Lesson 5: False verb - To be called
Next up, another essential false verb – (ism), meaning "to be called." Let’s learn how
to conjugate it!
SAYING HELLO
In Arabic, we can't say "I am called", we have to say "My name is" but the possessive in Arabic goes at the end, so literally say: "Namemy is"
اسمي أحمد
Ismi Ahmad
Notice that there is no verb “to be” like in English. You’re just saying “My name – Ahmad”, and that’s enough! In Arabic, the verb “to be” in the present tense is usually left out.
So let's recap:
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“I am Ahmad” / "My name is Ahmad" = Ismi Ahmad
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“You are Sarah” / "Your name is Sara" = Ismek Sarah
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“He is Zayd” / "His name is Zayd"= Ismo Zayd
How to Say “My Name is...” with All Pronouns
| Arabic Pronoun | "Ism" form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| أنا (ana) | Ismi | Ismi Leila – My name is Leila |
| إنتَ (enta) | Ismak | Ismak Rami – Your name is Rami (male) |
| إنتِ (ente) | Ismek | Ismek Noor – Your name is Noor (female) |
| هو (hue) | Ismo | Ismo Karim – His name is Karim |
| هي (hie) | Isma | Isma Dana – Her name is Dana |
| نحنا (ne7na) | Ismna | Ismna Lina w Sami – Our names are Lina and Sami |
| إنتو (ento) | Ismkon | Ismkon Talal w Nour – Your names are Talal and Nour |
| هنّ (hinne) | Ismon | Ismon Amal w Hadi – Their names are Amal and Hadi |
ASKING “What’s your name?”
شو اسمك؟
Shou ismak? (to a man)
Shou ismek? (to a woman)
شو (shou) means “what” in Levantine Arabic. So if we ask شو اسمك؟ – Shou ismak?, the answer might be اسمي سامي – Ismi Sami. Meaning, "What is your name? My name is Sami"
شو اسم الماما؟ – Shou ism el-mama? هيّ اسما ليلى – Hie isma Leila
(What is the name of you mom? Her name is Leila)
Note on “Mama” and “Baba”
In Arabic:
-
ماما (mama) = mom
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بابا (baba) = dad
When you say الماما (al-mama) or البابا (al-baba) it already means “my mom” or “my dad” in most contexts. Even though you are not adding the possessive (-i)(ي). Instead by saying "The mom / almama" it is understood by context which mother you are referring to.
You can also say:
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أمي (emmi) = my mother
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أبي (abbi) = my father
We told you the possessives were gonna be important for conjugating verbs! If you want to keep practicing, here are some simple questions for you.