زمان

See also: رمان

Arabic

Alternative forms

• زَمَن (zaman)

Etymology

Root
ز م ن (z m n)
10 terms

From a form of Aramaic 𐡆𐡌𐡍𐡀 (zmnʾ), from a late pronunciation of Old Persian *jamānā (“time”) (from which Middle Persian 𐫉𐫖𐫀𐫗 (zmʾn /⁠zamān⁠⁠/), 𐭥𐭣𐭭𐭠 (ODNA /⁠zamān⁠/)), from Proto-Iranian *ǰámaHnaH, see there for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /za.maːn/

Noun

زَمَان • (zamān) m (plural أَزْمِنَة (ʔazmina))

1. (uncountable and countable) time

   Synonym: زَمَن (zaman)

   Coordinate term: مَكَان (makān)

2. age (A particular period of time in history)
3. season

   أَزْمِنَةُ ٱلسَّنَةِ هِيَ: ٱلْخَرِيفُ وَٱلشِّتَاءُ وَٱلرَّبِيعُ وَٱلصَّيْفُ

   ʔazminatu s-sanati hiya: l-ḵarīfu waš-šitāʔu war-rabīʕu waṣ-ṣayfu

   The seasons of the year are: autumn, winter, spring and summer.

Declension

Declension of noun زَمَان (zamān)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	زَمَان zamān	الزَّمَان az-zamān	زَمَان zamān
nominative	زَمَانٌ zamānun	الزَّمَانُ az-zamānu	زَمَانُ zamānu
accusative	زَمَانًا zamānan	الزَّمَانَ az-zamāna	زَمَانَ zamāna
genitive	زَمَانٍ zamānin	الزَّمَانِ az-zamāni	زَمَانِ zamāni
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	زَمَانَيْن zamānayn	الزَّمَانَيْن az-zamānayn	زَمَانَيْ zamānay
nominative	زَمَانَانِ zamānāni	الزَّمَانَانِ az-zamānāni	زَمَانَا zamānā
accusative	زَمَانَيْنِ zamānayni	الزَّمَانَيْنِ az-zamānayni	زَمَانَيْ zamānay
genitive	زَمَانَيْنِ zamānayni	الزَّمَانَيْنِ az-zamānayni	زَمَانَيْ zamānay
plural	broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	أَزْمِنَة ʔazmina	الْأَزْمِنَة al-ʔazmina	أَزْمِنَة ʔazminat
nominative	أَزْمِنَةٌ ʔazminatun	الْأَزْمِنَةُ al-ʔazminatu	أَزْمِنَةُ ʔazminatu
accusative	أَزْمِنَةً ʔazminatan	الْأَزْمِنَةَ al-ʔazminata	أَزْمِنَةَ ʔazminata
genitive	أَزْمِنَةٍ ʔazminatin	الْأَزْمِنَةِ al-ʔazminati	أَزْمِنَةِ ʔazminati

Derived terms

• زَمَانِيّ (zamāniyy)
• زَمَكَان (zamakān)

Descendants

• Maltese: żmien

References

• Freytag, Georg (1833), “زمان”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 2, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 256
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “زمن”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN, page 444

Central Kurdish

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *hijwáH (compare Persian زوان (zavân)/زبان (zabân), Pashto ژبه (žəba), Avestan 𐬵𐬌𐬰𐬎𐬎𐬁 (hizuuā)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́iȷ́ʰwáH (compare Sanskrit जिह्वा (jihvā), Hindi जीभ (jībh)), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (compare Old Prussian insuwis, Russian язы́к (jazýk), French langue, English tongue).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zmaːn/
• Hyphenation: ز‧مان

Noun

زمان (ziman)

1. tongue
2. language

Chadian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic زَمَان (zamān).

Adverb

زمان • (zamān)

1. long ago
   • 2019, الكتاب المقدس بالعربي الدارجي هنا تشاد [The Bible in Chadian Arabic]‎^[2], N'Djamena: Alliance biblique du Tchad, أعمال الرُسُل [Acts] 15:18:

     الْمَعْرُوف منِ زَمَان

     [he has made these things] known from the earliest times.

2. used to form the past tense of the copula: was, were

   هو زمان كريم ― hu zamān karīm. ― He was generous.

Usage notes

The past tense of the copula is usually implicit, however زمان or كان can also be used to express the past notion. While زمان is uninflected, كان changes in form according to the subject.

Khalaj

Noun

زَمان (zamân) (definite accusative زَمانؽ, plural زَمانلار)

1. Arabic spelling of zamân (“time”)

Declension

Declension of زمان

	singular	plural
nominative	زمان	زمانلار
genitive	زمانؽݧ	زمانلارؽݧ
dative	زمانقا	زمانلارقا
definite accusative	زمانؽ	زمانلارؽ
locative	زمانچا	زمانلارچا
ablative	زماندا	زمانلاردا
instrumental	زمانلا	زمانلارلا
equative	زمانوارا	زمانلاروارا

Malay

Noun

زمان (plural زمان-زمان or زمان٢)

1. Jawi spelling of zaman.‎

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian زَمَان (zamān).

Noun

زمان • (zamân)

1. time

   Synonym: وقت (vaḳd)

Declension

Declension of زمان (zamân)

singular plural nominative زمان (zamân) زمانلر (zamânlar) definite accusative زمانی (zamânı) زمانلری (zamânları) dative زمانه (zamâna) زمانلره (zamânlara) locative زمانده (zamânda) زمانلرده (zamânlarda) ablative زماندن (zamândan) زمانلردن (zamânlardan) genitive زمانك (zamânıñ) زمانلرك (zamânlarıñ) Possessive forms 1st person singular singular plural nominative زمانم (zamânım) زمانلرم (zamânlarım) definite accusative زمانمی (zamânımı) زمانلرمی (zamânlarımı) dative زمانمه (zamânıma) زمانلرمه (zamânlarıma) locative زمانمده (zamânımda) زمانلرمده (zamânlarımda) ablative زمانمدن (zamânımdan) زمانلرمدن (zamânlarımdan) genitive زمانمك (zamânımıñ) زمانلرمك (zamânlarımıñ) 2nd person singular singular plural nominative زمانك (zamânıñ) زمانلرك (zamânlarıñ) definite accusative زمانكی (zamânıñı) زمانلركی (zamânlarıñı) dative زمانكه (zamânıña) زمانلركه (zamânlarıña) locative زمانكده (zamânıñda) زمانلركده (zamânlarıñda) ablative زمانكدن (zamânıñdan) زمانلركدن (zamânlarıñdan) genitive زمانكك (zamânıñıñ) زمانلركك (zamânlarıñıñ) 3rd person singular singular plural nominative زمانی (zamânı) زمانلری (zamânları) definite accusative زماننی (zamânını) زمانلرینی (zamânlarını) dative زماننه (zamânına) زمانلرینه (zamânlarına) locative زماننده (zamânında) زمانلرنده (zamânlarında) ablative زمانندن (zamânından) زمانلرندن (zamânlarından) genitive زماننك (zamânınıñ) زمانلرینك (zamânlarınıñ) 1st person plural singular plural nominative زمانمز (zamânımız) زمانلرمز (zamânlarımız) definite accusative زمانمزی (zamânımızı) زمانلرمزی (zamânlarımızı) dative زمانمزه (zamânımıza) زمانلرمزه (zamânlarımıza) locative زمانمزده (zamânımızda) زمانلرمزده (zamânlarımızda) ablative زمانمزدن (zamânımızdan) زمانلرمزدن (zamânlarımızdan) genitive زمانمزك (zamânımızıñ) زمانلرمزك (zamânlarımızıñ) 2nd person plural singular plural nominative زمانكز (zamânıñız) زمانلركز (zamânlarıñız) definite accusative زمانكزی (zamânıñızı) زمانلركزی (zamânlarıñızı) dative زمانكزه (zamânıñıza) زمانلركزه (zamânlarıñıza) locative زمانكزده (zamânıñızda) زمانلركزده (zamânlarıñızda) ablative زمانكزدن (zamânıñızdan) زمانلركزدن (zamânlarıñızdan) genitive زمانكزك (zamânıñızıñ) زمانلركزك (zamânlarıñızıñ) 3rd person plural singular plural nominative زمانلری (zamânları) زمانلری (zamânları) definite accusative زمانلرینی (zamânlarını) زمانلرینی (zamânlarını) dative زمانلرینه (zamânlarına) زمانلرینه (zamânlarına) locative زمانلرنده (zamânlarında) زمانلرنده (zamânlarında) ablative زمانلرندن (zamânlarından) زمانلرندن (zamânlarından) genitive زمانلرینك (zamânlarınıñ) زمانلرینك (zamânlarınıñ)

Derived terms

• هر زمان (her zamân, “always”)

Descendants

• Turkish: zaman
• → Bulgarian: заман (zaman)

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian 𐭥𐭣𐭭𐭠 (ODNA /⁠zamān⁠/), 𐭦𐭬𐭠𐭭𐭩 (ẕmʾn' /⁠zamān⁠/), 𐭦𐭬𐭭𐭩 (zmn' /⁠zamān⁠/), 𐫉𐫖𐫀𐫗 (zmʾn /⁠zamān⁠/), from Old Persian *jamānā; see there for more.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /za.ˈmaːn/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [zä.mɑ́ːn]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [zä.mɑ́ːn]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [zä.mɑ́ːn]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [zä.mɔ́ːn]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [zæ.mɒ́ːn]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [zä.mɔ́n]

Readings
Classical reading?	zamān
Dari reading?	zamān
Iranian reading?	zamân
Tajik reading?	zamon

• Rhymes: -ɑːn

Noun

Dari	زمان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	замон

زمان • (zamân) (plural زمان‌ها, or ازمنه (azmâne))

1. time, epoch, period, age, season (a broad time period; not the precise time on a clock)

   در زمان شاه ― dar zamân-e šâh ― in the time of the Shah

   در زمان جنگ ― dar zamân-e jang ― in the time of the war

   در این زمان ― dar in zamân ― in this period, in these days

   1. (physics) time
   2. (grammar) tense

      زمان گذشته ― zamân-e gozašte ― past tense

   3. (figurative) death

      Synonym: مرگ (marg)

Derived terms

• زمانمند (zamânmand)
• زمانه (zamâne)
• زمانی (zamâni)
• زمان‌بندی (zamân-bandi)
• فضازمان (fazâ-zamân)

Descendants

• → Armenian: զաման (zaman)
• → Azerbaijani: zaman
• → Bashkir: заман (zaman)
• → Gilaki: [script needed] (zəmån)
• → Kazakh: заман (zaman)
• → Kermanic:

  Qohrudi: zamān

• → Khalaj: zamân
• → Central Kurdish: زه‌مان (zeman)
• → Kyrgyz: заман (zaman)
• → Malay: زمان / zaman
  • Indonesian: zaman, jaman
• → Ossetian: за́ман (záman)
• → Pashto: زمانه (zamâna)
• → Ottoman Turkish: زمان (zaman)
  • → Turkish: zaman
  • → Greek: ζαμάνι (zamáni)
  • → Albanian: zaman
  • → Serbo-Croatian: заман
• → Southern Altai: саман (saman)
• → Tatar: заман (zaman)
• → Waigali: zëmën

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic زَمَان (zamān).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /za.maːn/, [zaˈmæːn], [zaˈmaːn]

• Audio (Amman):

  (file)

Noun

زمان • (zamān) m (plural زمانات (zamānāt))

1. time, period, era (in the past)

   كان عايش على زمان الأتراك.

   kān ʕāyeš ʕala zamān il-ʔatrāk

   He lived in the Ottoman period.

   (literally, “He was living in the time of the Turks.”)

2. (definite) long ago

   انتا متذكر كيف كانت أيّام زمان؟

   enta mitzakker kīf kānat ʔayyām zamān?

   Do you remember how the old days used to be?

   (literally, “Do you remember how the days of long ago were?”)

Adverb

زمان • (zamān)

1. (in a) long time

   زمان ما رحت على رام الله.

   zamān mā ruḥt ʕala rām-allah

   I haven't been to Ramallah in a long time.

   ما شفته من زمان. ― mā šufto min zamān. ― I haven't seen him in a long time.

   زمان عنّك. ― zamān ʕannak ― Long time no see. (literally, “A long time from you.”)

See also

• وقت (waʔt, “time”)
• مرّة (marra, “time, instance”)