Question words

...
 

أَ؟

/ʼa/

and هَلْ؟

/hal/

are used to ask questions

that can be answered with "Yes or No".

 
   
   

Examples:

هَلْ أَنْتَ سامي؟ /hal ʼanta saamee/ Are you Sami? Or هَلْ ذَهَبْتَ إِلى المَدْرَسَةِ؟ /hal THahabta ʼilaa ilmadrasati/ Did you go to school?      
   
 

Example:

أَتَتَعَلَّمُ العَرَبِيَّةَ يا تومُ؟ /ʼatataʻallamu ilʻarabiyyata yaa tomu/ Do you learn Arabic Tom?      
 
   

كَيْفَ؟

/kayfa/ Means How?    
   
  Example: كَيْفَ حالُكِ؟ /kayfa Haaluki/ How are you? (To a female)    
   
    Example: كَيْفَ أَذْهَبُ إِلى السُّوقِ؟ /kayfa ʼaTHhabu ʼilaa issooqi/ How can I go to the market?    
   
 

ماذا؟

/maaTHaa/ Means What? ماذا؟

can be used only with verbs.

     
 
   

Example:

ماذا سَوْفَ تَفْعَلُ غَدًا؟ /maaTHaa sawfa tafʻalu ghadan/ What are you up to tomorrow?      
 
   

أَيْنَ؟

/ʼayna/ Means Where?      
   
   

Example:

أَيْنَ الحَمَّامُ مِنْ فَضْلِكِ؟ /ʼayna ilHammaamu min fadhliki/ Where is the restroom please? (To a female)      
 
 

مِنْ أَيْنَ؟

/min ʼayna/ Means Where … from?      
   
 

Example: مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتِ يا فَرَحُ؟ /min ʼayna ʼanti yaa faraHu/ Where are you from Farah?    
   
   

إِلى أَيْنَ؟

/ʼilaa ʼayna/ Means Where to...?    
   
  Example: إِلى أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ يا أَبي؟ /ʼilaa ʼayna taTHhabu yaa ʼabee/ Where are you going dad?    
   
  مَتى؟ /mataa/ Means When?  
   
  Example: مَتى سَوْفَ نَلْتَقي؟ /mataa sawfa naltaqee/ When are we going to meet?  
   
  Example: مُنْذُ مَتى لا تَأْكُلُ اللَّحْمَ؟ /munTHu mataa laa taʼkulu illaHma/ Since when you stopped eating meat?    
   
   

لِماذا؟

/limaaTHaa/ Means Why?      
   
   

Example:

لِماذا تَتَعَلَّمينَ العَرَبِيَّةَ يا سَلْمى؟ /limaaTHaa tataʻallameena ilʻarabiyyata yaa salmaa/ Why are you learning Arabic, Salma?    
   
    كَمْ /kam/ Means How much/ How many?    
   
   

Example:

كَمْ ثَمَنُ هَذا؟ /kam thamanu haTHaa/ How much is this?      
   
   

Example:

أَيُّ كِتابٍ قَرَأْتَ؟ /ʼayyu kitaabin qaraʼta/ Which book have you read?      
   
      For more info regarding the Arabic alphabet and how to learn Arabic online, you can download the Arabic learning app Kaleela application to learn Arabic the right way.   * Below the link for iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kaleela…   * Below the link for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de…