ليت

See also: لیب and ليث

Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laj.ta/
• (Gulf Arabic) IPA^(key): /let/

Particle

لَيْتَ • (layta)

1. if only, I wish, would (would God) that...; expresses an unattainable wish

   لَيْتَكَ كُنْتَ مَعِي أَمْس!

   laytaka kunta maʕī ʔams!

   If only you had been with me yesterday!

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 78:40:

     إِنَّا أَنْذَرْنَٰكُمْ عَذَابًا قَرِيبًا يَوْمَ يَنْظُرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ وَيَقُولُ ٱلْكَافِرُ يَٰلَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ تُرَٰبًا

     Indeed, We have warned you of an imminent punishment—the Day every person will see ˹the consequences of˺ what their hands have done, and the disbelievers will cry, “I wish I were dust.”

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

لَيْتَ (layta) must be followed by a noun or pronoun shifted to the accusative case.

Inflection

Inflected forms
Base form					لَيْتَ (layta)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Dual	Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Common	Masculine	Feminine
First person	لَيْتَنِي (laytanī)			لَيْتَنَا (laytanā)
Second person	لَيْتَكَ (laytaka)	لَيْتَكِ (laytaki)	لَيْتَكُمَا (laytakumā)	لَيْتَكُمْ (laytakum)	لَيْتَكُنَّ (laytakunna)
Third person	لَيْتَهُ (laytahu)	لَيْتَهَا (laytahā)	لَيْتَهُمَا (laytahumā)	لَيْتَهُمْ (laytahum)	لَيْتَهُنَّ (laytahunna)

Derived terms

• لَيْتَ شِعْرِي (layta šiʕrī)

See also

• (ʾinna and her sisters) إِنَّ وَأَخَوَاتُهَا (ʔinna waʔaḵawātuhā); إِنَّ (ʔinna), أَنَّ (ʔanna), لٰكِنَّ (lākinna), كَأَنَّ (kaʔanna), لَعَلَّ (laʕalla), لَيْتَ (layta), ^{(Category: Sisters of ʾinna)}
• تَمَنَّى (tamannā)

Gulf Arabic

Etymology

From English light.

Pronunciation

• (Kuwait) IPA^(key): /leːt/

Noun

ليت • (lēt) m (dual ليتين (lētēn), plural ليتات (lētāt))

1. light