SPEAK ARABIC FLUENTLY

HOW TO SPEAK (REAL) ARABIC

Arabic grammar is easy to learn! This Grammar Section is designed to help you grasp the essential rules as quickly and clearly as possible, so you can begin forming your own sentences from day one. Unlike other courses that overwhelm you with theory, our approach focuses on the most important rules that will allow you to speak Arabic confidently and naturally—starting today.

In the lessons ahead, you’ll find everything you need to master Arabic grammar, from basic sentence structure and verb conjugations to more advanced topics like noun cases and gender agreements. Each topic is explained with practical, easy-to-understand examples to help you not only learn the rules but also remember and apply them. We recommend learning the core 2000 Arabic vocabulary words first—this will make the examples much easier to follow and internalize.

The grammar topics covered include the Arabic alphabet, gender and number, cases, articles, pronouns, and prepositions. You’ll also dive into adverbs, adjectives, the present, past, and future tenses, as well as the imperative and passive voice, negation, word order, questions, and relative clauses. Click on any section title to jump directly to the topic you're interested in, or start from the beginning and let your knowledge grow naturally.

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Arabic Alphabet and Pronunciation

The Arabic alphabet is both an art and a system. It is a beautifully flowing script rooted in calligraphic tradition and is also an efficient system for representing the sounds of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Unlike Latin scripts used in English or French, Arabic is written from right to left, and its letters change shape depending on their position in a word.

The Arabic Alphabet: An Overview

Modern Standard Arabic uses a set of 28 basic letters. These letters are all consonants; vowels are indicated with additional diacritical marks. Each letter represents a specific consonantal sound and has up to four different forms depending on its position in a word: isolated, initial, medial, and final.

The Arabic script is cursive, which means most letters connect to those before and after them, with a few exceptions. Some letters only connect to the preceding letter and not to the following one, which affects how words appear in writing.

Arabic does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters, which simplifies the writing system, though it adds the challenge of learning the various positional forms of each letter.

Pronunciation: The Core Sounds of Arabic

Modern Standard Arabic includes sounds that are familiar to English speakers, such as b, m, k, and t, but it also has sounds that do not exist in most European languages. Among these are the emphatic consonants, pharyngeals, and the glottal stop. Accurate pronunciation is essential in Arabic, as mispronouncing a letter can change the meaning of a word entirely.

For example:

قلب (qalb) heart
كلب (kalb) dog

Here, the difference between ق (qaf) and ك (kaf) is crucial.

Vowels and Short Vowel Marks

Arabic distinguishes between short vowels and long vowels. The short vowels are not letters themselves but are indicated with diacritics written above or below the consonant they follow:

• َ (fatha) represents a short a as in cat

• ِ (kasra) represents a short i as in bit

• ُ (damma) represents a short u as in put

For example:

بَ (ba)
بِ (bi)
بُ (bu)

These marks are often omitted in everyday texts but are included in the Qur’an, children’s books, and beginner language materials.

Long Vowels and Their Representation

Long vowels are fully written using specific letters:

• ا (alif) for long aa

• و (waw) for long uu

• ي (yaa) for long ii

Examples:

باب (baab) door
نور (nūr) light
بيت (bayt) house

Note how these long vowels differ significantly in meaning from their short-vowel counterparts. The presence of a long vowel adds an extra syllable and changes word identity.

The Glottal Stop (Hamza)

The hamza (ء) represents a glottal stop, similar to the sound in the middle of “uh-oh” in English. It may appear on a carrier letter, such as ا, و, or ي, and its position depends on the surrounding vowels.

Examples:

سَأَلَ (sa’ala) he asked
مَسْؤُول (mas’ūl) responsible

Although this sound is not written as a separate letter in the alphabet list, it functions like a full consonant.

The Emphatic Consonants

Arabic has four emphatic consonants: ص (ṣaad), ض (ḍaad), ط (ṭaa’), and ظ (ẓaa’). These are pronounced with a constriction in the throat and a retracted tongue, giving them a heavy, deep sound.

Compare:

سَبَحَ (sabaḥa) he swam
صَبَحَ (ṣabaḥa) he poured (dialectical usage)

These subtle distinctions are essential for comprehension and correct speech.

The Pharyngeal and Glottal Sounds

Arabic includes two pharyngeal consonants that are completely foreign to English speakers:

• ع (‘ayn) – a voiced pharyngeal sound pronounced deep in the throat

• ح (ḥaa’) – a voiceless pharyngeal fricative, softer than the English h

These sounds are iconic of Arabic phonology and must be practiced carefully.

Examples:

علم (‘ilm) knowledge
حلم (ḥilm) dream

Letters That Look Similar

Many Arabic letters differ only by the placement of dots. Beginners must pay careful attention to these distinctions:

• ب (ba), ت (ta), and ث (tha) differ only in the number and placement of dots

• ج (jim), ح (ḥaa’), and خ (khaa’) share the same basic shape

Examples:

بنت (bint) girl
تين (tīn) fig
ثوم (thūm) garlic

Getting used to these shapes requires time, but consistent writing and reading will help your recognition speed.

Non-Connecting Letters

A few letters do not connect to the following letter, which affects the shape of words. These include:

ا (alif), د (dal), ذ (dhal), ر (raa’), ز (zay), and و (waw)

Example:

رأس (ra’s) head

Notice that the ر does not connect to the أ even though it is part of the same word.

Diacritical Marks for Consonants

In addition to vowels, other diacritics provide phonetic cues:

• شَدّة (shadda ّ) indicates a doubled consonant

  مدرّسة (mudarrisa) female teacher

• سُكُون (sukūn ْ) indicates the absence of a vowel
  E

  سكن (sakana) he lived (the middle k is silent without a vowel)

These diacritics are crucial in formal texts and religious scripture and are essential for reading aloud accurately.

Nouns in Arabic

Understanding nouns in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is essential to forming sentences, conveying meaning, and mastering the grammar of the language. Arabic nouns are richly structured and reveal grammatical information through their endings and patterns. Two of the most important features of Arabic nouns are gender and number. Every noun in Arabic has a grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) and a grammatical number (singular, dual, or plural). These features affect not only the form of the noun itself but also the form of the adjectives, verbs, and pronouns that relate to it.

Grammatical Gender: Masculine and Feminine

All Arabic nouns are either masculine or feminine. Unlike English, where only certain nouns referring to people or animals may have gender, Arabic assigns gender even to inanimate objects and abstract concepts.

Most nouns are masculine by default, unless they have specific features that mark them as feminine.

Masculine nouns include:

رجل (rajul) man
كتاب (kitab) book
قلم (qalam) pen
شارع (shari‘) street

These nouns do not end in the typical feminine marker and are considered masculine unless context or meaning dictates otherwise.

Feminine nouns often end with the special suffix ة, known as taa’ marbūṭa.

Examples:

امرأة (imra’a) woman
شجرة (shajara) tree
سيارة (sayyara) car
مدينة (madina) city

The ة ending is a strong indicator that the noun is feminine. However, some nouns are feminine even though they don’t have this marker, especially proper names and some words by convention.

For instance:

شمس (shams) sun – feminine by usage
أرض (ard) earth, land – feminine by usage
مريم (Maryam) Mary – feminine proper name

Also, some masculine nouns may end in ة, especially in place names or borrowed words, so the taa’ marbūṭa alone is not a guarantee of femininity without context.

Agreement of Gender

In Arabic, adjectives, verbs, and pronouns must agree in gender with the noun they refer to.

ولد جميل (walad jamil) a handsome boy
بنت جميلة (bint jamila) a beautiful girl

Note that جميل agrees with the masculine noun ولد, while جميلة agrees with the feminine noun بنت.

This agreement extends to verb conjugation and pronouns:

ذهب الولد (dhahaba al-walad) the boy went
ذهبت البنت (dhahabat al-bint) the girl went

The verb ذهب (he went) becomes ذهبت (she went) to match the feminine subject.

Grammatical Number: Singular, Dual, and Plural

Arabic distinguishes three grammatical numbers: singular, dual, and plural. This feature adds richness to the language and affects noun endings, verb conjugations, pronouns, and adjectives.

Singular

The singular form is the basic, unmarked form of the noun.

طالب (talib) student (masculine)
طالبة (taliba) student (feminine)
كتاب (kitab) book
مدرسة (madrasa) school

These are the forms you learn first and are used when referring to a single person or thing.

Dual

Arabic has a special form for referring to exactly two of something. To make a noun dual, you typically add -انِ (-āni) in the nominative case and -يْنِ (-ayni) in the accusative and genitive cases.

طالبان (talibān) two male students
طالبتان (talibatān) two female students
كتابان (kitabān) two books

When used in a sentence, the verb, adjective, and pronoun must match the dual form:

جاء طالبان جديدان (ja’a talibān jadidān) two new students came

Note that both the noun and the adjective take the dual ending.

Plural

Plural nouns refer to three or more of something and come in two main types: sound plurals and broken plurals.

Sound Plurals

Sound plurals are formed by adding regular endings to the singular noun. There are two main types:

1. Masculine Sound Plural:
For most masculine human nouns, add -ونَ (-ūna) in the nominative and -ينَ (-īna) in the accusative/genitive.

معلمون (mu‘allimūn) teachers (masculine)
مسلمون (muslimūn) Muslims (masculine)

Example:

جاء المعلمون إلى المدرسة (ja’a al-mu‘allimūn ila al-madrasa) the teachers came to the school

2. Feminine Sound Plural:
For most feminine nouns ending in ة, replace it with -ات (-āt).

مدرسات (mudarrisāt) female teachers
طالبات (talibāt) female students
سيارات (sayyarāt) cars

Example:

قرأت الطالبات الدرس (qara’at al-talibāt al-dars) the students read the lesson

Note that adjectives also take plural feminine endings to match:

طالبات ذكيات (talibāt dhakiyyāt) smart female students

Broken Plurals

Broken plurals are irregular and formed by internal changes to the root letters of the noun. They are extremely common in Arabic and must be memorized individually.

Examples:

كتاب (kitab) book → كتب (kutub) books
مدينة (madina) city → مدن (mudun) cities
قلم (qalam) pen → أقلام (aqlām) pens

Broken plurals often don’t follow a predictable pattern and must be learned through exposure and vocabulary study.

Examples in context:

اشتريت كتباً جديدة (ishtaraytu kutuban jadida) I bought new books
المدن كبيرة (al-mudun kabīra) the cities are large

Agreement with Plurals

In Arabic, human plurals take plural verb forms and adjectives:

المعلمون جادون (al-mu‘allimūn jādūn) the teachers are serious

However, non-human plurals (even if grammatically plural) are treated as feminine singular when it comes to verbs and adjectives:

الكتب مفيدة (al-kutub mufīda) the books are useful
السيارات جميلة (as-sayyarāt jamīla) the cars are beautiful

This rule is unique to Arabic and important for mastering grammatical agreement.

One of the key foundational topics for learners of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the use of articles—specifically, how definiteness and indefiniteness are expressed. Unlike English, where articles are more varied ("a," "an," "the"), Arabic has a distinct and systematic way of marking definiteness and indefiniteness, relying on both the presence or absence of a specific prefix and certain markers in pronunciation and writing. This guide will walk you through the grammatical rules governing articles in MSA, supported by numerous examples to clarify their use.

Definite Article: الـ (al-)

Arabic uses a definite article prefix, written as ال and pronounced as al- in most cases, to make a noun definite—roughly equivalent to the in English. This article is attached directly to the beginning of the noun and is not separated by a space.

البيت (al-bayt) the house
الكتاب (al-kitab) the book
المدينة (al-madina) the city
القلم (al-qalam) the pen

Once a noun is made definite by adding ال, it refers to a specific, known item rather than a general or unknown one. You would use ال when both speaker and listener know what is being discussed or when something is mentioned for the second time.

ذهبت إلى المدرسة (dhahabtu ila al-madrasa) I went to the school
قرأت الكتاب (qara’tu al-kitab) I read the book

In each case, the definite article makes the noun refer to a specific object, not just any school or any book.

Indefiniteness: Absence of الـ and Use of Tanwīn

Arabic expresses indefiniteness not through a separate word, but through two main grammatical features:

1. The absence of the definite article

2. Tanwīn (nunation) – a suffix pronounced as an -n sound at the end of the word

بيتٌ (baytun) a house
كتابٌ (kitabun) a book
مدينةٌ (madinatun) a city
قلمٌ (qalemun) a pen

The tanwīn comes in different vowel forms depending on the case of the noun (nominative, accusative, genitive), but its basic function remains the same: it marks the noun as indefinite.

رأيتُ بيتاً جميلاً (ra’aytu baytan jamilan) I saw a beautiful house
اشتريتُ كتاباً مفيداً (ishtaraytu kitaban mufidan) I bought a useful book

Here, the nouns بيتا and كتابا are indefinite and do not carry the definite article ال.

Sun Letters vs. Moon Letters

When the definite article ال is added to a noun, its pronunciation can be affected depending on the first letter of the noun. Arabic letters are divided into two categories: sun letters and moon letters. With sun letters, the ل in ال is assimilated into the first letter of the noun. With moon letters, the ل is pronounced clearly.

Sun letters cause assimilation:

السماء (as-sama’) the sky
الشمس (ash-shams) the sun
الطالب (at-talib) the student

Note how السماء is pronounced as-sama’, not al-sama’—the ل is absorbed into the س.

Moon letters preserve the ل:

القمر (al-qamar) the moon
الولد (al-walad) the boy
الباب (al-bab) the door

Here, the ل in ال is pronounced as usual.

Learning which letters are sun or moon takes practice, but over time, patterns become clear.

No Article for Proper Nouns

Proper nouns like names of people or cities in Arabic do not usually take the definite article ال, unless part of a formal name or title.

محمد (Muhammad) Muhammad
سارة (Sara) Sarah
دمشق (Dimashq) Damascus

However, in some compound titles or religious expressions, ال may appear:

المدينة المنورة (al-madina al-munawwara) The Radiant City
القرآن الكريم (al-Qur’an al-karim) The Noble Qur’an

These are exceptions rather than the rule.

Definite Noun Phrases

In Arabic, definiteness can also spread to a phrase. If a noun is in an idafa (genitive construct), its definiteness depends on the second noun in the chain.

كتاب الطالب (kitab al-talib) the student’s book

Even though كتاب does not have ال, it is definite because الطالب is definite. The whole phrase becomes definite.

Compare with:

كتاب طالب (kitab talib) a student’s book

Here, both nouns are indefinite, and the whole phrase remains indefinite.

Adjectives and Agreement

In Arabic, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in definiteness, gender, number, and case. When using the definite article, it must appear on both the noun and the adjective.

الولدُ الطويلُ (al-waladu at-tawilu) the tall boy
الحديقةُ الجميلةُ (al-hadiqatu al-jamila) the beautiful garden

If the noun is indefinite, the adjective must be indefinite too, with tanwīn.

ولدٌ طويلٌ (waladun tawilun) a tall boy
حديقةٌ جميلةٌ (hadiqatun jamilatun) a beautiful garden

This is essential for grammatical agreement and clarity of meaning.

Definite Articles in Questions and Negations

When asking questions, definite articles still follow the same rules. You can ask about specific or general things depending on the use of ال.

أين الكتاب؟ (ayna al-kitab?) Where is the book?
هل قرأت الكتاب؟ (hal qara’ta al-kitab?) Did you read the book?

In negation:

ما قرأتُ الكتاب (ma qara’tu al-kitab) I did not read the book
ما رأيتُ كتاباً (ma ra’aytu kitaban) I did not see a book

The first sentence refers to a known book. The second refers to any book in general.

Cases in Arabic

One of the most essential and distinctive aspects of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) grammar is its case system. Arabic nouns, adjectives, and even some pronouns change their endings depending on their grammatical function within a sentence. This system is known as i‘rāb, or case marking. The case system provides crucial information about the role of each word—whether it’s the subject, the object, or connected to a preposition—allowing Arabic to maintain flexible word order while preserving clarity of meaning.

Arabic has three grammatical cases: the nominative (marfū‘), the accusative (manṣūb), and the genitive (majrūr). Each case has a specific ending that appears at the end of the noun, and these endings can be short vowels or combinations with tanwīn (nunation).

The Nominative Case (المرفوع – al-marfū‘)

The nominative case is used primarily for the subject of a verbal sentence and for the predicate in an equational sentence (a sentence without a verb, often using "to be" in English). It is also used for the subject in verbless (nominal) sentences, and for certain other constructions.

In the indefinite form, the nominative case ends with -ٌ (-un). In the definite form, it ends with -ُ (-u).

الولدُ ذكيٌ (al-waladu dhakiyyun) the boy is intelligent
بيتٌ كبيرٌ (baytun kabīrun) a big house

In the first sentence, الولد is the subject of a nominal sentence, and thus takes -u. The adjective ذكي also takes -un to agree in case, gender, and definiteness. In the second, بيت is indefinite and also in the nominative because it serves as the subject.

Verbal sentences also mark their subjects with the nominative:

ذهبَ الطالبُ إلى المدرسة (dhahaba at-talibu ila al-madrasa) the student went to the school

Here, الطالب is the subject of the verb ذهب, and so it appears in the nominative.

The Accusative Case (المنصوب – al-manṣūb)

The accusative case is primarily used for the direct object of a verb. It is also used after certain particles, in adverbial phrases, for specifications of time and place, and to mark the subject of verbs like كان (kana – to be in the past) and its sisters.

In the indefinite form, the accusative case ends with -ًا (-an). In the definite form, it ends with -َ (-a).

رأيتُ الطالبَ (ra’aytu at-taliba) I saw the student
اشتريتُ كتاباً جديداً (ishtaraytu kitaban jadīdan) I bought a new book

In the first sentence, الطالب is the direct object of رأيتُ, so it takes the accusative ending. In the second, both كتاباً and its adjective جديداً are in the accusative because كتاب is the object of the verb اشتريت.

The accusative also appears in time expressions:

انتظرتُ ساعةً (intazartu sā‘atan) I waited for an hour

Here, ساعة is not a direct object, but an adverbial expression of time, which takes the accusative case.

In verbal sentences with كان and its sisters, the predicate takes the accusative:

كان الرجلُ مريضاً (kana ar-rajulu marīḍan) the man was sick

الرجل is in the nominative as the subject, and مريضاً takes the accusative as the predicate of كان.

The Genitive Case (المجرور – al-majrūr)

The genitive case is used after prepositions and in the second term of an iḍāfa (possessive) construction. It corresponds to the possessive or "of" relationship in English.

In the indefinite form, the genitive ends with -ٍ (-in). In the definite form, it ends with -ِ (-i).

في البيتِ (fi al-bayti) in the house
من مدينةٍ قديمةٍ (min madīnatin qadīmatin) from an old city
كتابُ الطالبِ (kitābu at-tālibi) the student’s book

In the first sentence, البيت follows the preposition في, and so it takes the genitive ending -i. In the second, مدينة is indefinite and follows the preposition من, so it takes the genitive with -in.

In the iḍāfa construction, the second noun always appears in the genitive case:

بابُ المدرسةِ مغلقٌ (bābu al-madrasati mughlaqun) the school’s door is closed

Here, المدرسة is the second term of the construct and therefore takes -i, showing possession or close relationship.

Summary of Core Case Functions

• Nominative is used for subjects and predicates in equational and verbal sentences.

• Accusative is used for direct objects, adverbials, and predicate complements after certain verbs.

• Genitive is used after prepositions and in possessive structures.

In each case, the endings differ depending on definiteness and function, and these endings must match with adjectives and other modifiers. Correct use of case is critical for understanding meaning and creating well-formed Arabic sentences.

Case Endings and Adjective Agreement

Just like nouns, adjectives in Arabic must agree with the noun they describe in case, gender, number, and definiteness.

رأيتُ كتاباً قديماً (ra’aytu kitāban qadīman) I saw an old book
في الحديقةِ الجميلةِ (fi al-ḥadīqati al-jamīlati) in the beautiful garden
الولدُ الطويلُ (al-waladu aṭ-ṭawīlu) the tall boy

In every example above, both the noun and the adjective take the same case and show this through matching endings.

Pronunciation and Writing

The case endings are part of the i‘rāb system and are normally written using diacritical marks. In formal texts like the Qur’an or educational materials, these endings are included. In newspapers, novels, and other everyday writing, the short vowels and case endings are generally omitted. However, a fluent speaker or reader must be able to infer the correct case from context.

In speaking, the endings are usually pronounced in formal speech or in Qur’anic recitation, but are often dropped in casual speech or replaced by colloquial constructions in dialects.

Adjectives in Arabic

Adjectives are essential to expressing thoughts, opinions, and descriptions in any language, and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is no exception. In Arabic, adjectives not only describe nouns, but they are also tightly bound to them in terms of grammar. That means that adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender, number, definiteness, and case. This grammatical agreement is one of the most important features of Arabic syntax.

The Basic Order: Noun Before Adjective

In Arabic, the adjective always follows the noun it describes, unlike in English where the adjective usually comes before the noun.

بيت جميل (bayt jamīl) a beautiful house
رجل طويل (rajul ṭawīl) a tall man
مدينة قديمة (madīna qadīma) an old city
حديقة كبيرة (ḥadīqa kabīra) a big garden

Notice that the noun appears first, followed by the adjective. This is a consistent rule in Arabic and should always be followed.

Agreement in Gender

Arabic nouns are either masculine or feminine, and the adjective must agree with the noun in gender. Most feminine nouns end in ة, and their corresponding adjectives must also take a ة ending to match.

ولد ذكي (walad dhakī) a smart boy
بنت ذكية (bint dhakiyya) a smart girl
طالب مجتهد (ṭālib mujtahid) a hardworking student (male)
طالبة مجتهدة (ṭāliba mujtahida) a hardworking student (female)

If the noun is masculine, the adjective stays in its basic form. If the noun is feminine, the adjective adds ة to reflect the feminine form.

Agreement in Number

Adjectives also agree with the number of the noun. Arabic distinguishes between singular, dual, and plural, and the adjective must reflect this distinction.

رجلان طويلان (rajulān ṭawīlān) two tall men
فتاتان جميلتان (fatātān jamīlatān) two beautiful girls

The dual form of the adjective ends in -ان (-ān) in the nominative, and -ين (-ayn) in the accusative or genitive, just like nouns.

رجال طِوال (rijāl ṭiwāl) tall men
نساء ذكيات (nisā’ dhakiyyāt) intelligent women

For sound plurals, masculine adjectives usually take -ون (-ūn) or -ين (-īn), while feminine adjectives take -ات (-āt). For broken plurals, adjectives are often in the singular feminine form, even when the noun is plural and non-human.

كتب جديدة (kutub jadīda) new books
سيارات سريعة (sayyārāt sarī‘a) fast cars

Here, كتب and سيارات are plural, but since they are non-human, the adjective is in the singular feminine form.

Agreement in Definiteness

Adjectives in Arabic must also agree with the noun in definiteness. If the noun is definite, the adjective must be definite as well. This means both the noun and the adjective must carry the definite article ال (al-).

الولد الطويل (al-walad aṭ-ṭawīl) the tall boy
البيت الجميل (al-bayt al-jamīl) the beautiful house
البنت الذكية (al-bint adh-dhakiyya) the intelligent girl

If the noun is indefinite, the adjective must also be indefinite and often ends with tanwīn (nunation):

ولدٌ طويلٌ (waladun ṭawīlun) a tall boy
بنتٌ ذكيةٌ (bintun dhakiyyatun) a smart girl

This rule of definiteness agreement is non-negotiable in Arabic and must always be respected.

Agreement in Case

Because Arabic is an inflected language, adjectives must reflect the case of the noun they describe. If the noun is in the nominative case, the adjective will be too. The same applies for the accusative and genitive cases.

هذا كتابٌ مفيدٌ (hādhā kitābun mufīdun) this is a useful book – nominative
قرأتُ كتاباً مفيداً (qara’tu kitāban mufīdan) I read a useful book – accusative
تحدثتُ عن كتابٍ مفيدٍ (taḥaddathtu ‘an kitābin mufīdin) I spoke about a useful book – genitive

In each example, the adjective agrees with كتاب in case, number, definiteness, and gender.

Adjective Phrases

Sometimes, you may use more than one adjective to describe the same noun. In this case, each adjective must agree with the noun in every grammatical feature.

مدينة كبيرة جميلة (madīna kabīra jamīla) a big, beautiful city
الطالب المجتهد الذكي (aṭ-ṭālib al-mujtahid adh-dhakī) the hardworking, intelligent student

Both adjectives follow the noun and are in the same form as the noun they describe.

Adjectives as Predicates

In Arabic, an adjective can also function as the predicate of a sentence. This is common in equational sentences (i.e., sentences that express “X is Y” without a verb).

السماءُ زرقاءُ (as-samā’u zarqā’u) the sky is blue
البيتُ نظيفٌ (al-baytu naẓīfun) the house is clean

In these cases, the noun is the subject, and the adjective acts like the verb “to be.” These sentences still require full agreement.

Position with Idāfa (Genitive Constructions)

In genitive constructions, where two nouns are linked in an "of" relationship, the adjective normally follows the entire structure and agrees with the first noun in gender, number, definiteness, and case.

كتاب الطالبِ الجديدُ (kitābu aṭ-ṭālibi al-jadīdu) the student’s new book
بيت المديرِ الكبيرِ (baytu al-mudīri al-kabīri) the director’s big house

Note that the adjective الجدید describes كتاب, not الطالب, and الكبير describes بيت, not المدير.

Emphatic Adjectives and Intensifiers

Arabic adjectives can be strengthened using words like جداً (jiddan – very), which always follow the adjective:

سيارة سريعة جداً (sayyāra sarī‘a jiddan) a very fast car
طالب ذكي جداً (ṭālib dhakī jiddan) a very smart student

There is no need to change the form of جداً, as it remains invariable.

Pronouns in Arabic

Pronouns are among the most commonly used elements in any language. They replace nouns and help us avoid repetition while maintaining clarity. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), pronouns are both rich and precise. They indicate person (first, second, third), gender (masculine, feminine), and number (singular, dual, plural). Arabic pronouns also function differently depending on whether they are independent, attached, or used as object pronouns.

Understanding pronouns in Arabic requires attention to form and function. Each type of pronoun has a specific role in the sentence, and their use is closely tied to Arabic grammar, including verb conjugation, possession, and prepositions.

Independent Pronouns

Independent pronouns in Arabic are standalone words that replace a noun and act as the subject of a verb or the focus of a sentence. These are the equivalents of English words like I, you, he, she, we, they.

أنا (ana) I
أنتَ (anta) you (masculine singular)
أنتِ (anti) you (feminine singular)
هو (huwa) he
هي (hiya) she
نحن (naḥnu) we
أنتم (antum) you (masculine plural)
أنتن (antunna) you (feminine plural)
هم (hum) they (masculine)
هنّ (hunna) they (feminine)

Examples in context:

أنا طالب (ana ṭālib) I am a student
أنتِ ذكية (anti dhakiyya) you are smart (feminine)
هو مهندس (huwa muhandis) he is an engineer
نحن في المدرسة (naḥnu fī al-madrasa) we are at school

These pronouns are usually used when emphasizing the subject or when there is no verb conjugation to provide clarity. In verbal sentences, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb conjugation already shows who is doing the action.

Subject Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

In Arabic, the conjugation of the verb itself includes the subject pronoun. Therefore, in many sentences, the independent pronoun is not necessary unless for emphasis.

ذهبتُ إلى السوق (dhahabtu ila as-sūq) I went to the market
ذهبتِ إلى السوق (dhahabti ila as-sūq) you went to the market (feminine)
ذهبوا إلى المدرسة (dhahabū ila al-madrasa) they went to the school

The suffixes -tu, -ti, and -ū indicate the subject. The actual independent pronouns (أنا, أنتِ, هم) are not required unless you want to stress the subject.

Attached Pronouns: Possessive and Object Pronouns

Arabic uses a set of attached pronouns that are added directly to the end of nouns, prepositions, and verbs. These pronouns indicate possession or act as direct objects.

Possessive Pronouns

These pronouns are attached to a noun to show ownership.

كتابي (kitābī) my book
كتابكِ (kitābuki) your book (feminine)
كتابه (kitābuhu) his book
كتابها (kitābuhā) her book
كتابنا (kitābunā) our book
كتابهم (kitābuhum) their book (masculine)

Examples:

أحب كتابي (uḥibbu kitābī) I love my book
أين كتابك؟ (ayna kitābuka?) Where is your book? (masculine)
هذا بيتهم (hādhā baytuhum) this is their house

These endings are never written as separate words but are always attached directly to the noun.

Object Pronouns

Attached pronouns also serve as direct or indirect object pronouns, affixed to the end of verbs.

رأيته (ra’aytuhu) I saw him
ساعدتكِ (sa‘adtuki) I helped you (feminine)
قابلناهم (qābalnāhum) we met them

In these examples:

• -hu means him

• -ki means you (feminine)

• -nāhum means we...them

These pronouns must follow the verb directly and are always pronounced as part of the verb form.

Pronouns with Prepositions

Pronouns are also attached to prepositions to indicate the object of the preposition. This is very common in everyday Arabic.

لي (lī) for me
لكَ (laka) for you (masculine)
عليه (‘alayhi) on him
عنها (‘anhā) about her
منهم (minhum) from them

Examples:

هذا لي (hādhā lī) this is for me
ذهبتُ إليه (dhahabtu ilayhi) I went to him
سمعتُ عنها (sami‘tu ‘anhā) I heard about her

These preposition-pronoun combinations are inseparable and must be memorized.

Dual and Plural Pronouns

Arabic includes dual forms (for exactly two people or things) and plural forms (for three or more). These forms are clearly marked in both subject and attached pronouns.

Dual subject pronouns:

أنتما (antumā) you two
هما (humā) they two

Examples:

أنتما صديقان (antumā ṣadīqān) you two are friends
هما طبيبان (humā ṭabībān) they (two) are doctors

Dual attached pronouns:

كتابكما (kitābukumā) your book (for two)
رأيتكما (ra’aytukumā) I saw you two

Plural attached pronouns for possession or object:

كتابكم (kitābukum) your book (masculine plural)
ساعدتكم (sa‘adtkum) I helped you all (masculine)
رأيتكنّ (ra’aytukunna) I saw you all (feminine)

Pronouns for Emphasis and Contrast

Arabic sometimes uses independent pronouns alongside verb conjugations for emphasis or contrast:

أنا كتبتُ الرسالة (ana katabtu ar-risāla) I wrote the letter (not someone else)
هم ذهبوا إلى السوق (hum dhahabū ila as-sūq) they went to the market (as opposed to others)

This usage is common in speech and writing when the speaker wants to stress who performed the action.

Prepositions in Arabic

Prepositions are small but powerful words that express relationships between different elements in a sentence—relationships of place, time, direction, cause, possession, and more. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), prepositions are known as ḥurūf al-jarr (particles of pulling), because they cause the noun that follows them to take the genitive case (majrūr). These prepositions are essential to building sentences with clarity and precision, and they frequently appear in all types of Arabic texts, from literature to conversation.

Arabic prepositions are generally fixed, invariable words that come before the noun or pronoun they govern. That noun is always in the genitive case, whether it is definite or indefinite.

Prepositions of Place and Direction

These prepositions describe where something is or where it is going.

في (fī) in
This preposition is used to indicate location within something.

أنا في البيت (ana fī al-bayt) I am in the house
الولد في المدرسة (al-walad fī al-madrasa) the boy is in the school

The noun following في is always in the genitive case, as seen in البيت and المدرسة.

على (‘alā) on, upon
Used when something is physically located on top of something else.

الكتاب على الطاولة (al-kitāb ‘alā aṭ-ṭāwila) the book is on the table
وضعتُ المفاتيح على الرف (waḍa‘tu al-mafātīḥ ‘alā ar-raff) I placed the keys on the shelf

تحت (taḥt) under
Describes a position beneath something.

الحقيبة تحت الكرسي (al-ḥaqība taḥt al-kursī) the bag is under the chair

فوق (fawq) above, over
Used to describe a position higher than but not necessarily in contact with something.

الطائرة فوق المدينة (aṭ-ṭā’ira fawq al-madīna) the plane is above the city

إلى (ilā) to, toward
This preposition expresses movement toward a destination.

ذهبتُ إلى السوق (dhahabtu ilā as-sūq) I went to the market
سافر إلى مصر (sāfara ilā miṣr) he traveled to Egypt

من (min) from
This is the opposite of إلى and is used to show origin or point of departure.

جئتُ من العمل (ji’tu min al-‘amal) I came from work
خرج من البيت (kharaja min al-bayt) he went out of the house

بين (bayn) between
Used for describing position between two things or more.

الحديقة بين المدرسة والمكتبة (al-ḥadīqa bayn al-madrasa wa al-maktaba) the garden is between the school and the library

Prepositions of Time

Arabic uses prepositions to express relations in time as well.

في (fī) in, at
Used for general times such as months, years, and places in time.

في الصباح (fī aṣ-ṣabāḥ) in the morning
في عام ٢٠٢٠ (fī ‘ām alfayn wa ‘ishrīn) in the year 2020

من...إلى (min...ilā) from...to
Used for indicating a time span or interval.

من الساعة الواحدة إلى الساعة الثالثة (min as-sā‘a al-wāḥida ilā as-sā‘a ath-thālitha) from one o’clock to three o’clock

بعد (ba‘da) after
Used for referring to events that follow another in time.

بعد المدرسة سأذهب إلى البيت (ba‘da al-madrasa sa’adhhab ilā al-bayt) after school I will go home

قبل (qabla) before
The opposite of بعد.

استيقظت قبل الشروق (istaīqaẓtu qabla ash-shurūq) I woke up before sunrise

Prepositions with Pronouns

Arabic prepositions often appear together with attached pronouns, which serve as the object of the preposition. The pronoun is attached directly to the preposition.

لي (lī) for me
له (lahu) for him
لنا (lanā) for us
عليهم (‘alayhim) upon them

Examples:

هذا لي (hādhā lī) this is for me
الكتاب له (al-kitāb lahu) the book is his
الواجب عليكم (al-wājib ‘alaykum) the duty is upon you

These forms must be memorized, as they are used frequently in speech and writing.

Prepositions of Cause and Purpose

Some Arabic prepositions express cause, purpose, or reason.

لـِ (li) for, in order to
This preposition shows benefit or purpose.

أدرس للامتحان (adrusu lil-imtiḥān) I study for the exam
اشتريت الهدية لك (ishtaraytu al-hadiyya laka) I bought the gift for you

بـِ (bi) with, by means of
This versatile preposition shows means, cause, or accompaniment.

كتبتُ بالقلم (katabtu bi al-qalam) I wrote with the pen
نجح بالعمل الجاد (najaḥa bi al-‘amal al-jādd) he succeeded through hard work

عن (‘an) about, concerning
Used for speaking about topics or subjects.

تكلم عن السفر (takallama ‘an as-safar) he spoke about travel
أبحث عن الحقيقة (abḥathu ‘an al-ḥaqīqa) I search for the truth

Special Notes on Prepositional Use

Arabic prepositions often do not translate directly to English. A preposition that works in English might require a different one in Arabic. For instance:

أفكر في الأمر (ufakkir fī al-amr) I am thinking about the matter
(Arabic uses في, while English uses about)

Also, some verbs in Arabic naturally pair with specific prepositions, forming fixed expressions.

ساعد في المشروع (sā‘ada fī al-mashrū‘) he helped in the project
شارك في المسابقة (shāraka fī al-musābaqa) he participated in the competition

Learners should pay close attention to these collocations as they are common and sometimes idiomatic.

Prepositions in Idāfa and Compound Structures

Prepositions are sometimes used before an iḍāfa construction (a possessive noun phrase), in which case only the last word takes the definite article, but the entire phrase is governed by the preposition.

ذهبت إلى بيت المدير (dhahabtu ilā bayt al-mudīr) I went to the director’s house
على سطح المبنى (‘alā saṭḥ al-mabnā) on the roof of the building

Here, بيت المدير and سطح المبنى are both iḍāfa constructions governed by the prepositions إلى and على, respectively.

Adverbs in Arabic

Adverbs are essential components of speech that describe how, when, where, or to what extent an action takes place. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), adverbs play a similar role as they do in English, modifying verbs, adjectives, or even entire sentences to give additional information. However, Arabic adverbs can be either dedicated adverbial words or nouns used adverbially, and their grammatical treatment may differ from what learners expect in Indo-European languages.

In Arabic, adverbs are often referred to as ظروف (ẓurūf), and they can express time (ظرف زمان) or place (ظرف مكان), among other functions. Many adverbs are derived from noun roots and follow specific patterns or structures.

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is done. In English, these often end in -ly (quickly, slowly, carefully). In Arabic, there are several ways to express manner, including using the accusative of specification, fixed adverbial phrases, or using certain adjectives as adverbs.

بسرعة (bisur‘a) quickly
بهدوء (bihudū’) quietly
بعناية (bi‘ināya) carefully

These are often formed by placing بـِ (bi, meaning with) before a verbal noun that indicates the manner of the action.

Examples:

تكلم بسرعة (takallama bisur‘a) he spoke quickly
دخلت الغرفة بهدوء (dakhaltu al-ghurfa bihudū’) I entered the room quietly
قرأ الطفل الدرس بعناية (qara’a aṭ-ṭifl ad-dars bi‘ināya) the child read the lesson carefully

In informal contexts, adjectives are sometimes used in place of these constructions, but the formal register of MSA typically prefers these adverbial noun phrases.

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time indicate when an action occurred. Many of these adverbs are nouns used in the accusative case, functioning adverbially without the need for a preposition.

الآن (al-ān) now
غداً (ghadan) tomorrow
أمس (ams) yesterday
دوماً (dawman) always
أحياناً (aḥyānan) sometimes
عادةً (‘ādatan) usually

Examples:

أستيقظ الآن (astaīqiẓ al-ān) I am waking up now
سأسافر غداً (sa’usāfir ghadan) I will travel tomorrow
ذهبت إلى السوق أمس (dhahabtu ilā as-sūq ams) I went to the market yesterday
أعمل أحياناً في المساء (a‘mal aḥyānan fī al-masā’) I sometimes work in the evening

These adverbs are extremely common and appear frequently at the beginning or end of sentences.

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place indicate where an action happens. Many of these are prepositional phrases or nouns used in the accusative case to denote location.

هنا (hunā) here
هناك (hunāka) there
أمام (amām) in front
خلف (khalf) behind
فوق (fawq) above
تحت (taḥt) below

Examples:

انتظرني هنا (intaẓirnī hunā) wait for me here
الحديقة هناك (al-ḥadīqa hunāka) the garden is there
جلست أمام التلفاز (jalastu amām at-tilfāz) I sat in front of the television
المفتاح تحت الطاولة (al-miftāḥ taḥt aṭ-ṭāwila) the key is under the table

Sometimes these adverbs can function both as prepositions and as standalone adverbs, depending on how they are used.

Adverbs of Frequency

These describe how often something happens. They are usually fixed words and are not derived from roots.

دائماً (dā’iman) always
نادراً (nādiran) rarely
غالباً (ghāliban) often
أبداً (abadan) never (in negative sentences)
أحياناً (aḥyānan) sometimes
كل يوم (kulla yawm) every day

Examples:

أقرأ دائماً قبل النوم (aqra’u dā’iman qabla an-nawm) I always read before sleeping
نذهب إلى المطعم غالباً (nadhhab ilā al-maṭ‘am ghāliban) we often go to the restaurant
لا أذهب أبداً إلى هذا المكان (lā adhhab abadan ilā hādhā al-makān) I never go to this place

Note that أبداً must be used with negation to mean never.

Adverbs as Verbal Modifiers (Accusative of Specification)

Arabic has a special construction known as النصب على التمييز (the accusative of specification), in which a noun is placed in the accusative case to function adverbially.

جلس جلسةً مريحة (jalasa jilsatan murīḥa) he sat in a comfortable manner
سار مشياً سريعاً (sāra mashyan sarī‘an) he walked quickly

Here, جلسةً and مشياً are verbal nouns that act as adverbs of manner. These constructions are stylistically formal and used frequently in classical and literary Arabic.

Emphatic Adverbs and Intensifiers

Adverbs are often used to intensify the meaning of a verb or adjective. These intensifiers can be standalone or part of idiomatic expressions.

جداً (jiddan) very
تماماً (tamāman) completely
حقاً (ḥaqqan) truly
فعلاً (fi‘lan) actually, really
بالضبط (biḍ-ḍabṭ) exactly

Examples:

الجو جميل جداً (al-jaww jamīl jiddan) the weather is very nice
أنا متعب تماماً (ana muta‘ab tamāman) I am completely tired
فعلاً هو طالب ذكي (fi‘lan huwa ṭālib dhakī) he really is a smart student

These adverbs are especially useful in spoken Arabic to convey conviction and emphasis.

Sentence-Adverbial Phrases

Arabic also makes frequent use of entire phrases functioning as adverbials that modify the whole sentence.

في الحقيقة (fī al-ḥaqīqa) in fact
بصراحة (biṣarāḥa) honestly
على الأرجح (‘alā al-arjaḥ) most likely
بدون شك (bidūn shak) without a doubt

Examples:

في الحقيقة، لا أعرف الجواب (fī al-ḥaqīqa, lā a‘rif al-jawāb) in fact, I don’t know the answer
بصراحة، الفيلم كان مملاً (biṣarāḥa, al-film kāna mumillan) honestly, the movie was boring

These are common in both formal and informal writing and are great tools for expressing attitude, perspective, and certainty.

Present Tense Verbs in Arabic

Present Tense Verbs in Modern Standard Arabic: A Comprehensive Guide

In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the present tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening, that happen habitually, or that are generally true. Known in Arabic as المضارع (al-muḍāri‘), the present tense verb is one of the core components of Arabic grammar and a crucial area of study for every learner. Mastering the present tense allows you to describe daily routines, express thoughts and feelings, ask questions, and engage in conversation about the present moment.

Arabic verbs are based on roots—typically composed of three consonants—that convey a general meaning. From each root, a variety of words can be formed, including verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Verbs in the present tense are conjugated with prefixes and suffixes that reflect the person, number, and gender of the subject.

The Structure of the Present Tense

To conjugate a verb in the present tense, Arabic adds specific prefixes and sometimes suffixes to the root. The form of the verb also reflects whether the subject is first, second, or third person; singular, dual, or plural; and masculine or feminine.

Let’s begin with the root ك-ت-ب (k-t-b), which relates to writing. The base form in the present tense is يكتب (yaktub) meaning he writes or he is writing.

Here are some present tense forms of this verb used with different subjects:

أكتب (aktub) I write
تكتب (taktub) you write (masculine singular)
تكتبين (taktubīn) you write (feminine singular)
يكتب (yaktub) he writes
تكتب (taktub) she writes
نكتب (naktub) we write
تكتبون (taktubūn) you write (masculine plural)
تكتبن (taktubna) you write (feminine plural)
يكتبون (yaktubūn) they write (masculine)
يكتبن (yaktubna) they write (feminine)

Each form begins with a prefix that signals the subject, and some forms also include suffixes for gender and number. These patterns are consistent across most regular triliteral verbs.

Meaning and Use

The Arabic present tense can express different types of present-time actions depending on context and supporting words.

Present continuous:

أنا أقرأ الآن (ana aqra’u al-ān) I am reading now
هي تطبخ في المطبخ (hiya taṭbukh fī al-maṭbakh) she is cooking in the kitchen

Habitual actions:

هو يذهب إلى العمل كل يوم (huwa yadhhab ilā al-‘amal kulla yawm) he goes to work every day
نأكل العشاء في الساعة السابعة (na’kul al-‘ashā’ fī as-sā‘a as-sābi‘a) we eat dinner at seven o’clock

General truths:

الشمس تشرق من الشرق (ash-shams tashruq min ash-sharq) the sun rises from the east
الماء يغلي عند مئة درجة (al-mā’ yaghli ‘inda mi’a daraja) water boils at 100 degrees

Arabic does not require an auxiliary verb (such as is or are in English) to form the present continuous. Instead, context or time expressions clarify whether an action is happening now or occurs regularly.

Negating the Present Tense

To make a present tense verb negative, Arabic uses the particle لا (lā) placed before the verb.

لا أدرس اليوم (lā adrusu al-yawm) I am not studying today
لا يلعب في الخارج (lā yal‘ab fī al-khārij) he is not playing outside
لا نأكل اللحم (lā na’kul al-laḥm) we do not eat meat

This negation is simple and does not require any change to the verb form—just the addition of لا before it.

Questions in the Present Tense

To ask a question in the present tense, Arabic typically uses question words, often with هل (hal) or أ (a) at the beginning of a yes/no question.

هل تذهب إلى المدرسة؟ (hal tadhhab ilā al-madrasa?) do you go to school?
ماذا تفعل؟ (mādhā taf‘al?) what are you doing?
متى تبدأ الدرس؟ (matā tabda’ ad-dars?) when does the lesson begin?

Question formation does not require changing the verb form—just adding the appropriate question word or particle.

Common Irregularities

While most verbs in Arabic follow predictable patterns, some verbs have irregularities due to their root letters. These include:

• Weak verbs, where one of the root letters is و or ي

• Hollow verbs, with the middle root being a weak letter

• Doubled verbs, where the second and third root letters are the same

An example of a weak verb is قال (qāla – he said), whose present tense is:

أقول (aqūl) I say
يقول (yaqūl) he says

These irregular verbs must be memorized individually, though they still follow many of the general conjugation principles.

Verb Patterns (Forms)

Arabic has ten major verb forms, each with its own set of meanings and nuances. The Form I verbs (the simplest and most common) are the root-based forms discussed so far. Other forms (II to X) add meaning such as causation, reflexiveness, reciprocity, or intensification.

For example:

Form I:
يكتب (yaktub) he writes

Form II (causative/intensive):
يُدرّس (yudarris) he teaches

Form V (reflexive):
يتعلّم (yata‘allam) he learns

Each form has its own conjugation rules, though all follow the general pattern of prefixes and suffixes to indicate tense and subject.

Using the Present Tense in Longer Sentences

As you gain comfort with the present tense, you will begin to use it in more complex sentences involving conjunctions, object pronouns, and dependent clauses.

أحب أن أقرأ في المساء (uḥibbu an aqra’a fī al-masā’) I like to read in the evening
هي تقول إنها لا تعرف الجواب (hiya taqūlu innahā lā ta‘rif al-jawāb) she says that she doesn’t know the answer
يكتب الرسالة ثم يرسلها (yaktubu ar-risāla thumma yursiluhā) he writes the letter, then sends it

These examples show how the present tense integrates into connected and nuanced discourse.

Past Tense Verbs in Arabic

The past tense in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Known as الفعل الماضي (al-fi‘l al-māḍī), it is one of the most regular and foundational parts of Arabic grammar. Learning how to use and conjugate past tense verbs allows you to narrate stories, describe events, talk about your day, and build complex sentences.

Unlike English, which uses auxiliary verbs like did, was, or have to form the past tense, Arabic expresses past actions through changes in the verb itself. This is done by adding specific suffixes to a root form. The Arabic past tense is perfective, meaning it focuses on completed actions—what has already happened.

Root System and Verb Patterns

Arabic verbs are typically based on a trilateral root—three consonants that carry the core meaning. From this root, different verb patterns and derived forms are created. The most basic and commonly used pattern is Form I (الفعل الثلاثي المجرد).

For example, the root ك-ت-ب (k-t-b) carries the idea of writing. The base past tense form for this root is:

كتب (kataba) he wrote

From here, we create conjugated forms by attaching suffixes.

Personal Suffixes in the Past Tense

In the past tense, Arabic uses suffixes (endings) to indicate the subject of the verb—its person (first, second, third), gender, and number (singular, dual, plural). The verb stem itself remains stable in regular verbs.

Using كتب (kataba), here are examples of the verb with different subjects:

أنا كتبتُ (ana katabtu) I wrote
أنتَ كتبتَ (anta katabta) you wrote (masculine singular)
أنتِ كتبتِ (anti katabti) you wrote (feminine singular)
هو كتب (huwa kataba) he wrote
هي كتبت (hiya katabat) she wrote
نحن كتبنا (naḥnu katabnā) we wrote
أنتم كتبتم (antum katabtum) you wrote (masculine plural)
أنتن كتبتن (antunna katabtunna) you wrote (feminine plural)
هم كتبوا (hum katabū) they wrote (masculine)
هن كتبن (hunna katabna) they wrote (feminine)

These suffixes are consistent across most regular Form I verbs and are key to forming grammatically correct past-tense sentences in Arabic.

Past Tense and Gender

Arabic explicitly marks the gender of the subject in the verb conjugation. For example:

أنتَ ذهبتَ إلى السوق (anta dhahabta ilā as-sūq) you went to the market (masculine)
أنتِ ذهبتِ إلى السوق (anti dhahabti ilā as-sūq) you went to the market (feminine)
هم ذهبوا (hum dhahabū) they went (masculine)
هن ذهبن (hunna dhahabna) they went (feminine)

This agreement is essential for fluent and accurate Arabic speech and writing. Even though Arabic verbs often imply the subject, this gender information is built into the verb itself.

Past Tense in Sentences

Arabic past tense verbs are used with or without explicit subjects, depending on the context.

ذهبتُ إلى المدرسة (dhahabtu ilā al-madrasa) I went to school
أكلتْ الفتاة الطعام (akalat al-fatāh aṭ-ṭa‘ām) the girl ate the food
قرأ المعلم الكتاب (qara’a al-mu‘allim al-kitāb) the teacher read the book

Note that in these examples, the verb comes first, followed by the subject and object. This is the default verb-subject-object word order in Arabic, though subject-verb-object is also possible in many situations.

Negative Form of the Past Tense

To negate past tense verbs, Arabic uses the particle ما (mā) placed directly before the verb.

ما درستُ (mā darastu) I did not study
ما ذهبوا إلى العمل (mā dhahabū ilā al-‘amal) they did not go to work
ما شربتِ القهوة؟ (mā sharibti al-qahwa?) didn’t you drink the coffee?

No changes are made to the verb itself—only the addition of ما. This makes the past tense negation quite straightforward.

Asking Questions in the Past Tense

Questions in Arabic involving the past tense can begin with question particles or question words.

هل ذهبتَ إلى الحفل؟ (hal dhahabta ilā al-ḥafl?) did you go to the party?
متى كتبتَ الرسالة؟ (matā katabta ar-risāla?) when did you write the letter?
من قرأ هذا الكتاب؟ (man qara’a hādhā al-kitāb?) who read this book?

The verb remains in the past tense and is placed after the question word or particle.

Irregular and Weak Verbs

Some verbs in Arabic undergo changes in the past tense due to the presence of weak letters (و or ي) in their roots or due to other irregularities.

For example, the verb قال (qāla – he said) comes from the root ق-و-ل.

قال (qāla) he said
قلتُ (qultu) I said
قالت (qālat) she said
قالوا (qālū) they said

Another example is جاء (jā’a – he came), from ج-ي-ء:

جاء (jā’a) he came
جئتُ (ji’tu) I came
جاءت (jā’at) she came

These verbs must be learned as exceptions, although many still follow regular endings.

Verb Forms and Past Tense

Arabic has ten primary verb forms. Form I verbs are the most basic, but Forms II through X involve added letters that modify the meaning of the root in predictable ways.

Form II (causative/intensive):
درّس (darrasa) he taught

درّستُ العربية للطلاب (darrastu al-‘arabiyya liṭ-ṭullāb) I taught Arabic to the students

Form V (reflexive):
تعلّم (ta‘allama) he learned

تعلّمتُ كثيراً في المدرسة (ta‘allamtu kathīran fī al-madrasa) I learned a lot in school

Each of these derived forms has its own pattern of suffixes, but they all follow the same past tense conjugation logic as Form I verbs.

Future Tense Verbs in Arabic

In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen after the present moment. Whether you want to talk about plans, make predictions, or express expectations, the future tense is essential for fluent communication. In Arabic, there is no entirely separate verb conjugation for the future. Instead, the present tense verb is modified by the addition of certain particles to express future meaning.

The Basic Structure of the Future Tense

To form the future tense in MSA, Arabic uses one of two particles placed before the present tense verb. These particles are:

سـَ (sa-) – a short prefix that attaches directly to the verb
سوف (sawfa) – a longer, separate word placed before the verb

Both mean will, and both express actions that are expected to happen in the future. سـَ tends to imply near future or informal usage, while سوف often emphasizes certainty or a more distant or formal future.

For example, the present tense verb يذهب (yadhhab) means he goes. To say he will go, you can say:

سيذهب (sayadhhab) he will go
سوف يذهب (sawfa yadhhab) he will go

The meaning is essentially the same, though سوف may sound more emphatic or literary.

Future Tense Examples with Different Subjects

Arabic verbs change their form depending on the subject. The future particle is simply added in front of the present tense form of the verb, which already encodes person, number, and gender.

سأكتب (sa’aktub) I will write
سوف تكتب (sawfa taktub) you (masculine) will write
سيقرأ (sa-yaqra’) he will read
سوف تذهبين (sawfa tadhhabīn) you (feminine) will go
سنعود (sana‘ūd) we will return
سوف يدرسون (sawfa yadrusūn) they (masculine) will study

Each example includes a verb in the present tense form, preceded by سـَ or سوف. These particles are never used with past tense verbs.

Expressing Future Intentions and Plans

In MSA, the future tense can describe intentions, arrangements, or planned actions. Time expressions are often used for clarity.

سأزور جدتي غداً (sa’azūr jaddatī ghadan) I will visit my grandmother tomorrow
سوف نسافر في عطلة نهاية الأسبوع (sawfa nusāfir fī ‘uṭlat nihāyat al-usbū‘) we will travel during the weekend break
سيبدأ الدرس بعد قليل (sayabda’ ad-dars ba‘da qalīl) the lesson will start shortly

Notice how Arabic does not use a helping verb like will be—the future is formed entirely by the particle + present verb.

Using the Future Tense with Verbs of Expectation

Future verbs are frequently used with expressions of hope, desire, or expectation, such as:

أتمنى أن... (atamannā an...) I hope that...
أعتقد أن... (a‘taqid anna...) I believe that...
من المتوقع أن... (min al-mutawaqqa‘ an...) it is expected that...

Examples:

أتمنى أن تنجح في الامتحان (atamannā an tanjaḥ fī al-imtiḥān) I hope you succeed in the exam
من المتوقع أن تصل الطائرة في الوقت (min al-mutawaqqa‘ an taṣil aṭ-ṭā’ira fī al-waqt) the plane is expected to arrive on time

In these cases, the verb after أن (an) is in the present tense but refers to the future due to the context.

Negative Future Tense

To negate the future tense, Arabic uses the particle لن (lan), which is always followed by a verb in the present tense, but with future negative meaning. لن expresses a strong denial that something will happen.

لن أذهب (lan adhhab) I will not go
لن نأكل هذا الطعام (lan na’kul hādhā aṭ-ṭa‘ām) we will not eat this food
لن تنجح بدون دراسة (lan tanjaḥ bidūn dirāsa) you will not succeed without studying

Unlike سوف and سـَ, the particle لن changes the mood of the verb from indicative to subjunctive, which is reflected in the final vowel in fully vocalized texts. However, this is mainly relevant in Qur’anic or literary Arabic.

Asking Questions in the Future Tense

Yes/no questions in the future use either هل (hal) or أ (a) followed by a future tense verb, or they begin directly with سوف or سـَ for more natural usage.

هل ستسافر إلى بيروت؟ (hal satusāfir ilā bayrūt?) will you travel to Beirut?
متى ستبدأ المباراة؟ (matā satabda’ al-mubārāh?) when will the match start?
هل سوف تزور المتحف؟ (hal sawfa tazūr al-matḥaf?) will you visit the museum?

The verb still takes the present tense form, and the future particle shows the intended time frame.

Using Time Markers with the Future

Arabic often uses time adverbs or phrases to anchor the future action in time. Some of the most common are:

غداً (ghadan) tomorrow
في المستقبل (fī al-mustaqbal) in the future
بعد قليل (ba‘da qalīl) soon
الأسبوع القادم (al-usbū‘ al-qādim) next week
يوماً ما (yawmān mā) someday

Examples:

سأذهب إلى الجامعة الأسبوع القادم (sa’adhhab ilā al-jāmi‘a al-usbū‘ al-qādim) I will go to the university next week
سوف نلتقي بعد قليل (sawfa naltaqī ba‘da qalīl) we will meet soon

These expressions give context and help distinguish future actions from habitual or present ones.

Future in Conditional Sentences

In conditional sentences, the first clause often uses a present tense verb, while the second clause expresses a result in the future.

إذا درستَ، ستنجح (idhā darasta, satanjaḥ) if you study, you will succeed
إذا ذهبتَ الآن، سوف تصل في الوقت المناسب (idhā dhahabta al-ān, sawfa taṣil fī al-waqt al-munāsib) if you go now, you will arrive on time

This structure is useful for making promises, predictions, or setting conditions.

Imperatives in Arabic

The imperative mood in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), known as الأمر (al-amr), is used to give commands, instructions, requests, or prohibitions. It is a direct and efficient form that enables speakers to tell someone to do something—or not to do something. Unlike the past or present tenses, which describe actions across time, the imperative is focused on causing an immediate or future action.

The imperative is only used when addressing the second person—that is, you. You can command a single person, two people (dual), or a group (plural), and Arabic marks gender distinctions in all these forms.

How the Imperative Is Formed

The imperative is formed by modifying the present tense verb in the second person, removing the subject prefix تـ (ta-) and often adding a helping vowel at the beginning. The exact vowel used (usually ا, ي, or أ) depends on the internal structure of the verb and on phonological needs.

Let’s start with the root ك-ت-ب (k-t-b), which means to write. The second person masculine singular in the present tense is:

تكتب (taktub) you write

To form the imperative:

1. Remove the تـ (ta-) prefix

2. Add a vowel (in this case, ا) to help with pronunciation

The result is:

اكتب (uktub) write! (to a man)

The verb اكتب is now in the imperative mood.

Imperative Forms by Gender and Number

Arabic distinguishes between masculine and feminine, singular and plural in imperative forms.

اكتب (uktub) write! (masculine singular)
اكتبي (uktubī) write! (feminine singular)
اكتبا (uktubā) write! (dual – both genders)
اكتبوا (uktubū) write! (masculine plural)
اكتبن (uktubna) write! (feminine plural)

These endings are added to the base imperative stem. As with present tense verbs, the suffixes indicate gender and number, and must match the person being addressed.

Examples:

اقرأ الكتاب (iqra’ al-kitāb) read the book!
افتح الباب (iftaḥ al-bāb) open the door!
اذهبي إلى السوق (idhhabī ilā as-sūq) go to the market! (to a woman)
اجلسوا هنا (ijlisū hunā) sit here! (to a group of men)

Note that Arabic does not require the use of a separate pronoun like you in commands. The verb form itself conveys all the necessary information.

Helping Vowels in the Imperative

Arabic often needs a helping vowel (also called a prosthetic vowel) to make the imperative form pronounceable. The choice of vowel depends on the shape of the verb:

• Most regular verbs take ا (a or u)

• Verbs that begin with a vowel in the present tense usually take أ or ي

For example:

ينزل (yanzil) he descends
انزل (inzil) descend!

يفتح (yaftaḥ) he opens
افتح (iftaḥ) open!

يأكل (ya’kul) he eats
كُل (kul) eat! — irregular, no helping vowel needed

These vowels are not semantically meaningful; they are simply required by Arabic phonology to make the word pronounceable.

Weak Verbs in the Imperative

Arabic verbs that contain weak letters (و or ي) may undergo changes in the imperative. These irregularities must be learned individually, though they follow predictable patterns.

قال (qāla) he said → قُل (qul) say!
أخذ (akhadha) he took → خُذ (khudh) take!
جاء (jā’a) he came → جِئْ (ji’) come!

These forms often drop letters or change vowels in order to preserve pronunciation and rhythm.

Examples:

قُل الحقيقة (qul al-ḥaqīqa) tell the truth!
خُذ الكتاب (khudh al-kitāb) take the book!
جِئْ بسرعة (ji’ bisur‘a) come quickly!

Negative Imperative (Prohibition)

To tell someone not to do something, Arabic does not use the regular imperative form. Instead, it uses the particle لا (lā) followed by the present tense verb in the jussive mood.

Examples:

لا تذهب (lā tadhhab) don’t go!
لا تأكل هنا (lā ta’kul hunā) don’t eat here!
لا تفتح الباب (lā taftaḥ al-bāb) don’t open the door!
لا تكتبي في الدفتر (lā taktubī fī ad-daftar) don’t write in the notebook! (to a woman)

This construction is called النهي (an-nahy)—the mood of prohibition. It is used extensively in rules, warnings, polite refusals, and everyday instructions.

Politeness and Softening Commands

Arabic imperatives can sound very direct, so speakers often soften commands with polite expressions, especially in formal or respectful situations. Common polite particles include:

من فضلك (min faḍlik) please (to a man)
من فضلكِ (min faḍliki) please (to a woman)
رجاءً (rajā’an) please
هل يمكنك أن...؟ (hal yumkinuka an...?) can you...?

Examples:

من فضلك، اغلق النافذة (min faḍlik, ighliq an-nāfidha) please, close the window
هل يمكنك أن تشرح الدرس؟ (hal yumkinuka an tashraḥ ad-dars?) can you explain the lesson?

While these are not strictly grammatical changes, they are very important in real-life communication.

Imperatives in Instructions and Recipes

Arabic uses the imperative frequently in instructions, recipes, and user manuals. You’ll find this form especially common in cookbooks, classroom directions, and public signs.

اخلط المكونات جيداً (ikhliṭ al-mukawwināt jayyidan) mix the ingredients well
أضف السكر تدريجياً (aḍif as-sukkar tadrijiyyan) add the sugar gradually
اضغط الزر للبدء (iḍghaṭ az-zirr lil-bad’) press the button to start
توقف هنا (ta-waqqaf hunā) stop here

This practical use of the imperative is one of the first you’ll encounter when reading real Arabic outside of textbooks.

Passives in Arabic

In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the passive voice is used to shift the focus of a sentence away from the doer of the action (the subject) and toward the receiver of the action (the object). In English, this is usually done by using auxiliary verbs like was, were, or is being followed by a past participle. For example: The letter was written or The food is being eaten.

Arabic, however, forms the passive in a very different way. It does not use separate helping verbs. Instead, it changes the vowels inside the verb itself—a method unique to Semitic languages. This internal change transforms an active verb into its passive equivalent. This process is applied to both past and present tense verbs.

Understanding the Passive Voice in Arabic

The passive voice in Arabic answers the question: what happened to the object? rather than who did the action? In many cases, the doer of the action is either unknown, irrelevant, or deliberately omitted.

الكتاب كُتب (al-kitāb kutiba) the book was written
الباب يُفتح الآن (al-bāb yuftaḥ al-ān) the door is being opened now

In both examples, the verb is in the passive, and the agent (the person doing the writing or opening) is not mentioned.

Passive Voice in the Past Tense

In the past tense, the passive is formed by changing the vowel pattern of the active verb. For most regular triliteral verbs (three-letter roots), the pattern shifts from a-a-a to u-i-a.

Let’s take the root ك-ت-ب (k-t-b), which means to write.

Active:
كتب (kataba) he wrote

Passive:
كُتب (kutiba) it was written

Examples:

الرسالة كُتبت أمس (ar-risāla kutibat ams) the letter was written yesterday
البيت بُني عام ٢٠١٠ (al-bayt buniya ‘ām alfayn wa ‘ashra) the house was built in 2010
الطالب طُرد من المدرسة (aṭ-ṭālib ṭurida min al-madrasa) the student was expelled from the school

Note that although the subject is the grammatical subject in the sentence, it was formerly the object in the active voice. The verb remains in third person, but the meaning is now passive.

Passive Voice in the Present Tense

In the present tense, the passive is also formed by changing the vowel pattern of the verb. Instead of ya-ktub, the pattern becomes yu-ktab.

Let’s continue with كتب (kataba).

Active:
يكتب (yaktub) he writes

Passive:
يُكتب (yuktab) it is being written

Examples:

الرسالة تُكتب الآن (ar-risāla tuktab al-ān) the letter is being written now
الطعام يُطهى في المطبخ (aṭ-ṭa‘ām yuṭhā fī al-maṭbakh) the food is being cooked in the kitchen
القرار يُتخذ بسرعة (al-qarār yuttakhadh bisur‘a) the decision is being made quickly

The present tense prefix يـ (ya-) is retained, but the internal vowels change to u and a to signal passivity. In some derived forms (like Form VIII), assimilation of letters may occur, but the principle remains the same.

Passive with Derived Verb Forms

Arabic has ten major verb forms, and many of them also have passive equivalents. The passive of these forms is typically built on the same structure as Form I, but with different internal vowel changes. Let’s look at a few examples.

درّس (darrasa) – he taught → دُرّس (durrisa) – he was taught
أرسل (arsala) – he sent → أُرسل (ursila) – he was sent
استقبل (istaqbola) – he received → استُقبل (ustuqbila) – he was received

Examples:

الطلاب دُرّسوا من قبل أساتذة محترفين (aṭ-ṭullāb durrisū min qibali asātiḏa muḥtarifīn) the students were taught by professional teachers
الرسالة أُرسلت بالبريد الإلكتروني (ar-risāla ursilat bil-barīd al-iliktrūnī) the message was sent by email
الضيف استُقبل بحفاوة (aḍ-ḍayf ustuqbila biḥafāwa) the guest was received warmly

With derived forms, the doer of the action (if mentioned) is often introduced with مِن قبل (min qibali) or simply من (min), meaning by.

Passive with Pronouns

Passive verbs can still appear in sentences with object pronouns, although in many cases, the passive is used to avoid direct reference to the agent.

أُعطيتُ فرصة جديدة (u‘ṭītu furṣa jadīda) I was given a new chance
سُئلتِ عن رأيك؟ (su’ilti ‘an ra’yiki?) were you asked for your opinion? (to a woman)
قُتلوا في الحرب (qutilū fī al-ḥarb) they were killed in the war

These forms are based on first or second person subject endings added to the passive verb form.

The Agent in Passive Sentences

In Arabic, when the agent (the doer) is explicitly mentioned in a passive sentence, it is introduced with من (min – by) or من قبل (min qibali – by the hand of).

كُتب الكتاب من قبل المؤلف الشهير (kutiba al-kitāb min qibali al-mu’allif ash-shahīr) the book was written by the famous author
يُقرأ القرآن من قبل ملايين المسلمين (yuqra’ al-qur’ān min qibali malāyīn al-muslimīn) the Quran is read by millions of Muslims

This is comparable to saying by in English, though Arabic tends to omit the agent unless it is necessary for clarity.

The Use and Style of the Passive

In Arabic, the passive voice is used:

• When the agent is unknown or unimportant

• When the speaker wants to emphasize the action rather than the doer

• In news reports, official documents, and academic writing

• For stylistic variation in formal texts

For example, Arabic news headlines often use the passive to sound formal and objective:

قُبض على المتهم (qubiḍa ‘alā al-muttaham) the suspect was arrested
أُعلن عن النتائج اليوم (u‘lina ‘an an-natā’ij al-yawm) the results were announced today

However, in spoken Arabic and dialects, the passive is less common and may be replaced by periphrastic constructions (such as using the verb get or passive-like expressions).

Negation in Arabic

Negation is a vital part of expressing meaning in any language. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), negation is used to deny facts, express contradictions, ask negative questions, or prohibit actions. Arabic employs a variety of particles and structures to negate verbs, nouns, and sentences. Unlike English, which uses a single word like not with auxiliaries, Arabic has different negation words depending on tense, sentence type, and context.

Negating Verbs in the Past Tense with ما

When negating an action in the past tense, Arabic uses the particle ما (mā) followed directly by the past tense verb.

ما ذهبتُ إلى المدرسة (mā dhahabtu ilā al-madrasa) I did not go to school
ما شربتَ القهوة؟ (mā sharibta al-qahwa?) did you not drink the coffee?
ما كتبوا الرسالة (mā katabū ar-risāla) they did not write the letter

This is the most common and neutral way to negate past actions. It is simple and direct. The verb remains fully conjugated for tense and person.

In negative questions, ما often expresses surprise or disapproval:

ما حضرتَ الاجتماع؟ (mā ḥaḍarta al-ijtimā‘?) did you not attend the meeting?

Negating Verbs in the Present Tense with لا

For present tense verbs, Arabic uses the particle لا (lā), which is placed before the present tense verb form.

لا أقرأ الجريدة كل يوم (lā aqra’ al-jarīda kulla yawm) I do not read the newspaper every day
هي لا تفهم الدرس (hiya lā tafham ad-dars) she does not understand the lesson
لا يعملون يوم الجمعة (lā ya‘malūn yawm al-jum‘a) they do not work on Fridays

This structure is used for habitual actions, ongoing situations, or general facts. It is the equivalent of do not / does not in English.

Negating Verbs in the Future with لن

To express future negation, Arabic uses the particle لن (lan), which is followed by the present tense verb in the subjunctive mood. This mood slightly changes the final vowel of the verb in fully vocalized texts, but the basic verb form remains familiar.

لن أذهب غداً (lan adhhab ghadan) I will not go tomorrow
لن تسافر إلى باريس (lan tusāfir ilā bārīs) she will not travel to Paris
لن نأكل في المطعم الليلة (lan na’kul fī al-maṭ‘am al-layla) we will not eat at the restaurant tonight

لن is a strong negation that implies a definite refusal or denial of a future event. It is not just a possibility—it indicates certainty that something will not happen.

Negating Nominal Sentences with ليس

Nominal sentences in Arabic—those that do not have a verb, especially in the present tense—are negated with the particle ليس (laysa), which acts like a verb and agrees with the subject in person, number, and gender.

الجو جميل (al-jaww jamīl) the weather is beautiful
الجو ليس جميلاً (al-jaww laysa jamīlan) the weather is not beautiful

أنا متعب (ana muta‘ab) I am tired
أنا لستُ متعباً (ana lastu muta‘aban) I am not tired

هو طالب (huwa ṭālib) he is a student
هو ليس طالباً (huwa laysa ṭāliban) he is not a student

The word ليس is actually the past tense form of a defective verb that behaves like to not be. It must agree with the subject:

• أنا لستُ (ana lastu) I am not

• أنتَ لستَ (anta lasta) you are not (masculine)

• أنتِ لستِ (anti lasti) you are not (feminine)

• هو ليس (huwa laysa) he is not

• هي ليست (hiya laysat) she is not

• نحن لسنا (naḥnu lasnā) we are not

• أنتم لستم (antum lastum) you are not (plural)

• هم ليسوا (hum laysū) they are not

This form is only used for negating equational sentences or identity statements, especially in the present.

Negative Imperatives with لا

Arabic negates commands (the imperative mood) using the particle لا (lā) followed by the verb in the jussive mood (marked by a lack of final vowel endings in formal grammar). This is used to tell someone not to do something.

لا تذهب! (lā tadhhab!) don’t go!
لا تلمس هذا! (lā talmas hādhā!) don’t touch this!
لا تتحدث بسرعة! (lā tataḥaddath bisur‘a!) don’t speak quickly!

This form is called النهي (an-nahy), the mood of prohibition. It is used with second-person present tense forms and is extremely common in instructions, signs, and warnings.

Other Negation Words and Phrases

Modern Standard Arabic also uses additional negative particles in more specific or formal contexts:

لم (lam) – used to negate past actions with the present tense verb in the jussive mood, often in formal speech or literary Arabic.

لم أقرأ الكتاب (lam aqra’ al-kitāb) I did not read the book

ما زال (mā zāla) – used to express ongoing action in the negative by saying “no longer” or “still not”.

ما زلتُ مريضاً (mā ziltu marīḍan) I am still sick
ما زال ينتظر (mā zāla yantaẓir) he is still waiting

ليس بعد (laysa ba‘d) – means not yet

هل أكلت؟ لا، ليس بعد (hal akalta? lā, laysa ba‘d) did you eat? No, not yet

أبداً (abadan) – means never, but it must be used with negative particles like ما or لم.

ما خرجتُ أبداً (mā kharajtu abadan) I never went out
لم أسافر أبداً (lam usāfir abadan) I have never traveled

Double Negation and Emphasis

In Arabic, double negation is not used as it is in some dialects of English. You cannot say something like I don’t know nothing—that would be grammatically incorrect in Arabic.

However, emphasis can be added with expressions such as:

لا أحد (lā aḥad) no one
لا شيء (lā shay’) nothing
لا مكان (lā makān) nowhere

Examples:

لا أحد يحب الكذب (lā aḥad yuḥibb al-kadhib) no one likes lying
لا شيء حدث اليوم (lā shay’ ḥadatha al-yawm) nothing happened today

Summary of Main Negation Particles

• ما + past tense verb: to negate completed past actions

• لا + present tense verb: to negate present or habitual actions

• لن + subjunctive verb: to negate future actions

• ليس + noun/adjective: to negate nominal sentences in the present

• لا + jussive verb: to give negative commands

• لم + jussive verb: to negate past actions (literary/formal)

Sentence Structure in Arabic

One of the most fascinating aspects of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is its flexible word order. Unlike English, which relies heavily on a strict Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, Arabic allows for multiple syntactic arrangements depending on emphasis, style, and context. This flexibility gives Arabic its poetic rhythm, rhetorical force, and structural variety.

The two most common word orders in MSA are:

• Verb–Subject–Object (VSO): this is considered the default or neutral order in Arabic

• Subject–Verb–Object (SVO): this is used for emphasis, contrast, or when the subject is already known

The Default Order: Verb–Subject–Object (VSO)

In Arabic, a typical verbal sentence begins with the verb, followed by the subject, then the object (if any).

قرأ الولد الكتاب (qara’a al-walad al-kitāb) the boy read the book

Here, the verb قرأ (qara’a – he read) comes first, followed by the subject الولد (al-walad – the boy), and then the object الكتاب (al-kitāb – the book).

This word order is most common in narrative, news reporting, and formal writing. It emphasizes the action first, rather than who performed it.

Other examples:

ذهب الطالب إلى المدرسة (dhahaba aṭ-ṭālib ilā al-madrasa) the student went to school
أكل الرجل التفاحة (akala ar-rajul at-tuffāḥa) the man ate the apple
سمعت الفتاة الأغنية (sami‘at al-fatāh al-ughniyya) the girl heard the song

Even in complex sentences, Arabic usually prefers to start with the verb:

بدأ المؤتمر صباحاً في القاعة الكبرى (bada’a al-mu’tamar ṣabāḥan fī al-qā‘a al-kubrā) the conference began in the morning in the main hall

The Alternative Order: Subject–Verb–Object (SVO)

Although VSO is more common, Arabic also uses the Subject–Verb–Object structure, especially in spoken Arabic, questions, negation, or when the subject is emphasized.

الولد قرأ الكتاب (al-walad qara’a al-kitāb) the boy read the book

This puts focus on who performed the action, and is especially useful when introducing a new topic or contrasting two subjects.

Examples:

المعلم شرح الدرس بوضوح (al-mu‘allim sharaḥ ad-dars bi-wuḍūḥ) the teacher explained the lesson clearly
الطلاب فهموا القواعد بسرعة (aṭ-ṭullāb fahimū al-qawā‘id bisur‘a) the students understood the rules quickly

You may also see SVO word order in nominal sentences (without a verb), which are common in present tense expressions:

البيت كبير (al-bayt kabīr) the house is big
أخي طالب (akhī ṭālib) my brother is a student

Adjective Placement

In Arabic, adjectives come after nouns, and they must agree with the noun in gender, number, case, and definiteness.

ولد طويل (walad ṭawīl) a tall boy
البيت الكبير (al-bayt al-kabīr) the big house
سيارة جميلة (sayyāra jamīla) a beautiful car

When the adjective modifies a definite noun, it also takes the definite article ال:

الكتاب المفيد (al-kitāb al-mufīd) the useful book
المقالة الطويلة (al-maqāla aṭ-ṭawīla) the long article

Prepositional Phrases and Adverbials

Prepositional phrases and adverbial expressions of time or place usually come after the verb or at the end of the sentence.

جلس الطفل في الحديقة (jalasa aṭ-ṭifl fī al-ḥadīqa) the child sat in the garden
استيقظت مبكراً اليوم (istaīqaẓtu mubakkiran al-yawm) I woke up early today
سافرنا إلى بيروت الأسبوع الماضي (sāfarnā ilā bayrūt al-usbū‘ al-māḍī) we traveled to Beirut last week

These elements provide extra information but don’t typically interrupt the core structure of verb–subject–object unless for stylistic effect.

Nominal Sentences: No Verb Needed

Arabic can form complete present-tense sentences without using a verb. These nominal sentences begin with a noun or pronoun and are followed by a predicate—usually an adjective, noun, or prepositional phrase.

أنا متعب (ana muta‘ab) I am tired
السماء زرقاء (as-samā’ zarqā’) the sky is blue
أمي في البيت (ummī fī al-bayt) my mother is at home

To negate a nominal sentence, Arabic uses ليس (laysa):

أخي ليس في الغرفة (akhī laysa fī al-ghurfa) my brother is not in the room
الطالب ليس جاهزاً (aṭ-ṭālib laysa jāhizan) the student is not ready

Questions and Inverted Word Order

When asking yes/no questions, Arabic often keeps the usual word order but introduces a question particle such as هل (hal) or أ (a-).

هل قرأت الكتاب؟ (hal qara’ta al-kitāb?) did you read the book?
أذهبت إلى السوق؟ (adhahabta ilā as-sūq?) did you go to the market?

With question words like متى (when), أين (where), لماذا (why), or كيف (how), the question word comes at the beginning, followed by a full sentence.

متى تبدأ المباراة؟ (matā tabda’ al-mubārāh?) when does the match begin?
أين تسكن؟ (ayna taskun?) where do you live?
كيف عرفت؟ (kayfa ‘arafta?) how did you know?

Emphasis Through Word Order

Arabic speakers use word order strategically to emphasize a particular part of the sentence. By changing the order of elements, they can draw attention to the verb, subject, object, or other elements.

الكتاب قرأه الطالب (al-kitāb qara’ahu aṭ-ṭālib) the book, the student read it – emphasis on the book
إلى السوق ذهب محمد (ilā as-sūq dhahaba muḥammad) to the market, Muhammad went – emphasis on destination

This kind of stylistic flexibility is especially common in poetry, formal speech, and classical Arabic literature.

Word Order in Relative Clauses

In Arabic, relative clauses begin with the relative pronoun الذي (alladhī – who/that/which) or its variations, and the structure follows the typical word order of a full sentence.

الرجل الذي كتب الرسالة (ar-rajul alladhī kataba ar-risāla) the man who wrote the letter
البيت الذي اشتراه أبي كبير (al-bayt alladhī ishtarāhu abī kabīr) the house my father bought is big

Even inside relative clauses, Arabic tends to begin with the verb if possible.

Questions in Arabic

Questions in Modern Standard Arabic: A Comprehensive Guide

Asking questions is a fundamental part of communication in any language, and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) offers a rich and systematic way of forming questions. Whether you're gathering information, confirming details, or expressing curiosity, Arabic has precise tools for framing both yes/no questions and information questions using interrogative words.

Yes/No Questions

The simplest type of question in Arabic is a yes/no question, which expects an answer of either نعم (na‘am – yes) or لا (lā – no). There are two main ways to form such questions.

1. Using the question particle هل

The particle هل (hal) is placed at the beginning of a declarative sentence to turn it into a question. The word order of the sentence remains the same.

هل تحب القهوة؟ (hal tuḥibb al-qahwa?) do you like coffee?
هل قرأت الكتاب؟ (hal qara’ta al-kitāb?) did you read the book?
هل يعيش هنا؟ (hal ya‘īsh hunā?) does he live here?

This method is neutral and very common in both written and spoken MSA.

2. Using the prefix أ before the verb

In some contexts, especially in more literary or rhetorical Arabic, the prefix أ (a-) can be added to the beginning of the verb to form a yes/no question.

أذهبت إلى السوق؟ (adhahabta ilā as-sūq?) did you go to the market?
أفهمت الدرس؟ (afahimta ad-dars?) did you understand the lesson?

This form is a bit more formal and may be found in classical Arabic or formal speech. The meaning remains the same as using هل.

Open-Ended Questions: Using Interrogative Words

Arabic has a range of interrogative words (أدوات الاستفهام) that correspond to who, what, where, when, why, how, and other question formats. These words usually appear at the beginning of the question, followed by the appropriate verb and subject.

من (man) – who

Used to ask about people.

من هذا؟ (man hādhā?) who is this?
من كتب الرسالة؟ (man kataba ar-risāla?) who wrote the letter?
من يعيش في هذا البيت؟ (man ya‘īsh fī hādhā al-bayt?) who lives in this house?

ماذا (mādhā) – what

Used to ask about things or actions. When followed by a verb, it functions like what + verb.

ماذا تدرس؟ (mādhā tadrus?) what do you study?
ماذا تفعل الآن؟ (mādhā taf‘al al-ān?) what are you doing now?
ماذا قال المعلم؟ (mādhā qāla al-mu‘allim?) what did the teacher say?

Note: If ما (mā) is used instead of ماذا, it is often followed by a noun and means what is...

ما اسمك؟ (mā ismuka?) what is your name?

أين (ayna) – where

Used to ask about location.

أين تسكن؟ (ayna taskun?) where do you live?
أين المدرسة؟ (ayna al-madrasa?) where is the school?
أين ذهب الطلاب؟ (ayna dhahaba aṭ-ṭullāb?) where did the students go?

متى (matā) – when

Used to ask about time.

متى تبدأ المحاضرة؟ (matā tabda’ al-muḥāḍara?) when does the lecture begin?
متى سافرتَ؟ (matā sāfarta?) when did you travel?
متى يأتي الطبيب؟ (matā ya’tī aṭ-ṭabīb?) when does the doctor arrive?

لماذا (limādhā) – why

Used to ask about reasons.

لماذا تأخرت؟ (limādhā ta’akhkharta?) why were you late?
لماذا لا تحب الرياضة؟ (limādhā lā tuḥibb ar-riyāḍa?) why don’t you like sports?
لماذا تدرس العربية؟ (limādhā tadrus al-‘arabiyya?) why are you studying Arabic?

كيف (kayfa) – how

Used to ask about manner, condition, or process.

كيف حالك؟ (kayfa ḥāluka?) how are you?
كيف تعمل هذه الآلة؟ (kayfa ta‘mal hādhihi al-āla?) how does this machine work?
كيف وصلتَ إلى هنا؟ (kayfa waṣalta ilā hunā?) how did you get here?

كم (kam) – how much / how many

Used to ask about quantity or price. When asking how many, the noun following كم is always in the singular.

كم كتاباً قرأت؟ (kam kitāban qara’ta?) how many books did you read?
كم عمرك؟ (kam ‘umruka?) how old are you?
كم يكلف هذا؟ (kam yukallif hādhā?) how much does this cost?

أيّ (ayy) – which

Used to choose between options. It is usually followed by a noun.

أي كتاب تحب؟ (ayy kitāb tuḥibb?) which book do you like?
أي طعام تريد؟ (ayy ṭa‘ām turīd?) which food do you want?
في أي بلد تعيش؟ (fī ayy balad ta‘īsh?) in which country do you live?

Questions with Prepositions

When using question words with prepositions, the preposition typically comes before the interrogative word, not after as in English.

بماذا تفكر؟ (bimādhā tufakkir?) what are you thinking about?
مع من تحدثت؟ (ma‘a man taḥaddathta?) with whom did you speak?
إلى أين تذهب؟ (ilā ayna tadhhab?) where are you going?

Note that بِ + ماذا becomes بماذا, and في + ماذا becomes فيماذا (or فيما in literary texts). This merging of prepositions with question words is very common and follows euphonic principles.

Negative Questions

To ask negative questions, Arabic uses the regular question structure but adds ما (mā) or أليس (alaysa) for nominal sentences.

ما ذهبت إلى الجامعة؟ (mā dhahabta ilā al-jāmi‘a?) didn’t you go to the university?
أليس هذا صحيحاً؟ (alaysa hādhā ṣaḥīḥan?) isn’t this true?
ما قرأت الرسالة؟ (mā qara’ta ar-risāla?) didn’t you read the letter?

These questions may express surprise, disappointment, or a rhetorical tone, just like in English.

Intonation and Emphasis

In spoken Arabic, intonation often plays a key role in questions—especially yes/no questions. In writing, punctuation (a question mark ؟) clarifies the sentence type, but in speech, the rising tone at the end of the sentence marks it as a question.

You can also use repetition, stress, or particles like أحقاً؟ (aḥaqqan?) really? or أبداً؟ (abadan?) never? to convey specific emotions or levels of certainty.

Relative Clauses in Arabic

Relative clauses are essential for adding descriptive information to a sentence. In English, we use words like who, that, which, or whom to introduce such clauses. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the system is more structured and relies on special relative pronouns that agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe. These clauses are used to modify nouns and add precision, clarity, or detail.

What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause provides additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence. In Arabic, this is done using a relative pronoun, which acts as a bridge between the noun being described and the clause that modifies it.

الرجل الذي قرأ الكتاب ذكي (ar-rajul alladhī qara’a al-kitāb dhakī)
the man who read the book is intelligent

Here, الذي (alladhī) is the relative pronoun meaning who, and the entire phrase الذي قرأ الكتاب (alladhī qara’a al-kitāb) describes الرجل (ar-rajul – the man).

The Relative Pronouns in Arabic

In MSA, the relative pronoun must agree with the noun it refers to in gender and number. These pronouns are:

• الذي (alladhī) – who / that (masculine singular)

• التي (allatī) – who / that (feminine singular)

• اللذان / اللذين (alladhān / alladhayn) – who / that (dual masculine)

• اللتان / اللتين (allatān / allatayn) – who / that (dual feminine)

• الذين (alladhīna) – who / that (plural masculine)

• اللاتي / اللائي / اللواتي (allātī / allā’ī / allawātī) – who / that (plural feminine)

In practice, الذي and التي are the most common. The others are mostly found in formal or literary writing.

Examples:

الطالب الذي يسكن هنا ذكي (aṭ-ṭālib alladhī yaskun hunā dhakī)
the student who lives here is smart

البنت التي تحدثتَ معها أختي (al-bint allatī taḥaddathta ma‘ahā ukhtī)
the girl you spoke with is my sister

Structure of a Relative Clause

The relative clause always follows the noun it modifies. It includes a verb and often other elements like objects, prepositional phrases, or adverbs. The verb in the clause agrees with the noun in number and gender just as it would in a regular sentence.

There are no commas between the noun and the relative clause in Arabic.

الكتاب الذي قرأته مثير للاهتمام (al-kitāb alladhī qara’tuhu muthīr lil-ihtimām)
the book that I read is interesting

السيارة التي اشتراها غالية جداً (as-sayyāra allatī ishtarāhā ghāliya jiddan)
the car that he bought is very expensive

Note how الذي or التي links the noun to the following clause. Also notice how قرأتُه (qara’tuhu – I read it) and اشتراها (ishtarāhā – he bought it) refer back to the noun in both meaning and grammar.

Relative Clauses with Prepositions

If the verb in the relative clause requires a preposition, it stays with the verb and is not moved. The preposition often comes before the relative pronoun in very formal contexts but is more often used after the verb in everyday usage.

الرجل الذي تحدثتُ معه طبيب (ar-rajul alladhī taḥaddathtu ma‘ahu ṭabīb)
the man whom I spoke with is a doctor

المدينة التي سافرتُ إليها جميلة (al-madīna allatī sāfartu ilayhā jamīla)
the city that I traveled to is beautiful

Arabic allows the preposition to remain with the verb or be pulled before the relative pronoun in extremely formal style, but it is almost always kept after the verb in modern usage.

Omission of the Pronoun in the Relative Clause

Unlike English, which sometimes omits the relative pronoun (e.g., the book I read), Arabic never omits the relative pronoun. It must always be stated and must agree with the noun it refers to.

Correct:
القصة التي قرأتها طويلة (al-qiṣṣa allatī qara’tuhā ṭawīla)
the story that I read is long

Incorrect:
القصة قرأتها طويلة – this is not acceptable in MSA.

Relative Clauses with Indefinite Nouns

Arabic does not normally use relative clauses directly with indefinite nouns (nouns without ال). Instead, relative clauses usually describe definite nouns. However, in classical or literary Arabic, you may encounter indefinite nouns followed by a relative clause for stylistic reasons, usually to define the noun.

In MSA, when the noun is indefinite, the preferred construction is to make it definite or to restructure the sentence.

Acceptable:
الطالب الذي نجح ممتاز (aṭ-ṭālib alladhī najaḥ mumtāz)
the student who passed is excellent

Not standard:
طالب الذي نجح ممتاز – a student who passed is excellent – this would usually be rewritten or avoided.

Agreement in Gender and Number

Relative pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to, not with the subject of the relative clause.

الرجال الذين يعملون هنا أقوياء (ar-rijāl alladhīna ya‘malūn hunā aqwiyā’)
the men who work here are strong

البنات اللاتي يدرسن الطب ذكيات (al-banāt allātī yadrusna aṭ-ṭibb dhakiyāt)
the girls who study medicine are smart

المعلمتان اللتان شرحتا الدرس ماهرتان (al-mu‘allimatān allatān sharaḥtā ad-dars māhiratān)
the two female teachers who explained the lesson are skilled

This agreement is essential for grammatical correctness and clarity.

Relative Clauses as Part of the Object

Sometimes, the object of the sentence is modified by a relative clause. In such cases, the clause still directly follows the noun it describes.

أحببت القصة التي رويتها لي (aḥbabtu al-qiṣṣa allatī rawaytahā lī)
I liked the story that you told me

اشتريت الحقيبة التي رأيتها في المتجر (ishtaraytu al-ḥaqība allatī ra’aytuhā fī al-matjar)
I bought the bag that I saw in the shop

This allows Arabic to build very precise, information-rich sentences without ambiguity.

Relative Clauses with Pronouns Inside the Clause

When the verb in the relative clause has an object, that object is often expressed with a direct object pronoun.

الطفل الذي رأيته في الحديقة (aṭ-ṭifl alladhī ra’aytuhu fī al-ḥadīqa)
the child that I saw in the garden

Here, رأيته (ra’aytuhu) includes the pronoun ـه (-hu), referring to الطفل (the child). This is a typical and expected structure.

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