أي

See also: إي, آی, ای, and اي

Arabic

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

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Pronoun

أَيّ • (ʔayy) m or f

1. which ...? what ...? what kind of ...? (followed by a noun in the genitive or a personal suffix)

   مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ أَنْتَ؟

   min ʔayyi baladin ʔanta?

   From which country are you?

   • Quran 31:34

     وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ

     wamā tadrī nafsun māḏā taksibu ḡadan wamā tadrī nafsun biʔayyi ʔarḍin tamūtu

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. whichever

   أَيَّ كِتَابٍ تَقْرَأْ يُفِدْكَ

   ʔayya kitābin taqraʔ yufidka

   Whichever book you read, it'll benefit you.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 17:110:

     أَيًّا مَّا تَدۡعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلۡأسۡمَاۤءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ

     ʾayyam mā tadʿū fa-lahu l-ʾasmāʾu l-ḥusnā

     [... by] whatever [name] you call upon [Him], to Him belongs the best names.

3. any

   زُرْنِي فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ

   zurnī fī ʔayyi waqtin

   Visit me at any time.

Derived terms

• أَيٌّ مَا (ʔayyun mā)
• كَأَيِّنْ (kaʔayyin)

Declension

Declension of pronoun أَيّ (ʔayy)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَيّ ʔayy	—	أَيّ ʔayy
Nominative	أَيٌّ ʔayyun	—	أَيُّ ʔayyu
Accusative	أَيًّا ʔayyan	—	أَيَّ ʔayya
Genitive	أَيٍّ ʔayyin	—	أَيِّ ʔayyi

Etymology 2

Conjunction

أَيْ • (ʔay)

1. that is to say, namely, i.e.

References

• Haywood, J.A., Nahmad, H.M. (1965) “أي”, in A new Arabic grammar, 2^nd edition, London: Lund Humphries, →ISBN