Interjection in Arabic - صِيْغَةُ التَّعَجُّبِ

Vocative particles in Arabic are utilized to directly address or call someone. These particles, known as أَدَوَاتُ النَّدَاء, play a crucial role in expressing attention or emphasis. Among them are:

• يَا: Used as “O!” and can address both masculine and feminine.
• يَا أَيُّهَا: Specifically addressing a masculine entity with “O!”.
• يَا أَيَّتُهَا: Exclusively for addressing a feminine entity with “O!”.

When the particle يَا precedes a singular noun, the noun adopts the nominative case. Notably, this noun won’t have the nunnation (tanween), and it is prefixed with the definite article اَلْ. In the realm of Arabic grammar, the term for the vocative particle is حَرْفُ النِّدَاءِ, while the individual being addressed is referred to as مُنَادَى.

Examples:  

 يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَـٰذَا

[The angels said], “O Abraham, give up this [plea] (11:76)

When addressing someone using a possessive construct in Arabic, the grammatical rules shift slightly. If the مُنَادَى (the one being addressed or called) is in a مُضافٌ (possessive) construct, its case changes to the accusative.

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّـهِ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while you witness [to their truth]? (3:70)

In certain instances, the first person singular possessive pronoun ى, attached to a noun, is substituted with a kasrah -ِ or تِ. This alteration serves to express affection or endearment towards the individual being addressed.

Example:  

قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ

He said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. (37:102)

  Sometimes the vocative يَا is omitted along with the pronoun like in ر:  

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا

He said, “My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to truth] night and day. (71:5)

The vocative form “يَا أَيُّهَا” is employed for masculine nouns, while “يَا أَيَّتُهَا” is used for feminine nouns. Following these vocatives, nouns are in the nominative case and are typically prefixed with the article ال.

Example:  

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ

O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you (2:21)

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ

Say, “O disbelievers, (109:1)

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ

[To the righteous it will be said], “O reassured soul, (89:27)

To address a gathering, the term أَيُّهَا is employed, as demonstrated in the following verses.

Example:  

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (24:31)

For the purpose of prayer, the vocative particle مَّ is suffixed to Allah instead of حَرْفُ النِّدَاء, as exemplified in:

 دَعْوَاهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّـهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ

Their call therein will be, “Exalted are You, O Allah,” and their greeting therein will be, “Peace.”  (10:10)

To convey feelings of affection, يَا is followed by a verbal noun or a nominal sentence, as illustrated in the following:

قَالَ يَا بُشْرَىٰ هَـٰذَا غُلَامٌ

He said, “Good news! Here is a boy.” (12:19)

وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

And he turned away from them and said, “Oh, my sorrow over Joseph,” and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor. (12:84)

At times, حَرْفُ النِّدَاء is omitted. A few examples are provided below.

 يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَـٰذَا

Joseph, ignore this. (12:29)

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

But among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (2:201)

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا

“Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs (3:147)