English → Arabic
owe in Arabic
- Pronunciation
- dāna
- Arabizi
dana- Type
- verb · masculine
- Root
- د و ن
How to use it
The verb دَانَ (dāna) means “to owe”. It is a regular Form I verb, masculine in the past tense. Use it when speaking about debts, obligations, or figurative owing respect.
Example sentences
-
أنا دَانٌ لكَ بمبلغٍ كبيرٍ.
anā dānun laka bimaḇlaghin kabīrin.
I owe you a large amount.
-
هو دَانٌ للوالدينِ بالاحترامِ.
huwa dānun lil-wālidayn bil-iḥtirām.
He owes his parents respect.
-
يجبُ أن تُسدِدَ ما دَانَتْهُ لكَ.
yajibu an tusaddida mā dānathu laka.
You must pay what you owe.
Examples from real texts
Sentences taken from published bilingual texts (subtitles, documents). They show the word in context and are not reviewed one by one.
What We Owe Egypt
بأي شيء ندين لمصر
You owe me a kiss.
إنّك مدين لي بقبلة.
I owe Tom an apology.
أنا مَدين لتوم بإعتذار.
We owe it to ourselves.
وندين لأنفسنا بذلك.
We owe it to our citizens.
فنحن ندين لمواطنينا بذلك.
I owe her a lot of things.
أنا مدين لها بالكثير.
I owe my success to my friend.
أدين بنجاحي لصديقي.
I owe my success to their help.
أنا مدينٌ بنجاحي لهم لمساعدتهم لي.
We owe it to coming generations.
وندين للأجيال المقبلة بذلك.
We owe that largely to Jan Egeland.
ونحن مدينون بذلك الفضل إلى حد كبير لجان إجيلاند.
Ouch Bassel, we owe this country soooo much
آخ يا باسل قديش هالبلد الها علينا
We owe it to each other to do so, and we owe each other an account of how we do so.
وهذا أمر يدين به كل منا للآخر، كما يدين كل منا للآخر بالمساءلة عن كيفية تنفيذ ذلك.
Questions and answers
Is there a present‑tense form?
Yes, يَدِينُ (yadīnu) is the present form meaning “he owes.”
Can دَانَ be used for non‑monetary debts?
Absolutely, it can refer to owing respect, gratitude, or any obligation.
Related words and expressions
Updated