Meaning & use
Sanaa
Last updated
UK/sæˈnɑː/
US/sɑːˈnɑː/
Meaning
proper nounproper
The capital city of Yemen, in the western highlands of the country.
Grammar: A place name; no article: in Sanaa, not 'in the Sanaa'.
Patterns
- in Sanaa
- the capital, Sanaa
- fly to Sanaa
Sanaa is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Her family moved from Sanaa to Aden years ago.
The old city of Sanaa is famous for its tall decorated houses.
Common combinations
- the old city of Sanaa
- The old city of Sanaa has buildings made of earth and brick.
- Sanaa International Airport
- Flights land at Sanaa International Airport.
- travel to Sanaa
- Few airlines currently travel to Sanaa.
- the capital, Sanaa
- Yemen's capital, Sanaa, sits high in the mountains.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Sana'a
- A common alternative spelling with an apostrophe showing the glottal stop in Arabic.
Commonly confused: Sanaa or Sana?
Sanaa vs Sana
Sana is a personal name (and also a song word in some languages), while Sanaa with two a's is the Yemeni city.
Practice
Which sentence uses the city name correctly?
Choose one answer.
Place names take no article, so 'to Sanaa' is right; 'the Sanaa' and 'a Sanaa' wrongly treat the city like a common noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Sanaa”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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