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 |
| مَا mā | what |
| لِمَاذَا limādhā | why |
| أَينَ ayna | where |
| أَيّ ayy | which |
| كَم kam | How many/ how much |
| مَن man | who |
| مَتَى matā | when |
| هَل hal | yes/no question |
| أ a | yes/no question |
| كَيفَ kayfa | how |
The difference between ما and ماذا
ما is generally used with nouns:
مَا اسمُكَ؟
مَا الفَرق؟
مَاذَا 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?
