We will learn about prepositions in Arabic grammar, what are they? How to use them? And much more, let’s get started.
prepositions in Arabic are very important just as it is in any other language. let’s say you want to show the relation between the words “bed” and “billow”, how will you say the sentence without using prepositions?
Let’s see harf al jarr examples:
“The billow is on the bed”= “الوسادة على السرير”.
“The book is in the bag” = “الكتاب فى الحقيبة”.
“The ben is between the book and computer” = “القلم بين الكتاب والكمبيوتر”.
How do work in Arabic?
Arabic prepositions or “huruf aljari حروف الجر” are used in the Arabic language similar to how it’s used in English. They are words that are used to show the relationship between words and to connect them. Like in the example “The book is in the bag” = “الكتاب فى الحقيبة”.
How would you know where’s the book without using the preposition “in”? you can’t even form a sentence without using them.
Quick note:
Prepositions in Arabic are Mabni words which means that their pronunciation doesn’t change when changing their place in the sentence. And the words that follow them always end with Kasrah.
How do you say preposition in Arabic?
Preposition is called in Arabic “huruf aljari حروف الجر”. So if you want to pronounce it in Arabic say “hu-ruf Al-jar”.
What is the definition of prepositions? According to Cambridge Dictionary, they are defined as: “a word that connects a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun to another word, esp. to a verb, another noun, or an adjective”.
While in the Oxford Dictionary they are defined as: “a word or group of words, such as in, from, to, out of and on behalf of, used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.”
From the two definitions we can clearly understand that preposition in Arabic is a word or group of words that is used to connect a noun or pronoun to another word. Why? To show the relationship between them, whether place, time, or method.
How many prepositions are there in Arabic?
There are 20 prepositions in the Arabic language. It’s very important to learn them and how to use them. This way you will be able to build your own sentences without needing any help. Plus, you will take a huge step into Arabic Grammar.
The 20 prepositions in the Arabic language are:
- من
- إلى
- حتى
- خلا
- حاشا
- عدا
- في
- عن
- على
- مذ
- منذ
- رب
- اللام
- كي
- الواو
- التاء
- الكاف
- الباء
- لعل
- متى .
What are the 17 prepositions in Arabic?
- من
- إلى
- حتى
- في
- عن
- على
- مذ
- منذ
- رب
- اللام
- كي
- الواو
- التاء
- الكاف
- الباء
- لعل
- متى .
How to find prepositions in Arabic?
To find Arabic prepositions you have to memorize them. And don’t worry there are only 20 prepositions and only 10 are commonly used in daily life. And they are:
Some of or One of
مِــن
To or At
إلى
From or About
عـَـن
On or Above
على
In or Into
في
By, With, In or At
بِ
like
ك
To or For
ل
Until
حتى
And
و
How to use prepositions in Arabic?
Here are the most common prepositions in Arabic that you will use a lot.
1. Miin (مِــن ).
مِــن may come in the meaning of going from one place to another, for example:
He went from work to his house.
ذهب من العمل الى المنزل.
Or it might come in the meaning of “some of”, for example:
I drank a cup of tea this morning.
شربت كوب من الشاى هذا الصباح.
2. إلى.
It is used to define the direction or destination, for example:
I went to work.
ذهبت الى العمل.
3. The Arabic preposition عـَـن .
means from or about, for example:
I walked away from the thief.
مشيت بعيدًا عن اللص.
I watched a movie about supernatural creatures.
لقد شاهدت فيلمًا عن مخلوقات خارقة للطبيعة.
4. The Arabic preposition على
It comes in the meaning of above or on, for example:
The book is on the table.
الكتاب على الطاولة.
The book is on the shelf.
الكتاب على الرف.
5. في
The preposition فى means in or into, for example:
The book is in the bag.
الكتاب فى الحقيبة.
The money is in my bag.
المال فى حقيبتى.
6. ب
This preposition comes in the meaning of With, In or At, for example:
You succeed by working hard.
تنجحُ بالعملِ الجاد
With science, you build minds.
بالعلمِ تبنى العقول
He is at school.
انه بالمدرسة.
People meet at restaurants
يتقابل الناس بالمطاعم
7. ك
This preposition means like or as, for example:
This pen looks like my pen.
هذه القلم يبدو كقلمى.
He speaks like a robot.
انه يتحدث كالانسان الالى.
Time is like a sword.
الوقت كالسيف.
8. The preposition ل .
This one means for or to, let’s see some examples:
We go to school to learn.
نحن نذهب الى المدرسة لنتعلم.
We watch movies to have fun.
نحن نشاهد الافلام لنستمتع بوقتنا.
9. حتى
The use of حتى is to define the end of something, for example:
I study until I fall asleep.
أنا أدرس حتى أنام.
He eats until he’s full.
يأكل حتى يشبع.
I slept until the sunrise.
نمت حتى شروق الشمس.
The kid kept crying until his mom bought him ice cream.
ظل الطفل يبكي حتى اشترت له والدته الآيس كريم.
10. و
The last one of the most used ten prepositions is و which comes in the meaning of and. For example:
My bag and money were stolen.
تمت سرقة حقيبتي وأموالي.
I love ice cream, cakes, and chocolate.
أنا أحب الآيس كريم والكعك والشوكولاتة.
What does a prepositional phrase mean in Arabic?
A prepositional phrase as defined in the dictionary is: “a phrase that has both a preposition and its object or complement; may be used as an adjunct or a modifier.” And in Arabic, it means “جار و مَجْرُور”
What preposition follows a noun in Arabic?
Prepositions in Arabic can connect a noun to a noun or a noun to a verb to show the relationship between the two words.
In Arabic, a preposition typically comes after a noun. The preposition indicates the relationship between the noun and other elements in the sentence, such as verbs or other nouns. Some common prepositions in Arabic include “min” (from), “ila” (to), “fi” (in), “maa” (with), and “‘an” (about).
For example, in the sentence “Ana min Al-‘Iraq” (I am from Iraq), the preposition “min” comes after the noun “Al-‘Iraq” to indicate the relationship between the noun and the verb “ana” (am). Similarly, in the sentence “Ana ‘alaa Al-maktabah” (I am at the library), the preposition “fi” comes after the noun “Al-maktabah” to indicate the relationship between the noun and the verb “ana” (am).
what role do prepositions play in Arabic grammar?
A preposition is a short word that is employed in sentences to show the relationship of nouns, pronouns or phrases with other parts within the respective sentences. Prepositions are normally found positioned in the latter part of the sentence.
When to use which preposition in Arabic?
مِــن comes in the meaning of going from one place to another.
إلى is used to define the direction or destination.
The Arabic preposition عـَـن means from or about.
Arabic preposition على comes in the meaning of above or on.
The preposition فى means in or into.
ب this preposition comes in the meaning of With, In, or At.
ك this one means like or as.
The preposition ل means for or to.
The use of حتى is to define the end of something.
و which comes in the meaning of and.
That’s it for today’s article, I hope you found it useful. For more information or if you have any questions visit our website Noor Academy and we will be more than glad to help.
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