أيها

Usage notes

• The subsequent noun stands in the nominative of the determinate state and must have the article ال‎ (al-) attached to it.
• أَيُّهَا‎ (ʾayyuhā) is often used in conjunction with a preceding يَا‎ (yā) (this usage is the norm in the Quran, see first usage example above).
• أَيُّهَا‎ (ʾayyuhā) is far less common than يَا‎ (yā) and reserved for elevated registers. Whereas يَا‎ (yā) is often left untranslated in English, أَيُّهَا‎ (ʾayyuhā) is used in similar situations to English O.
• Unlike يَا‎ (yā), أَيُّهَا‎ (ʾayyuhā) inflects for gender. When addressing a female, a group of females, or else anything that is referred to by a grammatically feminine word (see second usage example above), the form أَيَّتُهَا‎ (ʾayyatuhā) is used.

1. • ‏يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلرَّجُلُ / ٱلرَّجُلَانِ / ٱلرِّجَالُ‎

     • yā ʾayyuhā r-rajulu / r-rajulāni / r-rijālu
     • Oh you man / two men / men!
   • ‏يَا أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْمَرْأَةُ / ٱلْمَرْأَتَانِ / ٱلنِّسَاءُ‎

     • yā ʾayyatuhā l-marʾatu / l-marʾatāni / n-nisāʾu
     • Oh you woman / two women / women!