Arabic Grammar: Question Nouns

1. © Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW)
Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

2. Question Nouns
‫ن؟‬
َ َ‫أ ْي‬
Where?
Where is your friend today? ‫أَ ْين صدي ُقك ام َي ْوم؟‬
َ َ
Where are you from? ‫ِمن أَ ْين أَهْت؟‬
َ َ ْ
Where are you from O Muhammad? ‫ِمن أَ ْين أَهْت اي محمد؟‬
َ َ
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

3. Question Nouns
‫؟‬ ْ‫ََك‬
How many
How much?
What’s the time? ‫ََِك امساعَة؟‬
ّ
How much is this book? ‫ََْك عَدد امطالب يف ام َفصل؟‬
ْ ّ ُ َ
How many students are the in the class? ‫ََْك ث َ َمن هذا امكتاب؟‬
ِ
How many rooms are in the house? ‫ََْك غُ ْرفَة يف ام َبيْت؟‬
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

4. Question Words
َ
‫يف؟‬ َ‫ل‬
How?
How are you? ُ
‫ل ْي َف حال؟‬َ
How did you travel? َ
‫ل ْي َف سافَ ْرت؟‬
َ
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

5. Question Words
‫َم ؟‬ِ‫ِمامذا/ م‬
Why?
Why are you studying Arabic? ‫ِمامذا/ ِم َم ث َْد ُرس انّلُغَة امع َِرب َية؟‬
َ
َ ْ ُ َ َْ َ َْ َ َ
Why did you go to the police station? ‫ِمامذا/ ِمم ذهبت إىل مرلز امُّشطة؟‬
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

6. Question Words
‫ما...؟‬
What?
(in questions without a verb)
What’s your name? ُْ
‫ما اْسك؟‬
What is this? ‫ما هذا؟‬
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

7. Question Words
‫ماذا؟‬ What?
(in questions using verbs)
About what?
‫عَن ماذا؟‬ ْ
What do you study? ‫ماذا ث َْد ُرس؟‬
What did you buy? ‫ماذا إش َََتيْت؟‬
َ ْ
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

8. Question Nouns
‫َمىت؟‬
When?
When will you travel?
When does the Arabic lesson start?
‫َمىت جُسا ِفر؟‬
‫َمىت ث َ ْبدأ حصة انّلُغَة امع َِرب َية ؟‬
َ َِ َ
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

9. Question Words
‫َمن؟‬
ْ Who?
Who are you? ‫َمن أَهْت؟‬
َ ْ
Whose book is this? ‫ِم َمن هذا امكتاب؟‬
ِ ْ
With whom do you live? ُ ْ
‫َم َع َمن ج َْسكن؟‬
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

10. Question Words
‫...؟‬ َ ‫هل / أ‬
َ Yes/No Questions
to introduce interrogative sentences
(e.g. Is this...., Are you...?)
Are you a student?
‫هَل أَهْت طا ِمب؟ = أَ أَهْت طا ِمب؟‬
َ َ
Are you (f) a teacher? َ َ ِ
‫هَل أهت ُمد ِرسة؟‬
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com

11. Question Words
َ‫أَي/ أ‬
‫ُ ية؟‬
Which?
In which?
‫يف أَي؟‬
ِ
In which university do you study? ‫يف أَي َِة جا ِم َعة ث َْد ُرس؟‬
Which book did you read?
‫أَي لتاب قَ َر ْأت؟‬ َ
© Mourad Diouri | Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) | Universities of Edinburgh, Durham & Manchester
e-Arabic.com | v-Arabic.com