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אנא. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
אנא, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
אנא in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
אנא you have here. The definition of the word
אנא will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
אנא, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Aramaic
Etymology
From Proto-Semitic *ʔanāku, from Proto-Afroasiatic *ˀanāku. Compare Arabic أَنَا (ʔanā).
Pronoun
אֲנָא • (ʾănā) (plural אֲנַחְנָא (ʾănáḥnā) or אֲנָן (ʾănān))
- I
Hebrew
Adverb
אָנָּא • (aná) (ána in spoken, Modern Hebrew—see usage notes)
- (formal, literary) please
אנא שב במושב שהוקצה לך.- Ána shev bamosháv shehuktsá l'khá.
- Please sit in your assigned seat.
אנא תדבר יותר לאט.- Ána t'dabér yotér le'át.
- Please speak more slowly.
אנא, אדוני ,אל תהסס לספר לנו מה שאתה צריך.- Ána, adoní, al t'hasés l'sapér lánu ma she'atá tsaríkh.
- Please, sir, don’t hesitate to tell us what you need.
Tanach, Psalms 118:25, with translation of the New American Standard Bible:אָנָּ֣א יְ֭הוָה הֹושִׁ֘יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א אָֽנָּ֥א יְ֝הוָ֗ה הַצְלִ֘יחָ֥ה נָּֽא׃- Aná Adonái hoshí'a na, aná Adonái hatsliḥá na
- Please, O Lord, do save us; Please, O Lord, do send prosperity!
Usage notes
- Though in formal and Biblical Hebrew the stress falls on the final syllable (i.e. aná, in romanized Hebrew)—as can be seen in the verse quoted from Psalm 118 above—in spoken, Modern Hebrew, the stress always falls on the initial syllable (i.e. ána, in romanized Hebrew).
- In Modern Hebrew, אנא (ána) is used mostly for formal, personal requests, and carries a sense of "I beg of you". For informal requests בבקשה (b'vakashá) is far more common, and for formal, general requests (e.g. "no smoking please") נא (na) is more common.
- In Modern Hebrew, אנא (ána) is chiefly followed by the imperative in positive requests, or somewhat less commonly, by the imperfect, while in the negative it can be followed by either the imperfect or the infinitive, depending on which negative particle, either אל (al) or לא (lo), respectively, is used. See the example sentences above.
- In Modern Hebrew, אנא (ána) may be combined with other, similar words such as בבקשה (b'vakashá) or במטותא (b'matutá), for added politeness or exhortation.