Question Words
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Lesson 15
Question Words
أَدَوَاتُ الاِستِفهَام
Forming questions is simple in Arabic. The ‘question word’ or interrogative particle is simply placed before the sentence. This usually does not alter the rest of the sentence in any way.
For example, to ask a yes or no question, the particle أ a is used:
أَهَذَا كِتَابٌ a-hādhā kitābun
Is this a book?
The particle هَل hal is used in the same way:
هَل هَذَا كِتَابٌ؟ Hal hādhā kitābun
Is this a book?
أَأَنتَ مُحَمّدٌ a-anta muḥammadun
Are you Muhammad?
هَل فِي البَيتِ أَحَدٌ
hal fil baithi aḥadun?
Is there anyone in the house?
Here are all the question words
| مَاذَا mādhā | What? (used with verbs) |
| مَا mā | What? (used with both verbs and nouns) |
| لِمَاذَا limādhā | Why? |
| أَينَ ayna | Where? |
| أَيّ ayy | Which? |
| كَم kam | How many? |
| مَن man | Who? |
| مَتَى matā | When? |
| هَل hal | Is? |
| أ a | Is? |
| كَيفَ kayfa | How? |
The difference between ما and ماذا
Maa is generally used with nouns and verbs
مَا اسمُكَ؟
مَا الفَرق؟
Madha is generally used with verbs
مَاذَا تَفعَل؟
مَاذا تَقرَأ؟
Examples
لِماذَا جِئتَ مُتَأخِر ؟
Why did you come late?
هَلْ دَرَسْتَ ؟
Did you study ?
أعَبُدُ أَلَلّهِ نَائِمٌ
Is Abdullah is sleeping?
مَتَى نُسَافِرُ ؟
When are we travelling?
أينَ أخِي ؟
Where is my brother?
كَمْ سِعْرُ الفُسْتَانِ ؟
How much is the dress?
Quiz Time!
Let's test your knowledge.
What does this sentence mean (هَل فِي البَيتِ أَحَدٌ؟)?
Who is in the house?
Is there anyone in the house?
Whose house is this?
Where is the house?
You have completed Lesson 15
Now you know how to form questions in Arabic