مهلا، انتظر هنا.

مهلا is an interjection meaning something like wait, hold on, slow down, or easy depending on context.

In fully vowelled Arabic, it is usually written مَهْلًا. The final ـًا represents tanwīn fatḥ and often gives it an adverb-like feel, similar to slowly or gently in some contexts.

In this sentence, مهلا works like a quick attention-getter before the command انتظر هنا.

Yes, they are similar, but they do slightly different jobs.

• مهلا = an interjection like hold on!
• انتظر = the actual imperative verb wait!

So مهلا، انتظر هنا. sounds a bit like:

• Hold on, wait here.
• Just a moment, stay here and wait.

Using both is natural because مهلا sets the tone, and انتظر هنا gives the specific instruction.

انتظر is an imperative verb: wait!

It comes from the verb انتظرَ meaning to wait.

This particular form is the command addressed to one male in Modern Standard Arabic.

So:

• انتظر = wait! said to one man or boy
• base past form: انتظرَ
• present form: ينتظرُ = he waits / is waiting

If you are speaking to one woman, you would say:

• مهلا، انتظري هنا.

The difference is:

• masculine singular command: انتظر
• feminine singular command: انتظري

Other forms:

• to two people: انتظرا هنا
• to a group of men or a mixed group: انتظروا هنا
• to a group of women: انتظرن هنا

In Arabic, the imperative verb already includes the meaning of you.

So انتظر already means you wait! or simply wait!
You do not need to add أنت unless you want emphasis.

For example:

• انتظر هنا = Wait here
• أنت، انتظر هنا = You, wait here (more emphatic or contrastive)

هنا means here.

In انتظر هنا, it tells you where to wait.

This word often comes after the verb:

• انتظر هنا = Wait here
• اجلس هنا = Sit here
• ابق هنا = Stay here

That order is very normal in Arabic.

It is pronounced approximately intaẓir.

A rough breakdown:

• انـ = in
• تظ = the ẓ is an emphatic z-like sound: ظ
• ر = a tapped or rolled r

So the whole word is roughly:

in-ta-zir, but with ظ pronounced more deeply/emphatically than a normal English z.

The root is ن ظ ر.

This root is connected with ideas of:

• looking
• considering
• waiting

Related words include:

• نظر = he looked
• ينظر = he looks
• انتظر = he waited / wait!
• نظرة = a look, glance

So انتظر is from a derived verb pattern, not the basic root form.

No, مهلا is not a normal finite verb like انتظر.

It is better understood as an interjection or an adverbial expression used to slow someone down, stop them, or ask for patience.

That is why the sentence can combine:

• مهلا = hold on / easy
• انتظر هنا = wait here

It is perfectly good Modern Standard Arabic.

However, in everyday conversation, many Arabic speakers would usually use their local dialect instead of full MSA. So while this sentence is correct and understandable, the exact wording may sound more formal or literary than casual daily speech.

Still, for learning MSA, it is a useful sentence:

• مهلا is a common formal/literary expression
• انتظر هنا is a very standard command structure

Arabic is often written without short vowels in normal texts.

So you may see:

• مهلا instead of the fully vowelled:
• مَهْلًا

Likewise, you may see:

• انتظر هنا instead of:
• انْتَظِرْ هُنا

Both are the same words. The version without vowel marks is just the normal everyday writing style.

Yes, but it changes the emphasis.

• انتظر هنا = neutral, normal: Wait here
• هنا انتظر or انتظرْ هنا بالذات = more marked, with stronger focus on here

For most learners, verb + هنا is the safest and most natural order.

There are two punctuation marks here:

• ، = the Arabic comma
• . = the full stop

So:

• مهلا، separates the interjection from the command
• انتظر هنا. completes the sentence

Notice that the Arabic comma looks different from the English comma:

• English: ,
• Arabic: ،