How to say “I have” in Arabic?


“I have” in Arabic cover image


 عندي -  لدي -  معي -  لي -  أملك -  أمتلك -  أعول -  أتناول 

There are slight differences between saying (I have,) in Arabic and English. Arabic contains both verbal and adverbial phrases that convey the sense of "I have," but English only has verbal phrases to say "I have, I own, I possess.

Since the adverbial ones are more frequently used in modern standard Arabic and may save us the hassle of verb conjugation, let’s start with them.

7 ways to say “I have” in Arabic

(1)

 عِنْدِي 

/ʿindī/

I have (with me)

Here are some examples:


I have many books


 عِنْدِي كُتُبٌ كَثِيرَة 

/ʿindī ktubun kathīrah/

I have many books.

/ʿindī/ in this example means (with me) or (in my possession). It consists of the adverb /ʿinda/ meaning (with) or (in one’s possession) plus the long vowel /ī/ which is the attached/suffixed pronoun meaning (me).

Qur’anic example:

وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ... "

(11:31) I do not say to you that I possess Allah's treasures,

Another Qur’anic example:

وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ... "

(29:50) They say: 'Why were Signs from his Lord not sent down upon him?' Say: 'The Signs are only with Allah. 

In this Quranic example, we can find the basic form without suffixed pronoun /ʿinda/ meaning with or in one’s possession: 

(2)

 لَدَيَّ 

/ladayya/

I have (with me)

Here are some examples:


We have a big house


 لَدَيْنَا بَيْتٌ كَبِير. 

/ladaynā baytun kabīr/

We have a big house.

/ladaynā/ means with us, we have or we own. It consists of the adverb /ladā/ meaning (with) or (in one’s possession) plus the suffixed pronoun /nā/ meaning us. 

Please note that /ladā/ is converted to /laday/ when a pronoun is attached (ladaynā - ladyya - ladayka, etc.).

We can find the basic form /ladā/ in the following example:


My brother has an exam


 لَدَى أَخِي امْتِحَانٌ غَدًا. 

/ladā `akhi -mtiħānun ghadan/

My brother has an exam tomorrow.

Here is a qur’anic example of the basic form /ladā/:

"...  وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَى الْبَابِ... "

(12:25) and they met her husband at the door.

And here is a qur’anic example containing /ladā/ with suffixed pronoun:

مَا يُبَدَّلُ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ لَدَيَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِظَلَّٰمٖ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ "

(50:29) My Word is not changed; and never do I inflict the least wrong upon My servants.

There is an important tip here. /ladā/ could be also pronounced /ladun/ in classical Arabic. You may find it frequently used in the Qur'an. Here is an example: 

وَإِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى الْقُرْآنَ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ عَلِيمٍ "

(27:6) And (O Muhammad), you are most surely receiving this Qur'an from the One, Who is AllWise, All-Knowing.

Please be aware that In Qur’an, the word “ladun” is always preceded by the preposition /min/  مِن (min ldun, min ladunā, min ladunk). The meaning of all these expressions is (from what someone has or possesses).

(3)

 مَعِي 

/ma`ī/

I have (with me)

Example:


I have a pen


 أَمَعَكَ قَلَم؟ نَعَمْ مَعِي، تَفَضَّل! 

/`amaʿaka qalam naʿam maʿī tafađđal/

Do you have a pen? Yes, I have, please take it!

/maʿa/ is an Arabic adverb meaning with. It refers to the thing that you have with you.

(4)

 لِي 

/lī/

I have (for me)

/lī/ is an Arabic expression meaning I have (for me). It consists of the preposition (li) meaning (for) plus the long vowel /ī/ which is the attached/suffixed pronoun meaning (me).

Please, note that the preposition (li) could be signed with Fatħah (la) if it is followed by any pronoun rather than (ī) as: (lahū - laka - lanā) etc.

Here are some examples:


I have a brother


 هَلْ لَكَ إخْوة؟ نعم، لِي أخٌ واحِد. 

/hal aka ikhwah naʿam lī `akhun wāħid/

 Do you have brothers? Yes, I have one brother.

Qur’anic example:

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ... "

(38:23) Behold, this is my brother; he has ninety-nine ewes and I have only one ewe.

These were the adverbial expressions commonly used to say (I have) in Arabic.

Before we dive into the verbal expressions, let’s ask how to conjugate these adverbs or how to say them in past or future tense!

In order to change the tense of your “I have” sentence, just add  كان to refer to the past and  سيكون to refer to the future.

Examples:


I have a house


 كَان لِي بَيْتٌ جَمِيل 

/kāna lī baytun ĵamīl/

I had a beautiful house.

 عِنْدَمَا أكْبُرُ سَيَكُونُ لَدَيَّ أصْدِقَاءُ، وَستكُون لِي لِحْيَة، وعَضَلاتٌ، وَسَتَكُونُ مَعِي سَيَّارَة، وَعِنْدِي أَمْوَال فِي الْبَنْك. 

When I grow up, I will have friends, I will have a beard, I will have muscles, I will have a car, and I will have money in the bank.

Now, to the Arabic verbal phrases indicating “I have”.

(5)

 أمْلِك -  أَمْتَلِك 

/amlik - amtalik/

I possess (I have)

Examples: 


I have a car


 أَمْلِكُ شَقَةً وَسَيَّارَة. 

/`amliku shaqqatan wasayyārah/

I own a flat and a car.


I have a flat


 أَخِي يَمْتَلِكُ بَيْتًا كَبِيرًا. 

/`akhī yamtilku baytan kabīran/

My brother has/possesses a big house.

The verbs /yamlik - yamtalik/ are commonly used in MSA and they mean to possess or to own.

Qur’anic example:

لَّا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِندَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَهْدًا "

(19:87) At that time no one shall have the ability to intercede except the one who may have received permission from the Merciful.

(6)

 أعُول 

/`aʿūl/

I have - I maintain or support a family member

Examples:


I have 2 kids


 أنَا مُتَزَوِّجٌ وَأعُولُ وَلَدَين. 

I’m married and I have two kids.

The verb (yaʿūl) is an Arabic verb used for the family or any member that somebody has, maintains, or supports.

(7)

 أَتَنَاوَل 

/`atanāwal/

I have (a meal)

Example:


I have a family


 أَتَنَاوَلُ الْعَشَاءَ عَادَةً مَعَ أسْرَتِي. 

/`atanāwalu lʿashā`a ʿādatan maʿa `usratī/

I usually have dinner with my family. 

The verb /yatanāwal/ in this context, can only be used with meals. It means to eat, but, in general, it means to take by hand. 

I hope you find it easy now to say “I have” In Arabic.

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