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ما

Root entry · 5 derived lemmas

The root 'م ا' (m-a) primarily functions as a versatile particle in Arabic, encompassing interrogative, relative, conditional, exclamatory, and negative meanings. It can also be used to form abstract nouns or function as an intensifier, with variations in its grammatical behavior depending on context and dialect.

Derived headwords

ماparticle
  1. 1.
    an indefinite noun requiring an adjectiveboth

    an indefinite noun requiring an adjective

  2. 2.
    an extra particle that prevents actionboth

    an extra particle that prevents action

  3. 3.
    not preventing actionboth

    not preventing action

  4. 4.
    a negating particleboth

    a negating particle

  5. 5.
    interrogativeboth

    interrogative

  6. 6.
    declarativeboth

    declarative

  7. 7.
    conditionalboth

    conditional

  8. 8.
    exclamatoryboth

    exclamatory

  9. 9.
    with the verb in interpretationboth

    with the verb in interpretation

ماname
  1. 1.
    an indefinite noun requiring an adjectiveboth

    an indefinite noun requiring an adjective

  2. 2.
    an extra particle that prevents actionboth

    an extra particle that prevents action

  3. 3.
    not preventing actionboth

    not preventing action

  4. 4.
    a negating particleboth

    a negating particle

  5. 5.
    interrogativeboth

    interrogative

  6. 6.
    declarativeboth

    declarative

  7. 7.
    conditionalboth

    conditional

  8. 8.
    exclamatoryboth

    exclamatory

  9. 9.
    with the verb in interpretationboth

    with the verb in interpretation

ماءnoun
  1. 1.
    well-knownboth

    well-known

مهماparticle
  1. 1.
    it has the meaning of recompenseboth

    it has the meaning of recompense

إماparticle
  1. 1.
    he became one hundred peopleboth

    he became one hundred people

  2. 2.
    he made others one hundredboth

    he made others one hundred

  3. 3.
    meaning without the emphatic nunboth

    meaning without the emphatic nun

  4. 4.
    in the sense of recompense because 'ma' is added to 'in'both

    in the sense of recompense because 'ma' is added to 'in'

Parallel reading

ما عندك
What do you have?
رأيت ما عندك
I saw what you have.
وهو بمعنى الذى
And it means 'that which'.
ما تفعل أفعل
Whatever you do, I will do.
ما أحسن زيدا
How excellent Zayd is!
بلغني ما صنعت
It reached me what you did (i.e., your doing).
أي صنيعك
Meaning your doing.
مررت بما معجب لك
I passed by something that impressed you.
أي بشئ معجب لك
Meaning something impressive to you.
إنما زيد منطلق
Zayd is indeed going forth.
فبما رحمة من الله
But by the mercy of Allah.
ما خرج زيد
Zayd did not go out.
ما زيد خارجا
Zayd is not going out.
ما هذا بشرا
This is not human.
بم
With what?
لم
For what?
عم يتساءلون
About what are they asking one another?
لا ينعش الطرف إلا ما تخونه داع يناديه باسم الماء مبغوم
The gaze is not revived except by a call that whispers to it with a bleating sound.
مهما أصلها ما ضمت إليها ما لغوا
Whatever, its origin is 'ma' to which 'ma' was added superfluously.
إما ترى رأسي تغير لونه
If you see my head, its color has changed.