result lands in the words after it.
كما قال أبو بكر الصديق ﵁ للأحمسية لما سألته ما بقاؤنا على هذا الأمر؟
As Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said to al-Hamsiyyah when she asked him: 'What will sustain us in this matter?'
لَمَّا when
A time-word, 'when', that opens a past-time clause and ties it to a specific moment. It sets up 'when she asked him', anchoring the saying to the occasion of her question.