10 Arabic Question Words (Arabic Interrogatives) With Examples

Arabic Question Words

Arabic question words are used to ask for information. In Arabic, we use special words called huruful istifham (حُرُوفُ الاِسْتِفْهَام) and asma’ul istifham (أَسْمَاءُ الاِسْتِفْهَام) to form questions. When these words are combined, they are known as adawatul istifham (أَدَوَاتُ الاِسْتِفْهَام) – or interrogative particles.

Arabic question words can be used in both noun-based and verb-based sentences. This post will explain how to ask questions in Arabic.

List Of Arabic Question Words

Here’s a table with common Arabic question words:

Question WordMeaningUsageExample
ما (mā)WhatTo ask about things or conceptsما هذا؟ (Mā hādhā?) – “What is this?”
من (man)WhoTo ask about peopleمن هو؟ (Man huwa?) – “Who is he?”
أين (ayn)WhereTo ask about locationsأين المدرسة؟ (Ayn al-madrasa?) – “Where is the school?”
متى (matā)WhenTo ask about timeمتى يبدأ الفيلم؟ (Matā yabda’ al-film?) – “When does the movie start?”
كيف (kayfa)HowTo ask about manner or conditionكيف حالك؟ (Kayfa ḥāluk?) – “How are you?”
لماذا (limādhā)WhyTo ask about reasons or causesلماذا تأخرت؟ (Limādhā ta’akhkhart?) – “Why are you late?”
كم (kam)How many / How muchTo ask about quantities or amountsكم الساعة؟ (Kam as-sā’a?) – “What time is it?” or كم كتاب لديك؟ (Kam kitāb ladayk?) – “How many books do you have?”
أي (ay)WhichTo ask about a specific choiceأي كتاب تفضل؟ (Ay kitāb tufaddil?) – “Which book do you prefer?”
ماذا (Masha)WhatAsking for information about something.
لِمنWhomAsking what or which person or people (object).
بكمHow Muchquantity (uncountable)

This table organizes the question words by their meanings, usage, and example sentences.

Read Also: Harf Al Jar Examples, Meanings With Explanation

Asking Yes-no Questions In Arabic

In Arabic, yes-no questions are formed to seek a simple affirmative or negative response. These questions are generally straightforward but involve specific structures and particles. Here’s a deep dive into how they work:

1. Using the Particle “هل” (hal)

The particle “هل” is the primary way to form yes-no questions in Arabic. It is placed at the beginning of a sentence and is used to turn a statement into a question.

  • Structure: هل + [Statement]
  • Example:
  • هل أنتَ طالب؟ (Hal anta ṭālib?) – “Are you a student?”
  • هل هي في المنزل؟ (Hal hiya fī al-manzil?) – “Is she at home?”

2. Hamzah أ

The use of hamzah أ is formal. If you use it with verbal sentences, you simply add it as a prefix to the start of the (present or past) verb.

The answer to a question of this type is either نَعَمْ ‘yes’ or أَجَل ‘yes’ (أَجَل is more formal than نَعَم) if your answer is positive or لا ‘no’ if your answer is negative.

أَطَبَخَتْ أُمِّي فَاصُوْلِيَاDid my mother cook pinto beans?
أأَنْتَ صَالِح أَم سَعِيْد؟Are you Saleh or Saeed?
أَسَامِي ذَكِيٌّ أَمْ سَلِيْمIs Sami smart or Saleem?
آلشَّاي تُحِبُّ أَمْ القَهْوَة؟Do you like tea or coffee?
أقرأت التعليمات؟Did you read the instructions?
أليس لديك أصدقاء؟Don’t you have friends?
ألا تعلم أن الموعد اليوم؟Don’t you know that the appointment is today?

3. Using Verbs in Questions

When using verbs, the structure depends on whether the verb is in the present or past tense:

  • Present Tense: The verb form itself is used with a question mark, or you can use “هل” for formality.
  • Example with “هل”:
    • هل تذهب إلى المدرسة؟ (Hal tadhhab ilā al-madrasa?) – “Do you go to school?”
  • Past Tense: The verb comes after the hal
  • Example with “هل”:
    • هل ذهبتَ إلى المدرسة؟ (Hal dhahabta ilā al-madrasa?) – “Did you go to school?”

4. Negative Yes-No Questions

To ask a negative yes-no question, Arabic uses the particle “أليس” (alaysa) in conjunction with a verb.

  • Structure with “أليس”: أليس + [Statement]?
  • Example:
  • أليس هو هنا؟ (Alaysa huwa hunā?) – “Isn’t he here?”

5. Short Answer Responses

When responding to yes-no questions, short answers are common. In Arabic, responses often repeat the verb or use simple affirmatives or negatives:

  • Affirmative Response:
  • نعم (Naʿam) – “Yes”
  • أجل (Ajil) – “Yes” (more formal)
  • Negative Response:
  • لا (Lā) – “No”
  • ليس (Laysa) – “No” (used with specific contexts)

Understanding these patterns will help you form and interpret yes-no questions in Arabic effectively.

Arabic Question Words

Wh Questions in Arabic

Wh-questions in Arabic are used to ask for specific information, similar to questions in English that begin with words like “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “how,” and “why.” Here’s a detailed but simple explanation of how to form and use these questions in Arabic:

1. ما (mā) – “What”

  • Usage: To ask about things or concepts.
  • Structure: ما + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • ما هذا؟ (Mā hādhā?) – “What is this?”
  • ما تفعل؟ (Mā tafʿal?) – “What are you doing?”

2. من (man) – “Who”

  • Usage: To ask about people.
  • Structure: من + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • من هو؟ (Man huwa?) – “Who is he?”
  • من التي تتحدث؟ (Man at-tī tatḥadath?) – “Who is speaking?”

3. أين (ayn) – “Where”

  • Usage: To ask about places or locations.
  • Structure: أين + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • أين المدرسة؟ (Ayn al-madrasa?) – “Where is the school?”
  • أين يعيش؟ (Ayn yaʿīsh?) – “Where does he live?”

4. متى (matā) – “When”

  • Usage: To ask about time.
  • Structure: متى + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • متى يبدأ الفيلم؟ (Matā yabda’ al-film?) – “When does the movie start?”
  • متى سوف تصل؟ (Matā sawfa taṣil?) – “When will you arrive?”

5. كيف (kayfa) – “How”

  • Usage: To ask about the manner or way something is done.
  • Structure: كيف + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • كيف حالك؟ (Kayfa ḥāluk?) – “How are you?”
  • كيف نذهب إلى هناك؟ (Kayfa nadhhab ilā hunāk?) – “How do we get there?”

6. لماذا (limādhā) – “Why”

  • Usage: To ask about reasons or causes.
  • Structure: لماذا + [Verb/Subject]?
  • Examples:
  • لماذا تأخرت؟ (Limādhā ta’akhkhart?) – “Why are you late?”
  • لماذا تعبت؟ (Limādhā taʿibat?) – “Why are you tired?”

7. كم (kam) – “How many” or “How much”

  • Usage: To ask about quantities or amounts.
  • Structure: كم + [Noun]?
  • Examples:
  • كم الساعة؟ (Kam as-sā’a?) – “What time is it?”
  • كم كتاب لديك؟ (Kam kitāb ladayk?) – “How many books do you have?”

8. أي (ay) – “Which”

  • Usage: To ask about a specific choice or option.
  • Structure: أي + [Noun/Verb]?
  • Examples:
  • أي فيلم تفضل؟ (Ay film tufaddil?) – “Which movie do you prefer?”
  • أي طريق نأخذ؟ (Ay ṭarīq na’khudh?) – “Which route should we take?”

Summary

  • ما (mā): Used to ask about things or concepts.
  • من (man): Used to ask about people.
  • أين (ayn): Used to ask about locations.
  • متى (matā): Used to ask about time.
  • كيف (kayfa): Used to ask about manner or method.
  • لماذا (limādhā): Used to ask about reasons or causes.
  • كم (kam): Used to ask about quantities or amounts.
  • أي (ay): Used to ask about specific choices.

These question words help you gather detailed information and are essential for conversation and inquiry in Arabic.

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