Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Arabic term or phrase:
هم بالسفر
English translation:
He was interested in traveling
Added to glossary by
Z-Translations Translator
Dec 10, 2020 15:13
3 yrs ago
15 viewers *
Arabic term
United Kingdom
MA French and Arabic Translator
Native in: English 
Works in: Arabic to English, French to English
هم بالسفر
Arabic to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Contemporary novel
خرج مهدي في ليلة ظلماء متخفيا بعد أن قطع تذكرة سفرة دولية، جدة كراتشي، أو جدة بيشاور لا أدري بالضبط إلى مدينة باكستانية عزم السفر، ومن ثم إلى أفغانستان. خرج برفقة صديقيه كما خطط القاضي محسن. كان في بال أبي أن مهدي سيعود أدراجه فيما لو هم بالسفر ووجد اسمه في القائمة السوداء. لم يكن يعلم بالخطة "ب".
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Dec 15, 2020 17:32: Z-Translations Translator Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+1
4 mins
Z-Translations Translator
Native in Arabic
Specializes in field
28 years of experience
Native in: Arabic (Variants: Iraqi, Sudanese, Egyptian, Jordanian, Yemeni, Saudi , UAE, Lebanese, Syrian, Libyan, Kuwaiti, Standard-Arabian (MSA), Palestinian)
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, Arabic, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
68
Selected
He was interested in traveling
He was interested in traveling
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Note added at 6 mins (2020-12-10 15:19:59 GMT)
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he intended to travel
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Note added at 12 mins (2020-12-10 15:25:29 GMT)
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the verb هم in past form for singular masculine
not to confuse with the pronoun of the plural masculine which is same spelling هم
how to differentiate them ? only through the context.
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Note added at 14 mins (2020-12-10 15:27:26 GMT)
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the present form of this verb is يهم
يهم = intends , wants, wishes, is interested in .......
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Note added at 30 mins (2020-12-10 15:43:34 GMT)
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One more note: لو that sits before هم verb in past form = something will never happen = in English is Type 3 (past and impossible).
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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-12-11 04:15:40 GMT)
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The verb همّ includes the meaning of two verbs within it :
he intended to do something but he didn't.
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/هم
In case he did it they would attach another verb supporting the new meaning like : هو همّ بالسفر قبل شهر والان فقط سافر
هي همتّ بشراء سيارة جديدة منذ مدة واشترتها بالفعل بعد ان جمعّت المبلغ الكافي
Never this verb used to mean something about to happen. About to happen we have another verbs and expressions like : هو على وشك السفر
قريب من ان يسافر، سيسافر قريباً
But the problem if you put all these expressions in Google translation it gives different meaning and then you get more confused.
هو على وشك السفر
قريب من ان يسافر، سيسافر قريباً
هو همّ بالسفر
https://translate.google.com/?sl=ar&tl=en&text= هو على وشك ا...،%20سيسافر%20قريباً%20%0Aهو%20همّ%20بالسفر&op=translate
Which is not correct. That's why human translators are still needed upto (as I think) 10 years . So prepare to change carrier from now ~~!
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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-12-11 04:18:05 GMT)
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Sorry , I meant Google translation gives same meaning .
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Note added at 6 mins (2020-12-10 15:19:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
he intended to travel
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2020-12-10 15:25:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the verb هم in past form for singular masculine
not to confuse with the pronoun of the plural masculine which is same spelling هم
how to differentiate them ? only through the context.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2020-12-10 15:27:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
the present form of this verb is يهم
يهم = intends , wants, wishes, is interested in .......
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2020-12-10 15:43:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
One more note: لو that sits before هم verb in past form = something will never happen = in English is Type 3 (past and impossible).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2020-12-11 04:15:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The verb همّ includes the meaning of two verbs within it :
he intended to do something but he didn't.
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/هم
In case he did it they would attach another verb supporting the new meaning like : هو همّ بالسفر قبل شهر والان فقط سافر
هي همتّ بشراء سيارة جديدة منذ مدة واشترتها بالفعل بعد ان جمعّت المبلغ الكافي
Never this verb used to mean something about to happen. About to happen we have another verbs and expressions like : هو على وشك السفر
قريب من ان يسافر، سيسافر قريباً
But the problem if you put all these expressions in Google translation it gives different meaning and then you get more confused.
هو على وشك السفر
قريب من ان يسافر، سيسافر قريباً
هو همّ بالسفر
https://translate.google.com/?sl=ar&tl=en&text= هو على وشك ا...،%20سيسافر%20قريباً%20%0Aهو%20همّ%20بالسفر&op=translate
Which is not correct. That's why human translators are still needed upto (as I think) 10 years . So prepare to change carrier from now ~~!
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Note added at 13 hrs (2020-12-11 04:18:05 GMT)
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Sorry , I meant Google translation gives same meaning .
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
2 hrs
Lotfi Abdolhaleem
Egypt
Egypt
Native in Arabic
Egypt
Perfection? An inherent nature of mine!
Native in: Arabic (Variant: Standard-Arabian (MSA)) 
Works in: Arabic, English to Arabic, Arabic to English
Related KudoZ points
:
14
proceed to travel
يهم بالسفر.يشرع في السفر proceed to travel
Reference:
4 hrs
Youssef Chabat
Morocco
Morocco
Native in Arabic
Morocco
A wordsmith at your disposal
Native in: Arabic (Variant: Standard-Arabian (MSA)) , French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: French to Arabic, English to Arabic, Arabic to French, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
94
about to leave/about to travel
..that Mehdi will go back if he ever finds himself on the black list when he's about to leave/to travel.
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:35:03 GMT)
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Mr z there is the phrase سيعود أدراجه، which means if he ever leaves the house and get to airport for example, he will find his name on the black list and go back. We don't go back from only intending to leave, we go back when we have already left. Also, the black list is generally operates at exit points like airports. When we are at some exit point, we are just about to leave.
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:36:49 GMT)
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Is: typo
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:43:38 GMT)
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An other, intending to leave and interested in leaving are two different things.
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:35:03 GMT)
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Mr z there is the phrase سيعود أدراجه، which means if he ever leaves the house and get to airport for example, he will find his name on the black list and go back. We don't go back from only intending to leave, we go back when we have already left. Also, the black list is generally operates at exit points like airports. When we are at some exit point, we are just about to leave.
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:36:49 GMT)
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Is: typo
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Note added at 20 hrs (2020-12-11 11:43:38 GMT)
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An other, intending to leave and interested in leaving are two different things.
23 hrs
Ateequr Rahman
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
When entering Indian market.
Native in: Urdu , Hindi , English
Works in: Arabic to English, Arabic to Urdu, English to Urdu, and 13 more.
Undertake a journey/ start a journey
هم here does not mean literally, which is usually denotes something important, but this expression is used for starting a journey, usually a big and important one. Since in Arabian society the business trips with caravan to the far away lands had been common.
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