أبدا

See also: أبدأ and ابدأ

Arabic

Etymology

Adverbial accusative of أَبَد (ʔabad, “eternity”), related to the verb أَبَدَ (ʔabada, “to stay, to linger”), from the root ء ب د (ʔ-b-d).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔa.ba.dan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

أَبَدًا • (ʔabadan)

1. forever, always

   Synonyms: دَائِمًا (dāʔiman), بِٱسْتِمْرَار (bistimrār), دَوْمًا (dawman), مَدَى الْحَيَاة (madā l-ḥayāh), مَدَى الدَّهْرِ (madā d-dahri)

   • 2000, Spacetoon (lyrics and music), “Bon-Bon planet song”‎^[1]:

     نَتَعَلَّمُ دُرُوسًا عَظِيمَة ذِكْرَاهَا أَبَدًا تَدُوم

     nataʿallamu durūsan ʿaẓīma ḏikrāhā ʾabadan tadūm

     We'll learn magnificent lessons whose memory will last forever.

2. (with a negative, in the future) never
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:95:

     وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا

     walan yatamannawhu ʔabadan

     And they will never wish for it.

3. not at all, on no account, absolutely not

   هُوَ عِراقِيٌّ وَلَيْسَ سُورِيًّا أَبَداً.

   huwa ʕirāqiyyun walaysa sūriyyan ʔabadan.

   He’s Iraqi and definitely not Syrian.

Interjection

أَبَدًا • (ʔabadan)

1. never!, not at all!, by no means!