Difference: hna - hnaya

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#1

Is there any difference between “hna” and “hnaya”?.

Are both sentences correct?

Come here.

  1. Aji hna.
  2. Aji hnaya.

Thank you a lot for your help!

#2

They’re the same.

#3

that’s so strange for me…even when i asked my friend the pronunciation for “bread” khobz/khobiz she said to me it’s the same Khobiz or Khobiza…mhm too strange seems like one it’s masculine and the other(khobiza) it’s feminine… hihihi sounds like you are switching gender to things lol

#4

Thanks for your help. I always wondered if there is a difference. “Hnaya” seemed to me a bit like “SHE is here”.

#5

Khobz is plural, khobza is feminin singular, khbyza is the deminutive for khobza, & khbyz is the deminutive for khobz

#6

Thanks Paperbird for your detailed explanation. Can I use “khobz” all the time and in all situations? That would make things easier for me? For example: “Kuli lkhobz dyalik” (eat your bread).

#7

yeah, that seems normal, we often say just khobz

#8

Thanks!

#9

thanks paperbird for explanation… things are clearer now

#10

Khobz is a collective plural and khobza is the femine singular, but khobza means one bread (a loaf of bread). Actually, the feminine singular is used in this way for all collective plurals in Arabic; to let someone know you’re just talking about one item. If you asked someone to give you bread (3tini khobz), they technically wouldn’t know how much to give you! It’s correct to say “3tini khobza” if you want one loaf of bread.

Also about hna/hnaya, the -ya ending here serves as a slight emphasis. Like nti (you singular feminine) and ntiya, the latter one is emphasized.