Gulf Arabic Grammar:
Personal Pronouns.

Arab waterfront architecture in Dubai, UAE أنا
ana – I
Example: أنا بردان ana bardaan – I am cold.

إنت
inta – you (masculine)
Example: إنت بخير؟ inta bi-xayr? - Are you fine?

إنت
inti – you (feminine, that is when addressing a woman)
Example: إنت السيكرتيرة، مو كذي؟ inti s-sikirtiira, muu chidhii? - You (fem.) are the secretary, right?
(Note that in most situations in the Gulf, a man is NOT supposed to initiate conversation with a woman.)

هو
huwa – he (in fast speech cut to 'hu' , sometimes you can hear 'uhu' or 'huwwa')
هو الرئيس huwa r-ra’is. – He is the director/president.

هي
hiya – she (in fast speech 'hiy')
هي الرئيسة hiya r-ra’isa. - She is the director/president.

As you see the verb ‘to be’ is not used in the present tense in Arabic. You say, literally, “He the president”, “She the secretary” meaning “He is the president”, “She is the secretary.”


احنا
iHna – we (variants: نحن niHin , نحن niHna )
احنا عمال iHna ^ummaal. – We are workers.

انتو
intu – you (plural) (variant: intaw , notably in Bahrain)
انتو من الهند؟ intu min il-hind? – Are you from India?

هم
humma – they
هم من أمريكا humma min Amriika. – They are from America.

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