Arabic vocabulary
أَنْتَyou
How to say “you” in Arabic, with pronunciation and real example sentences from OpenArabic texts.
Example sentences
قال بلى، قعدت أنت وصفوان في الحجر
He said: Yes, you and Safwan sat in the stone enclosure.
أَنْتَ — you. anta = 'you' (the separate pronoun), added for emphasis — 'you yourself'.
From: Early Converts to Islam →وَأَنت إِذا تدبرت الْقُرْآن وأجرته من التحريف
And when you reflect on the Quran and protect it from distortion,
وَأَنْتَ — and you. 'And' plus the standalone pronoun 'you', fronted as the topic before its conditional clause. Putting 'you' first sets the addressee up as the one the whole 'when…' is about.
From: God's Majesty →وَأَنت مَشْغُول بالجيف
Yet you are occupied with carcasses.
وَأَنْتَ — and you. 'And' plus the standalone pronoun 'you', the topic of a contrasting clause — 'while you [are]…'. It sets the addressee against the striving lovers.
From: Overcoming Desire →يدْخل عَلَيْك لص الْهوى وَأَنت فِي زَاوِيَة التَّعَبُّد
The thief of desires enters upon you while you are in the corner of worship.
وَأَنْتَ — and you. 'And' plus the standalone pronoun 'you', opening a circumstantial clause — 'while you [are]…'. It pictures your state as the thief slips in.
From: The Path to God's Love →فداو سقما بجسم أَنْت متلفه وأبرد غراما بقلب أَنْت مضرمه
Cure an ailment with the body you are destroying... and cool down a flame with the heart you are igniting.
أَنْتَ — you. The standalone pronoun 'you', the subject of a little clause describing the body — 'which You [are]…'. It opens 'you are its destroyer'.
From: Stages of the Seeker →فداو سقما بجسم أَنْت متلفه وأبرد غراما بقلب أَنْت مضرمه
Cure an ailment with the body you are destroying... and cool down a flame with the heart you are igniting.
أَنْتَ — you. The standalone pronoun 'you', the subject of a clause describing the heart — 'which You [are]…'. It opens 'you are its kindler'.
From: Stages of the Seeker →وَلَا تَكِلنِي على بعد الديار إِلَى صبري الضَّعِيف فصبري أَنْت تعلمه
Do not leave me to my weak patience across the distance of lands.
أَنْتَ — you. The standalone pronoun 'you', the subject — 'You [are the one who]…'. Fronted for emphasis: it is You who knows it.
From: Stages of the Seeker →فصل إِذا اسْتغنى النَّاس بالدنيا فاستغن أَنْت بِاللَّه
If people become content with the world, be content with God.
أَنْتَ — you. The command already contains its 'you', so this separate pronoun is pure emphasis, 'you, for your part'. Arabic adds the free-standing pronoun like this to throw weight on the contrast between you and the people.
From: Contentment with What God Wills →وَإِذا فرحوا بالدنيا فافرح أَنْت بِاللَّه
If they rejoice in the world, rejoice in God.
أَنْتَ — you. The free-standing 'you' added for emphasis, though the command already carries its subject. It sharpens the contrast: let them rejoice in the world, but 'you' rejoice elsewhere.
From: Contentment with What God Wills →وَإِذا تعرفوا إِلَى مُلُوكهمْ وكبرائهم وتقربوا إِلَيْهِم لينالوا بهم الْعِزَّة والرفعة فتعرف أَنْت إِلَى الله وتودد إِلَيْهِ
And if they seek to know their kings and leaders and draw close to them to obtain honor and elevation through them, you seek to know God and draw close to Him.
أَنْتَ — you. The separate 'you' added only for emphasis, the command already holding its subject. It drives the contrast home: while they court kings, 'you' cultivate the King of kings.
From: Contentment with What God Wills →فَقَالَ إِنَّك إِن تضحك وَأَنت مقرّ بخطيئتك خير من أَن تبْكي وَأَنت مدل بعملك
He said, 'It is better for you to laugh while acknowledging your sins than to cry while boasting of your deeds.'
وَأَنْتَ — while you. This 'wa-' is the 'while' that opens a background-state clause, and 'you' is its subject: 'while you [are]...'. It sets the circumstance under which the laughing happens, that you confess even as you laugh.
From: Contentment with What God Wills →فَقَالَ إِنَّك إِن تضحك وَأَنت مقرّ بخطيئتك خير من أَن تبْكي وَأَنت مدل بعملك
He said, 'It is better for you to laugh while acknowledging your sins than to cry while boasting of your deeds.'
وَأَنْتَ — while you. The 'while' clause again, mirroring the earlier one: 'while you [are]...'. It frames the circumstance of the weeping, that you vaunt your deeds as you weep.
From: Contentment with What God Wills →فقال أنت منهم
He said: 'You are one of them.'
أَنْتَ — you. This is the standalone pronoun 'you', the subject of a verbless sentence — 'you [are]...'. Arabic uses the separate pronoun here for direct, emphatic address: YOU are among them.
From: Those Who Enter Without Account →لقيني أبو بكر رضي الله عنه فقال كيف أنت يا حنظلة؟
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, met me and said: 'How are you, Hanzala?'
أَنْتَ — are you. This standalone pronoun 'you' is the subject of a verbless question — 'how [are] YOU?'. With 'how' it forms a complete greeting, the 'are' left unwritten.
From: Devotion and Daily Life →ابن آدم، إنما أنت أيام، كلما ذهب يوم ذهب بعضك
"Son of Adam, you are but days; whenever a day passes, a part of you goes."
أَنْتَ — you. The standalone pronoun 'you', used here as the subject of an equational sentence that has no verb at all. Arabic can state 'you are days' by simply placing subject and predicate together, with the linking 'are' understood rather than spoken.
From: While You Still Can →وأنت تدعو بأن تهوي إليهم
And you are praying that they be directed to them!
وَأَنْتَ — and you. This is wa- 'and' plus a standalone 'you' pronoun, used to start a contrasting clause, 'and you, for your part...'. A separate subject pronoun like this throws weight onto the addressee, setting up the contrast.
From: Bedouin Manners →فقال البائع أنت أحمق، كان ينبغي أن تحمله مقلوبًا وأنت تسير على رأسك حتى لا يسيل
The seller said: You are foolish; you should have carried it upside down while walking on your head so it wouldn't spill!
أَنْتَ — you. A standalone 'you' pronoun used as the topic of a verbless sentence; with no verb 'to be', Arabic sets 'you' and 'a fool' side by side, the pronoun carrying the weight English gives to 'are'.
From: Heedless Choices →فقال الوالي اذهب فأنت حرّ فيما بينك وبينه
The governor said: Go, you are free concerning what is between you and him.
فَأَنْتَ — so you. This is the consequence marker 'so' fused with the standalone pronoun 'you' (male singular). The 'fa-' draws a conclusion, and the pronoun is the subject of the verbless statement that follows, 'so you are free'. The free pronoun is spelled out for emphasis.
From: Justice in the Field →قَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا دِرْهَمًا تَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى مَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ
He said, "Forty thousand dirhams to help you with your present condition."
أَنْتَ — you. A standalone second-person pronoun 'you', subject of the small relative clause describing the listener's state. The separate pronoun fronts the addressee inside the 'what you are in' phrase.
From: Wealth and Knowledge on Trial →وَهِيَ تَتَمَنَّى بَقَاءَكَ، وَأَنْتَ تَتَمَنَّى فِرَاقَهَا
She wishes you would stay, while you wish to be apart from her.
وَأَنْتَ — and you. The front wa- opens the matching half of the contrast, 'while you...', and carries the 'you' pronoun. It balances her wish against his in a deliberate parallel. This 'whereas you...' framing sets the son's attitude directly opposite the mother's.
From: Honoring Parents →فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ أَنْتَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ فَصَلَّى أَبُو بَكْرٍ تِلْكَ الأَيَّامَ،
Umar said to him, "You are more entitled to that," so Abu Bakr led the prayer during those days.
أَنْتَ — you. A standalone 'you' pronoun fronting the statement as its topic; the free pronoun emphasizes the addressee before the description that follows. Arabic uses such pronouns to spotlight the subject.
From: Prayer During Illness →فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْتَ يَا غُلاَمُ
So I said, 'Who do you belong to, O boy?'
أَنْتَ — you. The standalone pronoun 'you' for one male, written separately rather than folded into a verb. Since the question has no verb, this independent pronoun carries the subject on its own. Arabic uses such free-standing pronouns for verbless sentences and for emphasis.
From: A Night with the Prophet →وَأَنْتَ سَيِّدُ أَهْلِ الْوَادِيِ تَخَلَّفُوا مَعَكَ،
And you are the leader of the people of the valley; they lagged behind with you.
وَأَنْتَ — and you. A leading 'and' joined to a standalone 'you' pronoun. Together they front the listener as the topic of a verbless 'you [are]...' sentence, whose predicate comes next with no 'are' word needed.
From: Warning Before the Battle of Badr →فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَوَ تَرْجُوهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ
Abu Bakr said, "Do you hope for him? By my father, you!"
أَنْتَ — you. A free-standing 'you' (singular, masculine), set down on its own for emphasis after the oath, the force of 'you (of all people)!'. It needs no verb here; it spotlights the addressee, completing the devoted exclamation.
From: The Secret Migration →
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