Arabic vocabulary
How to say “wish” in Arabic, with pronunciation and an example from OpenArabic texts.
فليت شعري أنت ماذا عرفت؟ وما علمك،
I wish to know what you have understood? And what is your knowledge,
لَيْتَ — I wish. This is the wishing particle 'would that', which expresses a wish for something unattainable and, like its emphatic cousins, forces its following noun into the accusative. It sets a longing, regretful tone, 'if only I knew'.
From: When Recitation Breeds Pride →OpenArabic teaches words like لَيْت through real bilingual reading with native audio and spaced-repetition practice.
Get the app