ابن

See also: أبن, أثن, اثن, أتن, and آتن

Arabic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *bin-. Compare Hebrew בֵּן.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ibn/

• Audio:

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Noun

اِبْن • (ibn) m (plural أَبْنَاء (ʔabnāʔ) or بَنُون (banūn) or بَنَات (banāt), feminine اِبْنَة (ibna) or بِنْت (bint))

1. son, ibn

   بُنَيَّ ― bunayya ― my little son (diminutive)

   اِبْنُ آدَمَ ― ibnu ʔādama ― human (literally, “son of Adam”)

2. descendant, scion
3. offspring, son of the fatherland
4. member (of a group or set of people or things)

Usage notes

• The plural بَنَات (banāt) is used as the plural of اِبْن (ibn) if and only if the referents are things or non-human animals.

Declension

Declension of noun اِبْن (ibn)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	اِبْن ibn	الِابْن al-ibn	اِبْن ibn
Nominative	اِبْنٌ ibnun	الِابْنُ al-ibnu	اِبْنُ ibnu
Accusative	اِبْنًا ibnan	الِابْنَ al-ibna	اِبْنَ ibna
Genitive	اِبْنٍ ibnin	الِابْنِ al-ibni	اِبْنِ ibni
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	اِبْنَيْن ibnayn	الِابْنَيْن al-ibnayn	اِبْنَيْ ibnay
Nominative	اِبْنَانِ ibnāni	الِابْنَانِ al-ibnāni	اِبْنَا ibnā
Accusative	اِبْنَيْنِ ibnayni	الِابْنَيْنِ al-ibnayni	اِبْنَيْ ibnay
Genitive	اِبْنَيْنِ ibnayni	الِابْنَيْنِ al-ibnayni	اِبْنَيْ ibnay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote‎; sound masculine plural‎; sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَبْنَاء‎; بَنِين‎; بَنَات ʔabnāʔ‎; banīn‎; banāt	الْأَبْنَاء‎; الْبَنِين‎; الْبَنَات al-ʔabnāʔ‎; al-banīn‎; al-banāt	أَبْنَاء‎; بَنِي‎; بَنَات ʔabnāʔ‎; banī‎; banāt
Nominative	أَبْنَاءٌ‎; بَنُونَ‎; بَنَاتٌ ʔabnāʔun‎; banūna‎; banātun	الْأَبْنَاءُ‎; الْبَنُونَ‎; الْبَنَاتُ al-ʔabnāʔu‎; al-banūna‎; al-banātu	أَبْنَاءُ‎; بَنُو‎; بَنَاتُ ʔabnāʔu‎; banū‎; banātu
Accusative	أَبْنَاءً‎; بَنِينَ‎; بَنَاتٍ ʔabnāʔan‎; banīna‎; banātin	الْأَبْنَاءَ‎; الْبَنِينَ‎; الْبَنَاتِ al-ʔabnāʔa‎; al-banīna‎; al-banāti	أَبْنَاءَ‎; بَنِي‎; بَنَاتِ ʔabnāʔa‎; banī‎; banāti
Genitive	أَبْنَاءٍ‎; بَنِينَ‎; بَنَاتٍ ʔabnāʔin‎; banīna‎; banātin	الْأَبْنَاءِ‎; الْبَنِينَ‎; الْبَنَاتِ al-ʔabnāʔi‎; al-banīna‎; al-banāti	أَبْنَاءِ‎; بَنِي‎; بَنَاتِ ʔabnāʔi‎; banī‎; banāti

Alternative forms

• ٱبْن (ibn)
• بْن (bn)

Related terms

• بُنُوَّة (bunuwwa)
• بَنَوِيّ (banawiyy)
• تَبَنٍّ (tabannin)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ib.ni/

Verb

اِبْنِ • (ibni) (form I)

1. second-person masculine singular active imperative of بَنَى (banā)

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979) “بن”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

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Himyaritic

Noun

(accusative: )

1. son

References

• Kees Versteegh, Mushira Eid, Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics (2007, →ISBN, page 694

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North Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic اِبْن (ibn).

Noun

ابن • (ibin) m (plural ولاد (wlēd) or صبيان (ṣibyān, ṣubyān))

1. son

Usage notes

• The plural ولاد (wlēd) can mean “sons” specifically, but also “children” in general. The alternative plural is used to explicitly specify the masculine.

See also

• بنت (bint)
• شب (šabb)
• صبيه (ṣabīye)
• طفل (ṭifil, ṭufil)
• ولد (walad)