يا

Usage notes

• If the noun following يَا describes a certain person and is singular, sound feminine plural or broken plural, it governs the nominative case in the construct state. If it describes a certain person and is sound dual or sound masculine plural, it governs the nominative case in the indefinite state.

1. • ‏يَا مُحَمَّدُ!‎‎ ― yā muḥammadu! ― O Muhammad!
   • ‏يَا طَبِيبُ دَاوِنِي!‎‎ ― yā ṭabību dāwinī! ― O doctor, treat me! (addressing a certain doctor)
   • ‏يَا مُوَظِّفُونَ!‎‎ ― yā muwaẓẓifūna! ― O employees!
   • ‏يَا نَاسُ!‎‎ ― yā nāsu! ― O people!

• If the noun following يَا is meant in general and isn't meant to adress a certain person, it governs the accusative case in the indefinite state.

1. • ‏يَا طَبِيبًا دَاوِنِي!‎‎ ― yā ṭabīban dāwinī! ― O any doctor, treat me! (calling for a doctor)
   • ‏يَا فَاهِمًا اِلدَّرْسَ اِشْرَحْهُ لَنَا!‎‎ ― yā fāhiman id-darsa išraḥhu lanā! ― O anyone who understands the lesson, explain it to us!

• If the noun following يَا is in a genitive construction, it governs the accusative case in the construct state.

1. • ‏يَا مُدَرِّسَ ٱلْفَصْلِ نَظِّمْ فَصْلَكَ!‎‎ ― yā mudarrisa l-faṣli naẓẓim faṣlaka! ― O teacher of the class, organise your class!
   • ‏يَا مُوَظِّفِي هٰذِهِ ٱلشَّرِكَةِ‎ ― yā muwaẓẓifī hāḏihi š-šarikati ― O employees of this company!
   • ‏يَا حَبِيبِي!‎‎ ― yā ḥabībī! ― O my dear!

• If we want to use the noun following يَا in the definite state, we must use another particle أَيُّهَا‎ (ʔayyuhā) (masculine) or أَيَّتُهَا‎ (ʔayyatuhā) (feminine) together with يَا.

1. • ‏يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلطَّبِيبُ دَاوِنِي!‎‎ ― yā ʔayyuhā ṭ-ṭabību dāwinī! ― O you doctor, treat me!
   • ‏يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ!‎‎ ― yā ʔayyuhā n-nāsu! ― O you people.

• In Qur'anic and to some degree Classical orthography, يَا‎ (yā) was written يَٰـ and joined to the following word. Compare the following verse (Surat al-Baqara 55, translation Muhammad Asad).
  • (original orthography) وَإِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ يَـٰمُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرى ٱللَّهَ جَهۡرَةࣰ فَأَخَذَتۡكُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمۡ تَنظُرُونَ
  • (modernized orthography) وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى ٱللّٰه جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ ٱلصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ
  • And [remember] when you said, "O Moses indeed we shall not believe thee unto we see God face to face!" - whereupon the thunderbolt of punishment overtook you before your very eyes.

Derived terms

• يااللّٰه‎ (ya-llāh)

Descendants

• → Hebrew: יא‎ (ya)
• → Hindi: या (yā)
• → Ottoman Turkish: یا‎ (ya)
  • Turkish: ya
• → Persian: یا‎ (yâ)

Derived terms

• ياترى‎ (“yatara”)
• يادوب‎ (“yadūb”)
• ياريت‎ (“yarīt”)
• ياما‎ (“yama”)
• يلا‎ (“yalla”)

Usage notes

• Used with false verbs (example 1) and in double accusative constructions (example 2). Optionally used after verbs that are already suffixed with an indirect-object pronoun (example 3).