ظن

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ظ ن ن (ẓ n n)
2 terms

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ðˤan.na/

Verb

ظَنَّ • (ẓanna) I (non-past يَظُنُّ (yaẓunnu), verbal noun ظَنّ (ẓann))

(ditransitive) to think, opine, suppose, conjecture
to doubt
to consider true, to believe (to consider likely)
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:249:
  […] قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَاقُو ٱل‍لَّهِ كَم مِن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ ٱل‍لَّهِ […]
  […] qāla llaḏīna yaẓunnūna ʔannahum mulāqū llāhi kam min fiʔatin qalīlatin ḡalabat fiʔatan kaṯīratan biʔiḏni llāhi […]
  […] But those ˹believers˺ who were certain they would meet Allah reasoned, “How many times has a small force vanquished a mighty army by the Will of Allah! […]
to deem

Conjugation

Conjugation of **ظَنَّ** (I, geminate, a ~ u, full passive, verbal noun **ظَنّ**)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					ظَنّ ẓann
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					ظَانّ ẓānn
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول					مَظْنُون maẓnūn
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد			dual الْمُثَنَّى		plural الْجَمْع
		1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	ظَنَنْتُ ẓanantu	ظَنَنْتَ ẓananta	ظَنَّ ẓanna	ظَنَنْتُمَا ẓanantumā	ظَنَّا ẓannā	ظَنَنَّا ẓanannā	ظَنَنْتُمْ ẓanantum	ظَنُّوا ẓannū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	ظَنَنْتُ ẓanantu	ظَنَنْتِ ẓananti	ظَنَّتْ ẓannat	ظَنَنْتُمَا ẓanantumā	ظَنَّتَا ẓannatā	ظَنَنَّا ẓanannā	ظَنَنْتُنَّ ẓanantunna	ظَنَنَّ ẓananna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَظُنُّ ʔaẓunnu	تَظُنُّ taẓunnu	يَظُنُّ yaẓunnu	تَظُنَّانِ taẓunnāni	يَظُنَّانِ yaẓunnāni	نَظُنُّ naẓunnu	تَظُنُّونَ taẓunnūna	يَظُنُّونَ yaẓunnūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أَظُنُّ ʔaẓunnu	تَظُنِّينَ taẓunnīna	تَظُنُّ taẓunnu	تَظُنَّانِ taẓunnāni	تَظُنَّانِ taẓunnāni	نَظُنُّ naẓunnu	تَظْنُنَّ taẓnunna	يَظْنُنَّ yaẓnunna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَظُنَّ ʔaẓunna	تَظُنَّ taẓunna	يَظُنَّ yaẓunna	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	يَظُنَّا yaẓunnā	نَظُنَّ naẓunna	تَظُنُّوا taẓunnū	يَظُنُّوا yaẓunnū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أَظُنَّ ʔaẓunna	تَظُنِّي taẓunnī	تَظُنَّ taẓunna	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	نَظُنَّ naẓunna	تَظْنُنَّ taẓnunna	يَظْنُنَّ yaẓnunna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَظُنَّ, أَظُنِّ, أَظْنُنْ ʔaẓunna, ʔaẓunni, ʔaẓnun	تَظُنَّ, تَظُنِّ, تَظْنُنْ taẓunna, taẓunni, taẓnun	يَظُنَّ, يَظُنِّ, يَظْنُنْ yaẓunna, yaẓunni, yaẓnun	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	يَظُنَّا yaẓunnā	نَظُنَّ, نَظُنِّ, نَظْنُنْ naẓunna, naẓunni, naẓnun	تَظُنُّوا taẓunnū	يَظُنُّوا yaẓunnū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أَظُنَّ, أَظُنِّ, أَظْنُنْ ʔaẓunna, ʔaẓunni, ʔaẓnun	تَظُنِّي taẓunnī	تَظُنَّ, تَظُنِّ, تَظْنُنْ taẓunna, taẓunni, taẓnun	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	نَظُنَّ, نَظُنِّ, نَظْنُنْ naẓunna, naẓunni, naẓnun	تَظْنُنَّ taẓnunna	يَظْنُنَّ yaẓnunna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		ظُنَّ, ظُنِّ, اُظْنُنْ ẓunna, ẓunni, uẓnun		ظُنَّا ẓunnā			ظُنُّوا ẓunnū
imperative الْأَمْر	f		ظُنِّي ẓunnī		ظُنَّا ẓunnā			اُظْنُنَّ uẓnunna

passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد			dual الْمُثَنَّى		plural الْجَمْع
		1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	ظُنِنْتُ ẓunintu	ظُنِنْتَ ẓuninta	ظُنَّ ẓunna	ظُنِنْتُمَا ẓunintumā	ظُنَّا ẓunnā	ظُنِنَّا ẓuninnā	ظُنِنْتُمْ ẓunintum	ظُنُّوا ẓunnū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	ظُنِنْتُ ẓunintu	ظُنِنْتِ ẓuninti	ظُنَّتْ ẓunnat	ظُنِنْتُمَا ẓunintumā	ظُنَّتَا ẓunnatā	ظُنِنَّا ẓuninnā	ظُنِنْتُنَّ ẓunintunna	ظُنِنَّ ẓuninna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُظَنُّ ʔuẓannu	تُظَنُّ tuẓannu	يُظَنُّ yuẓannu	تُظَنَّانِ tuẓannāni	يُظَنَّانِ yuẓannāni	نُظَنُّ nuẓannu	تُظَنُّونَ tuẓannūna	يُظَنُّونَ yuẓannūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أُظَنُّ ʔuẓannu	تُظَنِّينَ tuẓannīna	تُظَنُّ tuẓannu	تُظَنَّانِ tuẓannāni	تُظَنَّانِ tuẓannāni	نُظَنُّ nuẓannu	تُظْنَنَّ tuẓnanna	يُظْنَنَّ yuẓnanna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُظَنَّ ʔuẓanna	تُظَنَّ tuẓanna	يُظَنَّ yuẓanna	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	يُظَنَّا yuẓannā	نُظَنَّ nuẓanna	تُظَنُّوا tuẓannū	يُظَنُّوا yuẓannū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أُظَنَّ ʔuẓanna	تُظَنِّي tuẓannī	تُظَنَّ tuẓanna	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	نُظَنَّ nuẓanna	تُظْنَنَّ tuẓnanna	يُظْنَنَّ yuẓnanna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُظَنَّ, أُظَنِّ, أُظْنَنْ ʔuẓanna, ʔuẓanni, ʔuẓnan	تُظَنَّ, تُظَنِّ, تُظْنَنْ tuẓanna, tuẓanni, tuẓnan	يُظَنَّ, يُظَنِّ, يُظْنَنْ yuẓanna, yuẓanni, yuẓnan	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	يُظَنَّا yuẓannā	نُظَنَّ, نُظَنِّ, نُظْنَنْ nuẓanna, nuẓanni, nuẓnan	تُظَنُّوا tuẓannū	يُظَنُّوا yuẓannū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أُظَنَّ, أُظَنِّ, أُظْنَنْ ʔuẓanna, ʔuẓanni, ʔuẓnan	تُظَنِّي tuẓannī	تُظَنَّ, تُظَنِّ, تُظْنَنْ tuẓanna, tuẓanni, tuẓnan	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	نُظَنَّ, نُظَنِّ, نُظْنَنْ nuẓanna, nuẓanni, nuẓnan	تُظْنَنَّ tuẓnanna	يُظْنَنَّ yuẓnanna

Descendants

→ Swahili: dhani

References

Lane, Edward William (1863-1893) “ظن”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate.
Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “ظن”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen
Wehr, Hans (1979) “ظن”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ðˤann/

Noun

ظَنّ • (ẓann) m (plural ظُنُون (ẓunūn))

verbal noun of ظَنَّ (ẓanna) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun **ظَنّ** (ẓann)
singular	basic singular triptote
singular	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	ظَنّ ẓann	الظَّنّ aẓ-ẓann	ظَنّ ẓann
nominative	ظَنٌّ ẓannun	الظَّنُّ aẓ-ẓannu	ظَنُّ ẓannu
accusative	ظَنًّا ẓannan	الظَّنَّ aẓ-ẓanna	ظَنَّ ẓanna
genitive	ظَنٍّ ẓannin	الظَّنِّ aẓ-ẓanni	ظَنِّ ẓanni
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	ظَنَّيْن ẓannayn	الظَّنَّيْن aẓ-ẓannayn	ظَنَّيْ ẓannay
nominative	ظَنَّانِ ẓannāni	الظَّنَّانِ aẓ-ẓannāni	ظَنَّا ẓannā
accusative	ظَنَّيْنِ ẓannayni	الظَّنَّيْنِ aẓ-ẓannayni	ظَنَّيْ ẓannay
genitive	ظَنَّيْنِ ẓannayni	الظَّنَّيْنِ aẓ-ẓannayni	ظَنَّيْ ẓannay
plural	basic broken plural triptote
plural	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	ظُنُون ẓunūn	الظُّنُون aẓ-ẓunūn	ظُنُون ẓunūn
nominative	ظُنُونٌ ẓunūnun	الظُّنُونُ aẓ-ẓunūnu	ظُنُونُ ẓunūnu
accusative	ظُنُونًا ẓunūnan	الظُّنُونَ aẓ-ẓunūna	ظُنُونَ ẓunūna
genitive	ظُنُونٍ ẓunūnin	الظُّنُونِ aẓ-ẓunūni	ظُنُونِ ẓunūni

Descendants

→ Swahili: dhana

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ظ ن ن
1 term

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /zˤann/, /ðˤann/

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic ظَنَّ (ẓanna).

Verb

ظَنّ • (ẓann) I (non-past يِظُنّ (yiẓunn))

to think, to suppose, to guess (that something is the case)
to doubt

Conjugation

Conjugation of ظن
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
past	m	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّ (ẓann)	ظنّينا (ẓannēna)	ظنّيتوا (ẓannētu)	ظنّوا (ẓannu)
past	f	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّيتي (ẓannēti)	ظنّت (ẓannat)	ظنّينا (ẓannēna)	ظنّيتوا (ẓannētu)	ظنّوا (ẓannu)
non-past	m	أظنّ (ʔaẓunn)	تظنّ (tiẓunn)	يظنّ (yiẓunn)	نظنّ (niẓunn)	تظنّوا (tiẓunnu)	يظنّوا (yiẓunnu)
non-past	f	أظنّ (ʔaẓunn)	تظنّي (tiẓunni)	تظنّ (tiẓunn)	نظنّ (niẓunn)	تظنّوا (tiẓunnu)	يظنّوا (yiẓunnu)
imperative	m		ظنّ (ẓunn)			ظنّوا (ẓunnu)
imperative	f		ظنّي (ẓunni)			ظنّوا (ẓunnu)

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic ظَنّ (ẓann).

Noun

ظن • (ẓann) m (plural ظُنُون (ẓunūn))

doubt
guess; conjecture

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ظَنّ (ẓann).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈzann/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [zän(ː)]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [zän(ː)]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [zän(ː)]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [zæn(ː)]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [zän(ː)]

Readings
Classical reading^?	zann
Dari reading^?	zann
Iranian reading^?	zann
Tajik reading^?	zann

Noun

ظن • (zann) (plural ظنون (zonun))

opinion; thought; view
Synonym: عقیده (aqide)
- c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume I, verse 6:
  هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار من
  از درون من نجست اسرار من
  har kasē az zann-i xwad šud yār-i man
  az darūn-i man na-just asrār-i man
  Everyone became my friend from his own opinion; none sought out my secrets from within me.
  (Classical Persian transliteration)
guess; conjecture
Synonyms: گمان (gomân), حدس (hads)

Derived terms

ظن بردن (zann bordan)

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ظ ن ن
1 term

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ظَنَّ (ẓanna).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /zˤann/, [zˤɑn]
Audio (al-Lidd): (file)

Verb

ظنّ • (ẓann) I (present بظنّ (biẓonn))

to think, to suppose, to guess (that something is the case)
Synonyms: فكّر (fakkar), اعتقد (iʕtaqad)

أظن هيك رح أعمل. ― ʔaẓonn hēk raḥ ʔaʕmil ― I guess that's what I'll do.

ما أظنّ هي بتحكي هيك إشي.
mā ʔaẓonn hiyye btiḥki hēk ʔiši
I don't think she would say such a thing.

هو أرمني، على ما اظنّ.
huwwe ʔarmani, ʕala mā ʔaẓonn
He's Armenian, as far as I know.
(literally, “He's Armenian, as I suppose.”)

Usage notes

ظنّ is mostly used in the first-person, and usually in the subjunctive.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ظن
		singular			plural
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
past	m	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّ (ẓann)	ظنّينا (ẓannēna)	ظنّيتو (ẓannētu)	ظنّو (ẓannu)
past	f	ظنّيت (ẓannēt)	ظنّيتي (ẓannēti)	ظنّت (ẓannat)	ظنّينا (ẓannēna)	ظنّيتو (ẓannētu)	ظنّو (ẓannu)
present	m	بظنّ (baẓonn)	بتظنّ (bitẓonn)	بظنّ (biẓonn)	منظنّ (minẓonn)	بتظنّو (bitẓonnu)	بظنّو (biẓonnu)
present	f	بظنّ (baẓonn)	بتظنّي (bitẓonni)	بتظنّ (bitẓonn)	منظنّ (minẓonn)	بتظنّو (bitẓonnu)	بظنّو (biẓonnu)
subjunctive	m	اظنّ (aẓonn)	تظنّ (tẓonn)	يظنّ (yẓonn)	نظنّ (nẓonn)	تظنّو (tẓonnu)	يظنّو (yẓonnu)
subjunctive	f	اظنّ (aẓonn)	تظنّي (tẓonni)	تظنّ (tẓonn)	نظنّ (nẓonn)	تظنّو (tẓonnu)	يظنّو (yẓonnu)
imperative	m		ظنّ (ẓonn)			ظنّو (ẓonnu)
imperative	f		ظنّي (ẓonni)			ظنّو (ẓonnu)

Arabic

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

Descendants

See also

References

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Descendants

Hijazi Arabic

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Verb

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Noun

Persian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Pronunciation

Verb

Usage notes

Conjugation