Lesson 41 · يَا
Calling someone: يَا
To call someone, put يَا before the name: يَا مُحَمَّدُ (Muhammad!). A single name or title after يَا ends in -u with no -n: يَا أُسْتَاذُ (Teacher!).
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
يَا مُحَمَّدُ، تَعَالَ هُنَاyaa muḥammadu, taʿaala hunaaMuhammad, come here.
يَا أُسْتَاذُ، عِنْدِي سُؤَالٌyaa ustaadhu, ʿindii su’aalunTeacher, I have a question.
يَا عَبْدَ اللّٰهِyaa ʿabda llaahiO Abdullah
يَا أَيُّهَا الطُّلَّابُ، اِسْمَعُواyaa ayyuha ṭ-ṭullaabu, ismaʿuuStudents, listen!
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُyaa ayyuha n-naasuO people (Quran)
يَا رَبِّyaa rabbiO my Lord
Key points
- If the name is two words joined by possession, the first ends in -a: يَا عَبْدَ اللّٰهِ · يَا أَبَا خَالِدٍ (from lesson 29).
- Before a noun with al- use يَا أَيُّهَا (m) or يَا أَيَّتُهَا (f): يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ (O people), which is common in the Quran.
- With “my” the ending is often just -i: يَا أَخِي (my brother), يَا رَبِّ (O my Lord).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “Khalid, sit down.”
يَا خَالِدُ، اِجْلِسْ yaa khaalidu, ijlis
Say “O my brother”.
يَا أَخِي yaa akhii
Say “O believers”.
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ yaa ayyuha l-mu’minuuna