The Particle "Ay

Think of ayy as a "selector." It rarely travels alone. It almost always holds hands with another noun immediately following it. This pair forms a classic Idafa (possessive construction), where ayy is the leader (Mudaf) and the noun following it is the follower (Mudaf Ilayhi).

Here’s the C1 twist: Because ayy is a chameleon, it absorbs the grammatical case of the role it plays. Is it the subject? It wears a Damma (ayyu). Is it the object? It puts on a Fatha (ayya). Is it after a preposition? It rocks a Kasra (ayyi). This happens even though it looks like a question word! Most learners freeze up here because they're used to question words being frozen. You, however, will embrace the flow.

1. 1Pick your role: Determine if ayy is the Subject (Marfu'), Object (Mansub), or Prepositional Object (Majrur).
2. 2Apply the ending:
3. 3Subject/Default: ayyu (أَيُّ)
4. 4Object: ayya (أَيَّ)
5. 5After Preposition: ayyi (أَيِّ)
6. 6Add the Noun: Follow it immediately with a noun in the Genitive (Majrur) case. This noun is usually indefinite.
7. 7*Example:* ayyu kitābin (Which book?)
8. 8The Pronoun Option: You can also attach it to a pronoun: ayyuhum (Which of them?).

Use ayy in three main scenarios:

• Interrogative: To ask "Which?" or "What kind of?" (e.g., "Which city do you prefer?").
• Conditional: To mean "Whichever" or "Whoever" (e.g., "Whichever book you read, you will benefit").
• Absolute/Indefinite: To mean "Any" implies total freedom of choice (e.g., "Call me at any time").

It’s perfect for scenarios where you are filtering options, like choosing from a menu, negotiating a meeting time, or expressing indifference ("Any coffee is fine, I'm desperate").

Don't use ayy when asking for a definition or identity without a selection pool. For "What is your name?", use mā (mā ismuka), not ayyu ismin. Use ayy when there's a choice involved or a category to specify. Also, don't confuse ayy (which/any) with ay (أَيْ) without the Shadda, which means "i.e." or "that is to say." That’s a totally different particle, though they look like siblings.

• The "Frozen" Trap: Saying ayyu in every situation. If you say ra'aytu ayyu rajulin (I saw which/any man), you've crashed the car. It must be ra'aytu ayya rajulin because it's the object. Even native speakers slip here in dialect, but in MSA, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
• The Case Crash: Forgetting that the noun *after* ayy must be genitive (ending in -in usually). Saying ayyu kitābun is a grammar felony.
• Definiteness Issues: Usually, the noun after ayy is indefinite (ayyu rajulin). If you make it definite (ayyu al-rajuli), strictly speaking, it changes the nuance to "Which of the men?" (partitive), but usually, we stick to indefinite for general "Which X".

• Ayy vs. Man/Mā: Man (who) and Mā (what) are vague and general. Ayy is specific and selective. Man asks about identity; Ayy asks for a selection from a group.
• Ayy vs. Kull: Kull means "All" or "Every". Ayy means "Any" or "Which". They both act as Mudaf, but Kull aggregates, while Ayy selects.

Q: Can ayy be used with a verb immediately after?

Not directly. It needs a noun (or pronoun) to lean on first. You can't say Ayy dhahabta? (Which you went?). You say Ayyu ṭarīqin salakta? (Which path did you take?).

Q: Is ayy masculine or feminine?

Great question! Ayy itself is masculine, but it can agree with the noun it owns. However, the standard masculine form ayyu is often used even for feminine nouns (ayyu bintin - Which girl). You *can* say ayyatu for feminine, but ayyu is the universal donor here.