Lesson 1 · هٰذَا
This is… and your first questions
Your first Arabic sentence needs no verb. To say “This is a book”, put هٰذَا (haadhaa, this) before a noun: هٰذَا كِتَابٌ. There is no word for “is” in sentences like this, and no word for “a”: the ending -un on كِتَابٌ already means “a book”.
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
هٰذَا كِتَابٌhaadhaa kitaabunThis is a book
هٰذَا قَلَمٌhaadhaa qalamunThis is a pen
مَا هٰذَا؟maa haadhaa?What is this?
هٰذَا بَابٌhaadhaa baabunThis is a door
مَنْ هٰذَا؟man haadhaa?Who is this?
هٰذَا طَالِبٌhaadhaa ṭaalibunThis is a student
أَهٰذَا بَيْتٌ؟a-haadhaa baytun?Is this a house?
نَعَمْ، هٰذَا بَيْتٌnaʿam, haadhaa baytunYes, this is a house
لَا، هٰذَا مَسْجِدٌlaa, haadhaa masjidunNo, this is a mosque
Key points
- Ask about things with مَا هٰذَا؟ (maa haadhaa?, What is this?) and about people with مَنْ هٰذَا؟ (man haadhaa?, Who is this?).
- Turn a sentence into a yes/no question by putting أَ (a-) in front: أَهٰذَا بَيْتٌ؟ (a-haadhaa baytun?) means “Is this a house?”
- Answer with نَعَمْ (naʿam, yes) or لَا (laa, no).
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
How do you say “This is a key”? (key: مِفْتَاحٌ)
هٰذَا مِفْتَاحٌ haadhaa miftaaḥun
Ask “Who is this?”
مَنْ هٰذَا؟ man haadhaa?
Answer أَهٰذَا قَلَمٌ؟ with “No, this is a book.”
لَا، هٰذَا كِتَابٌ laa, haadhaa kitaabun