Lesson 90 · هَيَّا
Words that act like verbs: هَيَّا, آمِينَ, أُفٍّ
Some short words do the job of a verb but never change like one. Arabic grammar calls them اسْمُ فِعْلٍ (verb-nouns). You already say some of them every day: آمِينَ (amen: O Allah, answer) and هَيَّا (come on, let’s go).
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Examples
هَيَّا بِنَا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِhayyaa binaa ila l-masjidiCome on, let’s go to the mosque.
آمِينَaamiinaAmen (O Allah, answer our prayer).
حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِḥayya ʿala ṣ-ṣalaatiCome to the prayer.
عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّبْرِʿalayka biṣ-ṣabriYou should be patient. (to a man)
إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَilayka l-kitaabaHere is the book, take it. (to a man)
فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّfa-laa taqul lahumaa uffinSo do not say “ugh” to them. (17:23)
Key points
- Commands: هَيَّا come on · صَهْ hush · رُوَيْدَكَ slow down · إِلَيْكَ here you are, take it · عَلَيْكَ بِـ you should, stick to: عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّبْرِ (be patient). In the adhan, حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ means “come to the prayer”.
- Feelings: آمِينَ answer (our prayer) · أُفٍّ ugh!, showing annoyance · هَيْهَاتَ how far off!, no chance. About parents the Quran says فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ (so do not say “ugh” to them, 17:23).
- They don’t take verb endings: هَيَّا is the same for a man, a woman or a group. Those built on a preposition take the ending for the person spoken to: إِلَيْكَ, إِلَيْكِ, إِلَيْكُمْ · عَلَيْكَ, عَلَيْكُمْ.
Practice
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Say “Come on, let’s go to school.”
هَيَّا بِنَا إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ hayyaa binaa ila l-madrasati
Tell a group “You should study.” Studying: الدِّرَاسَةُ.
عَلَيْكُمْ بِالدِّرَاسَةِ ʿalaykum bid-diraasati
Tell a woman “Here is the pen, take it.”
إِلَيْكِ الْقَلَمَ ilayki l-qalama
