ظن

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ظ ن ن (ẓ n n)
1 term

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ðˤan.na/

Verb

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

1. (ditransitive) to think, opine, suppose, conjecture
2. to doubt
3. 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

     Who consider true that they will have to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are returning.

4. 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
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	ظَنَنْتُ ẓanantu	ظَنَنْتَ ẓananta	ظَنَّ ẓanna		ظَنَنْتُمَا ẓanantumā	ظَنَّا ẓannā		ظَنَنَّا ẓanannā	ظَنَنْتُمْ ẓanantum	ظَنُّوا ẓannū
	f		ظَنَنْتِ ẓananti	ظَنَّتْ ẓannat			ظَنَّتَا ẓannatā			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
	f		تَظُنِّينَ taẓunnīna	تَظُنُّ taẓunnu			تَظُنَّانِ taẓunnāni			تَظْنُنَّ taẓnunna	يَظْنُنَّ yaẓnunna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَظُنَّ ʔaẓunna	تَظُنَّ taẓunna	يَظُنَّ yaẓunna		تَظُنَّا taẓunnā	يَظُنَّا yaẓunnā		نَظُنَّ naẓunna	تَظُنُّوا taẓunnū	يَظُنُّوا yaẓunnū
	f		تَظُنِّي taẓunnī	تَظُنَّ taẓunna			تَظُنَّا taẓunnā			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
	f		تَظُنِّي taẓunnī	تَظُنَّ, تَظُنِّ, تَظْنُنْ taẓunna, taẓunni, taẓnun			تَظُنَّا taẓunnā			تَظْنُنَّ taẓnunna	يَظْنُنَّ yaẓnunna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		ظُنَّ, ظُنِّ, اُظْنُنْ ẓunna, ẓunni, uẓnun			ظُنَّا ẓunnā				ظُنُّوا ẓunnū
	f		ظُنِّي ẓunnī							اُظْنُنَّ uẓnunna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	ظُنِنْتُ ẓunintu	ظُنِنْتَ ẓuninta	ظُنَّ ẓunna		ظُنِنْتُمَا ẓunintumā	ظُنَّا ẓunnā		ظُنِنَّا ẓuninnā	ظُنِنْتُمْ ẓunintum	ظُنُّوا ẓunnū
	f		ظُنِنْتِ ẓuninti	ظُنَّتْ ẓunnat			ظُنَّتَا ẓunnatā			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
	f		تُظَنِّينَ tuẓannīna	تُظَنُّ tuẓannu			تُظَنَّانِ tuẓannāni			تُظْنَنَّ tuẓnanna	يُظْنَنَّ yuẓnanna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُظَنَّ ʔuẓanna	تُظَنَّ tuẓanna	يُظَنَّ yuẓanna		تُظَنَّا tuẓannā	يُظَنَّا yuẓannā		نُظَنَّ nuẓanna	تُظَنُّوا tuẓannū	يُظَنُّوا yuẓannū
	f		تُظَنِّي tuẓannī	تُظَنَّ tuẓanna			تُظَنَّا tuẓannā			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
	f		تُظَنِّي tuẓannī	تُظَنَّ, تُظَنِّ, تُظْنَنْ tuẓanna, tuẓanni, tuẓnan			تُظَنَّا tuẓannā			تُظْنَنَّ tuẓnanna	يُظْنَنَّ yuẓnanna

Descendants

• → Swahili: dhani

References

• Lane, Edward William (1863) “ظن”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[1], London: Williams & Norgate
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “ظن”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[2], 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))

1. verbal noun of ظَنَّ (ẓanna) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun ظَنّ (ẓann)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	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
	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))

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

Conjugation

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

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic ظَنّ (ẓann).

Noun

ظن • (ẓann) m (plural ظُنُون (ẓunūn))

1. doubt
2. guess; conjecture

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ظَنّ (ẓann).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [zann]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [zän(ː)]

• (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))

1. 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)

2. 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))

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