Ya'ni is the most versatile word in Arabic.

The twenty-four-hour-day, seven- day-week, and a three-hundred-and-sixty-five day year are important Arabic contributions.

Join The National's Saeed Saeed as he takes a weekly deep dive into the cultural gems and quirks of the Arab world and its diaspora.

From the streets to the boardroom, used in jest and in the middle of anguished exchanges, ya'ni is fit for all occasions.

Over the years, ya'ni became a chameleon.Not only is it a word with many meanings, but it has become its own word to describe an emotional state.

It peppers so many Arabic conversations because of this.A crutch used to buy you a few seconds to consider what you are really trying to say.For fast talkers like me, ya'ni is a part of our speech.

The Arabic word for example is ya'ni.Chief executives appreciate the use of ya'ni because it helps them get to the heart of the matter.

As in "how does this interest you?", ya'neely stands for "means to me".

On an emotional scale of one to 10, you hate your life.Are you a good five?Your mood is ya'ni.

It is possible to surmise many unfulfilling states of mind, feelings or reactions.How did your day go?Say ya'ni instead of saying it's hump day.

From helping you to get your point across or be in touch with your feelings to offering a way to express a deep pit of ambivalence, ya'ni is at your service and will never let you down.