Harf Al Jar Examples, Meanings With Explanation

Harf Jar (حروف الجر) are prepositions in Arabic. These small but important words affect the case of the nouns that follow them.
Arabic prepositions are very important in language. They help us understand the relationships between words in sentences. Without them, we can’t understand what the sentence means.
In this article, we will explain what prepositions are, learn about the most important ones, and see how they are used in Arabic language rules and communication. We will also look at the differences between them.
What is Harf Jar?
Harf Jar (حرف جر) refers to prepositions in Arabic. These are small words that connect nouns to other words in a sentence, indicating relationships like direction, location, time, or possession.
When a noun follows a Harf Jar, its case changes to the Majrūr (مجرور) form, meaning it takes a Kasra (ــِـ) or Kasratain (ــٍـ) at the end.
Key Points:
- Function: Harf Jar shows the relationship between nouns and other words.
- Effect on Nouns: The noun following a Harf Jar takes the genitive case (Majrūr), marked by a Kasra (ــِـ) or Kasratain (ــٍـ).
- Examples: Some common Harf Jar include:
- من (min) – “from”
- إلى (ilā) – “to”
- في (fī) – “in”
- على (ʿalā) – “on”
Common Harf Jar
Here are some of the most common Harf Jar:
- من (min) – “from”
- إلى (ilā) – “to”
- على (ʿalā) – “on”
- في (fī) – “in”
- عن (ʿan) – “about” or “away from”
- مع (maʿa) – “with”
- بـِ (bi) – “by” or “with”
- كـَ (ka) – “like” or “as”
- لـِ (li) – “for”
- حتّى (ḥattā) – “until”
Example:
- في البيت (fī al-bayt) – “in the house”
- Here, في (fī) is the Harf Jar, and البيت (al-bayt) takes a Kasra because of it.
In summary, Harf Jar are essential components in Arabic that connect words and affect the grammatical case of the nouns that follow them.
Effect on Nouns
When a noun follows a Harf Jar, it becomes Majrūr (مجرور), which means it takes a Kasra (ــِـ) or Kasratain (ــٍـ) if it’s indefinite.
The effect of Harf Jar (حروف الجر) on nouns is that it changes the case of the noun following it to the Majrūr (مجرور) case. This means the noun will take a Kasra (ــِـ) or Kasratain (ــٍـ) if it’s indefinite.
How it Works:
- When a noun follows a Harf Jar, it is no longer in the default nominative case (Marfūʿ, مرفوع), which typically ends in Damma (ــُـ) or Dammatain (ــٌـ).
- Instead, the noun takes the genitive case (Majrūr), indicated by Kasra (ــِـ) or Kasratain (ــٍـ).
Example Breakdown:
- من البيت (min al-bayt) – “from the house”
- البيت (al-bayt) has a Kasra under the last letter because of the Harf Jar من.
- إلى المدرسة (ilā al-madrasa) – “to the school”
- المدرسة (al-madrasa) takes a Kasra under the last letter due to the Harf Jar إلى.
- في الكتاب (fī al-kitāb) – “in the book”
- الكتاب (al-kitāb) has a Kasra because of في.
Effect on Indefinite Nouns:
If the noun is indefinite (without “Al-” الـ), it takes Kasratain (ــٍـ).
- من بيتٍ (min baytin) – “from a house”
- إلى مدرسةٍ (ilā madrasatin) – “to a school”
- في كتابٍ (fī kitābin) – “in a book”
The main effect of Harf Jar is to change the ending of the noun that follows it, making it take a Kasra or Kasratain, which signifies that the noun is in the Majrūr (genitive) case.

Here’s a detailed explanation of each Harf Jar (preposition) in Arabic:
1. من (min) – “from”
- Usage: It indicates the origin or starting point of something.
- Example Sentences:
- من البيت (min al-bayt) – “from the house”
- من المدينة (min al-madīna) – “from the city”
- من الكتاب (min al-kitāb) – “from the book”
- Explanation: It is used to specify the source or place where something begins.
2. إلى (ilā) – “to”
- Usage: It shows direction or destination, indicating where something is going.
- Example Sentences:
- إلى المدرسة (ilā al-madrasa) – “to the school”
- إلى السوق (ilā as-sūq) – “to the market”
- إلى المسجد (ilā al-masjid) – “to the mosque”
- Explanation: This preposition directs the action toward a specific place or goal.
3. على (ʿalā) – “on”
- Usage: It indicates a position on a surface.
- Example Sentences:
- على الطاولة (ʿalā aṭ-ṭāwila) – “on the table”
- على السرير (ʿalā as-sarīr) – “on the bed”
- على الجدار (ʿalā al-jidār) – “on the wall”
- Explanation: It is used to describe something being located on top of or attached to a surface.
4. في (fī) – “in”
- Usage: It shows location or being inside something.
- Example Sentences:
- في البيت (fī al-bayt) – “in the house”
- في الكتاب (fī al-kitāb) – “in the book”
- في السيارة (fī as-sayyāra) – “in the car”
- Explanation: This preposition describes being within a place or container.
5. عن (ʿan) – “about” or “away from”
- Usage: It has dual meanings depending on context. It can mean “about” when discussing a subject, or “away from” when indicating separation.
- Example Sentences:
- عن الكتاب (ʿan al-kitāb) – “about the book”
- عن الإسلام (ʿan al-islām) – “about Islam”
- عن الطريق (ʿan aṭ-ṭarīq) – “away from the road”
- Explanation: It connects to the subject of discussion or indicates movement away from something.
6. مع (maʿa) – “with”
- Usage: It indicates accompaniment or being in the company of someone or something.
- Example Sentences:
- مع الأصدقاء (maʿa al-aṣdiqāʾ) – “with friends”
- مع المعلم (maʿa al-muʿallim) – “with the teacher”
- مع العائلة (maʿa al-ʿāʾila) – “with the family”
- Explanation: This preposition describes being together or in association with someone or something.
7. بـِ (bi) – “by” or “with”
- Usage: It shows the means or instrument by which something is done.
- Example Sentences:
- بالقلم (bi-l-qalam) – “with the pen”
- بالسيارة (bi-s-sayyāra) – “by car”
- باللغة (bi-l-lugha) – “with the language”
- Explanation: It indicates the tool, method, or manner used to accomplish an action.
8. كـَ (ka) – “like” or “as”
- Usage: It makes a comparison, showing similarity between two things.
- Example Sentences:
- كالشمس (ka-sh-shams) – “like the sun”
- كالأب (ka-l-ab) – “like a father”
- كالكتاب (ka-l-kitāb) – “like the book”
- Explanation: This preposition is used for metaphorical or literal comparisons.
9. لـِ (li) – “for”
- Usage: It shows possession, purpose, or belonging.
- Example Sentences:
- للطالب (liṭ-ṭālib) – “for the student”
- للأم (li-l-umm) – “for the mother”
- للبيت (li-l-bayt) – “for the house”
- Explanation: This preposition indicates ownership, intention, or the beneficiary of an action.
10. حتّى (ḥattā) – “until”
- Usage: It specifies the endpoint in time or space.
- Example Sentences:
- حتى الليل (ḥattā al-layl) – “until night”
- حتى الصباح (ḥattā aṣ-ṣabāḥ) – “until morning”
- حتى الغروب (ḥattā al-ghurūb) – “until sunset”
- Explanation: It is used to mark the conclusion or limit of an event, action, or period.
These explanations should give you a solid understanding of how each Harf Jar is used in sentences.
Here’s a table with examples for each preposition (Harf Jar):
Harf Jar | Meaning | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|
من (min) | from | من البيت (min al-bayt) – from the house | من المدرسة (min al-madrasa) – from the school | من المسجد (min al-masjid) – from the mosque |
إلى (ilā) | to | إلى السوق (ilā as-sūq) – to the market | إلى الجامعة (ilā al-jāmiʿa) – to the university | إلى المدرسة (ilā al-madrasa) – to the school |
على (ʿalā) | on | على الطاولة (ʿalā aṭ-ṭāwila) – on the table | على السرير (ʿalā as-sarīr) – on the bed | على الجدار (ʿalā al-jidār) – on the wall |
في (fī) | in | في الكتاب (fī al-kitāb) – in the book | في السيارة (fī as-sayyāra) – in the car | في الغرفة (fī al-ghurfa) – in the room |
عن (ʿan) | about/away | عن الإسلام (ʿan al-islām) – about Islam | عن الحقيقة (ʿan al-ḥaqīqa) – about the truth | عن الكتاب (ʿan al-kitāb) – about the book |
مع (maʿa) | with | مع الأصدقاء (maʿa al-aṣdiqāʾ) – with friends | مع المعلم (maʿa al-muʿallim) – with the teacher | مع العائلة (maʿa al-ʿāʾila) – with the family |
بـِ (bi) | by/with | بالقلم (bi-l-qalam) – with the pen | بالسيارة (bi-s-sayyāra) – by car | باللغة (bi-l-lugha) – with the language |
كـَ (ka) | like/as | كالشمس (ka-sh-shams) – like the sun | كالأب (ka-l-ab) – like a father | كالكتاب (ka-l-kitāb) – like the book |
لـِ (li) | for | للطالب (liṭ-ṭālib) – for the student | للأم (li-l-umm) – for the mother | للبيت (li-l-bayt) – for the house |
حتّى (ḥattā) | until | حتى الليل (ḥattā al-layl) – until night | حتى الصباح (ḥattā aṣ-ṣabāḥ) – until morning | حتى الغروب (ḥattā al-ghurūb) – until sunset |
These examples should help you see how each Harf Jar is used in different contexts.