شي

See also: سی and سے

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ش و ي (š-w-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃajj/

Noun

شَيّ • (šayy) m

1. verbal noun of شَوَى (šawā) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun شَيّ (šayy)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	شَيّ šayy	الشَّيّ aš-šayy	شَيّ šayy
Nominative	شَيٌّ šayyun	الشَّيُّ aš-šayyu	شَيُّ šayyu
Accusative	شَيًّا šayyan	الشَّيَّ aš-šayya	شَيَّ šayya
Genitive	شَيٍّ šayyin	الشَّيِّ aš-šayyi	شَيِّ šayyi

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North Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic شَيْء (šayʔ).

Noun

شي • (šī) m (plural إشيا (ʾišya) or أشيا (ʾašya))

1. thing

   هيدي اشيا كتير مهمة

   haydi ʾišya ktīr mhimme.

   These are very important things.

Usage notes

Only when plural or construed with the definite article. The predominant term for thing otherwise is شغلة (šaḡle, “thing”).

Pronoun

شي • (šī) m

1. something, anything

   بدك شي تاني، حبيبتي؟

   baddik šī tāni, ḥabībti?

   Do you want anything else, honey?

   بدي عطيك شي.

   baddi ʿaṭīk shī.

   I want to give you something.

Determiner

شي • (šī)

1. some, any

   في شي مشكلة؟

   fī šī miškle?

   Is there any [kind of] problem?

   رح يرجع شي يوم

   raḥ yirjaʿ šī yōm.

   He’ll come back some day.

Adverb

شي • (šī)

1. circa, about

   لازم تنطرلك شي عشرين دقيقه

   lāzim tunṭurlak šī ʿišrīn-i dʾīʾa.

   You have to wait for about twenty minutes.

2. barely, just

   ما معي وقت إشرحلك بعد بس شي إنو وصلت الفكرة

   ma maʿi waʾt ʾišraḥlak baʿd bas šī ʾinno wiṣlit l-fikra

   I don't have time to explain more, but the idea more or less got across.

   لسا شي طلعت من البيت

   lissa šī ṭliʿt mni l-bēt

   I only just left the house.

Particle

شي • (šī)

1. Optionally marks a yes-or-no question, used with intransitive verbs or after the object of a transitive verb

   عنا حليب شي؟

   ʿinna ḥalīb šī?

   Do we have milk?

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South Levantine Arabic

Alternative forms

• إشي (ʾišī)

Etymology

From Arabic شَيْء (šayʔ).

Noun

شي • (šī) m

1. thing

Pronoun

شي • (šī) m

1. something; anything