ثم

See also: بم, تم, نم, and يم

Arabic

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θum.ma/

Conjunction

ثُمَّ • (ṯumma)

1. then, afterward, subsequently; used to indicate order of time, being later occurring, or even in lesser degree of impressiveness
2. and again; used when repeating a word or short phrase in order to emphasize it
3. and so or also, likewise, accordingly, moreover, furthermore, additionally so; used to denote a speaker's order of enunciation, not indicating a sequence or delay of occurrence between two statements
   • أَعْجَبَنِي مَا صَنَعْتَ اليَوْمَ ثُمَّ مَا صَنَعْتَ أَمْسِ أَعْجَبُ

     ʔaʕjabanī mā ṣanaʕta l-yawma ṯumma mā ṣanaʕta ʔamsi ʔaʕjabu

     What you did today caused me to be impressed; accordingly what you did yesterday was most impressive.

Usage notes

• ثُمَّ (ṯumma) indicates that there is a certain period of time between the two actions, whereas فَ (fa) indicates that the second action follows directly after the first action.

Descendants

• → Ottoman Turkish: ثم (sümme)

Etymology 2

Compare Hebrew שָׁם (šām), שָׁמָּה (šā́mmā), Aramaic תַּמָּה (tammā), תַּמָּן (tammān), Ugaritic 𐎘𐎎 (ṯm).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θam.ma/

Adverb

ثَمَّ • (ṯamma)

1. there

Descendants

• Maltese: hemm
• Moroccan Arabic: تم (temma), تم (temm)
• Tunisian Arabic: ثمة (thamma), فمة (famma)

Etymology 3.1

Root
ث م م (ṯ m m)
2 terms

Verb

ثَمَّ • (ṯamma) I (non-past يَثُمُّ (yaṯummu), verbal noun ثَمّ (ṯamm))

1. to put into a good state, to mend, to get together in an orderly fashion, to repair
2. to apply ثُمَام (ṯumām, “panicgrass”) to

Conjugation

Conjugation of ثَمَّ (I, geminate, a ~ u, full passive (?), verbal noun ثَمّ)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						ثَمّ ṯamm
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						ثَامّ ṯāmm
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَثْمُوم maṯmūm
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	ثَمَمْتُ ṯamamtu	ثَمَمْتَ ṯamamta	ثَمَّ ṯamma		ثَمَمْتُمَا ṯamamtumā	ثَمَّا ṯammā		ثَمَمْنَا ṯamamnā	ثَمَمْتُمْ ṯamamtum	ثَمُّوا ṯammū
	f		ثَمَمْتِ ṯamamti	ثَمَّتْ ṯammat			ثَمَّتَا ṯammatā			ثَمَمْتُنَّ ṯamamtunna	ثَمَمْنَ ṯamamna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَثُمُّ ʔaṯummu	تَثُمُّ taṯummu	يَثُمُّ yaṯummu		تَثُمَّانِ taṯummāni	يَثُمَّانِ yaṯummāni		نَثُمُّ naṯummu	تَثُمُّونَ taṯummūna	يَثُمُّونَ yaṯummūna
	f		تَثُمِّينَ taṯummīna	تَثُمُّ taṯummu			تَثُمَّانِ taṯummāni			تَثْمُمْنَ taṯmumna	يَثْمُمْنَ yaṯmumna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَثُمَّ ʔaṯumma	تَثُمَّ taṯumma	يَثُمَّ yaṯumma		تَثُمَّا taṯummā	يَثُمَّا yaṯummā		نَثُمَّ naṯumma	تَثُمُّوا taṯummū	يَثُمُّوا yaṯummū
	f		تَثُمِّي taṯummī	تَثُمَّ taṯumma			تَثُمَّا taṯummā			تَثْمُمْنَ taṯmumna	يَثْمُمْنَ yaṯmumna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَثُمَّ, أَثُمِّ, أَثْمُمْ ʔaṯumma, ʔaṯummi, ʔaṯmum	تَثُمَّ, تَثُمِّ, تَثْمُمْ taṯumma, taṯummi, taṯmum	يَثُمَّ, يَثُمِّ, يَثْمُمْ yaṯumma, yaṯummi, yaṯmum		تَثُمَّا taṯummā	يَثُمَّا yaṯummā		نَثُمَّ, نَثُمِّ, نَثْمُمْ naṯumma, naṯummi, naṯmum	تَثُمُّوا taṯummū	يَثُمُّوا yaṯummū
	f		تَثُمِّي taṯummī	تَثُمَّ, تَثُمِّ, تَثْمُمْ taṯumma, taṯummi, taṯmum			تَثُمَّا taṯummā			تَثْمُمْنَ taṯmumna	يَثْمُمْنَ yaṯmumna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		ثُمَّ, ثُمِّ, اُثْمُمْ ṯumma, ṯummi, uṯmum			ثُمَّا ṯummā				ثُمُّوا ṯummū
	f		ثُمِّي ṯummī							اُثْمُمْنَ uṯmumna
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	ثُمِمْتُ ṯumimtu	ثُمِمْتَ ṯumimta	ثُمَّ ṯumma		ثُمِمْتُمَا ṯumimtumā	ثُمَّا ṯummā		ثُمِمْنَا ṯumimnā	ثُمِمْتُمْ ṯumimtum	ثُمُّوا ṯummū
	f		ثُمِمْتِ ṯumimti	ثُمَّتْ ṯummat			ثُمَّتَا ṯummatā			ثُمِمْتُنَّ ṯumimtunna	ثُمِمْنَ ṯumimna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُثَمُّ ʔuṯammu	تُثَمُّ tuṯammu	يُثَمُّ yuṯammu		تُثَمَّانِ tuṯammāni	يُثَمَّانِ yuṯammāni		نُثَمُّ nuṯammu	تُثَمُّونَ tuṯammūna	يُثَمُّونَ yuṯammūna
	f		تُثَمِّينَ tuṯammīna	تُثَمُّ tuṯammu			تُثَمَّانِ tuṯammāni			تُثْمَمْنَ tuṯmamna	يُثْمَمْنَ yuṯmamna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُثَمَّ ʔuṯamma	تُثَمَّ tuṯamma	يُثَمَّ yuṯamma		تُثَمَّا tuṯammā	يُثَمَّا yuṯammā		نُثَمَّ nuṯamma	تُثَمُّوا tuṯammū	يُثَمُّوا yuṯammū
	f		تُثَمِّي tuṯammī	تُثَمَّ tuṯamma			تُثَمَّا tuṯammā			تُثْمَمْنَ tuṯmamna	يُثْمَمْنَ yuṯmamna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُثَمَّ, أُثَمِّ, أُثْمَمْ ʔuṯamma, ʔuṯammi, ʔuṯmam	تُثَمَّ, تُثَمِّ, تُثْمَمْ tuṯamma, tuṯammi, tuṯmam	يُثَمَّ, يُثَمِّ, يُثْمَمْ yuṯamma, yuṯammi, yuṯmam		تُثَمَّا tuṯammā	يُثَمَّا yuṯammā		نُثَمَّ, نُثَمِّ, نُثْمَمْ nuṯamma, nuṯammi, nuṯmam	تُثَمُّوا tuṯammū	يُثَمُّوا yuṯammū
	f		تُثَمِّي tuṯammī	تُثَمَّ, تُثَمِّ, تُثْمَمْ tuṯamma, tuṯammi, tuṯmam			تُثَمَّا tuṯammā			تُثْمَمْنَ tuṯmamna	يُثْمَمْنَ yuṯmamna

Etymology 3.2

Noun

ثَمّ • (ṯamm) m

1. verbal noun of ثَمَّ (ṯamma) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun ثَمّ (ṯamm)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	ثَمّ ṯamm	الثَّمّ aṯ-ṯamm	ثَمّ ṯamm
nominative	ثَمٌّ ṯammun	الثَّمُّ aṯ-ṯammu	ثَمُّ ṯammu
accusative	ثَمًّا ṯamman	الثَّمَّ aṯ-ṯamma	ثَمَّ ṯamma
genitive	ثَمٍّ ṯammin	الثَّمِّ aṯ-ṯammi	ثَمِّ ṯammi

Etymology 3.3

Noun

ثُمّ • (ṯumm) m

1. household utensils, tools that put a house or tent into a good order, domestic possessions

Declension

Declension of noun ثُمّ (ṯumm)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	ثُمّ ṯumm	الثُّمّ aṯ-ṯumm	ثُمّ ṯumm
nominative	ثُمٌّ ṯummun	الثُّمُّ aṯ-ṯummu	ثُمُّ ṯummu
accusative	ثُمًّا ṯumman	الثُّمَّ aṯ-ṯumma	ثُمَّ ṯumma
genitive	ثُمٍّ ṯummin	الثُّمِّ aṯ-ṯummi	ثُمِّ ṯummi

References

• Freytag, Georg (1830), “ثم”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 226
• Lane, Edward William (1863-1893), “ثم”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, pages 350–351.
• Wehr, Hans with Kropfitsch, Lorenz (1985), “ثم”, in Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart‎^[2] (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 157

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic ثُمَّ (ṯumma).

Adverb

ثم • (sümme)

1. then, afterwards
2. again, also, and again

Derived terms

• ثم التدارك (sümmettedârik, “unpreparedly”)

Further readings

• Redhouse, James W. (1890), “ثم”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[3], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 629

Urdu

Etymology

From Arabic ثُمَّ (ṯumma).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /sʊm.mᵊ/

Adverb

ثُمَّ • (summa) (Hindi spelling सुम्मा)

1. again, once more
2. then, thereafter

References

• “ثم”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “ثم”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.