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Definition 2024
أنا
أنا
Arabic
Alternative forms
Pronoun
أَنَا • (ʾanā) m, f (enclitic form ـِي (-ī) or ـنِي (-nī) or ـيَ (-ya))
- I (first person singular subject pronoun)
Usage notes
أَنَا (ʾanā) has three enclitic forms which are employed in different contexts and are generally not interchangeable. The enclitic form ـنِي (-nī) is attached to verbs, prepositions ending in نْ (n) with no final vowel (e.g., مِنْ (min) and عَنْ (ʿan)), and the sisters of إِنَّ (ʾinna) except لَعَلَّ (laʿalla). The form ـِي (-ī) is used elsewhere, but in cases where ـِي (-ī) would be preceded by a long vowel, ـيَ (-ya) is used instead.
See also
Arabic personal pronouns
| Isolated pronouns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | ||
| 1st person | أَنَا (ʾanā) | نَحْنُ (naḥnu) | ||
| 2nd person | m | أَنْتَ (ʾanta) | أَنْتُمَا (ʾantumā)* | أَنْتُمْ (ʾantum) |
| f | أَنْتِ (ʾanti) | أَنْتُنَّ (ʾantunna)* | ||
| 3rd person | m | هُوَ (huwa) | هُمَا (humā)* | هُمْ (hum) |
| f | هِيَ (hiya) | هُنَّ (hunna)* | ||
| Enclitic pronouns | ||||
| singular | dual | plural | ||
| 1st person | ـنِي (-nī)/ـي (-ī)/ـيَ (-ya)** | ـنَا (-nā) | ||
| 2nd person | m | ـكَ (-ka) | ـكُمَا (-kumā) | ـكُم (-kum) |
| f | ـكِ (-ki) | ـكُنَّ (-kunna) | ||
| 3rd person | m | ـهُ (-hu)/ـهِ (-hi)*** | ـهُمَا (-humā)/ـهِمَا (-himā)*** | ـهُم (-hum)/ـهِم (-him)*** |
| f | ـهَا (-hā) | ـهُنَّ (-hunna)/ـهِنَّ (-hinna)*** | ||
| * Modern Standard Arabic avoids these pronouns, though they are used in Classical Arabic. ** Specifically, ـنِي (-nī) 'me' is attached to verbs, but ـي (-ī)/ـيَ (-ya) 'my' is attached to nouns. In the latter case, ـيَ (-ya) is attached to nouns whose construct state ends in a long vowel or diphthong (e.g. in the sound masculine plural and the dual), while ـي (-ī) is attached to nouns whose construct state ends in a short vowel, in which case that vowel is elided (e.g. in the sound feminine plural, as well as the singular and broken plural of most nouns). Furthermore, -ū of the masculine sound plural is assimilated to -ī before ـيَ (-ya) (presumably, -aw of masculine defective -an plurals is similarly assimilated to -ay). Prepositions use ـي (-ī)/ـيَ (-ya), even though in this case it has the meaning of "me" (rather than "my"). The "sisters of inna" can use either form (e.g. إِنَّنِي (innanī) or إِنِّي (innī)), but the longer form (e.g. إِنَّنِي (innanī)) is usually preferred. *** ـهُـ (-hu-) occurs after the vowels ending in u or a (-a, -ā, -u, -ū, -aw), while ـهِـ (-hi-) occurs after vowels ending in i (-i, -ī, -ay). | ||||
Etymology 2
From أَنَا (ʾanā, “I”), calque of German Ich, possibly through ego.
Noun
أَنَا • (ʾanā) f, m
- (psychology) ego
Declension
Declension of noun أَنَا (ʾanā)
| Singular | singular invariable | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | أَنَا ʾanā |
الْأَنَا al-ʾanā |
أَنَا ʾanā |
| Nominative | أَنَا ʾanā |
الْأَنَا al-ʾanā |
أَنَا ʾanā |
| Accusative | أَنَا ʾanā |
الْأَنَا al-ʾanā |
أَنَا ʾanā |
| Genitive | أَنَا ʾanā |
الْأَنَا al-ʾanā |
أَنَا ʾanā |