Arabic: An Essential Grammar

169

Chapter 24

Interrogative particles and

pronouns, vocative particles

24.1 Interrogative particles ُح ُرو ُف  ِْلا ْس ِت ْف َها ِم

(a) A sentence is made interrogative by introducing it with the inter-

rogative particle َه ْل hal, or by prefixing the first word of the

sentence with the interrogative particle ..َأ

a.

(b) The particle َأ cannot be used before a word having the definite

article َأْلـ... It can, however, be joined to another word which

begins with ...َأ, e.g.

Remember: َه ْل becomes َه ِل before hamzatu l-was

̇

li (was

̇

lah). This

form is used to avoid three consecutive consonants, e.g.

ِفي ْلـ َم ْد َر َس ِة؟َه ِل ْل َوَل ُد

hali l-waladu fı

• l-madrasati? Is the boy at school?

24.2 Interrogative pronouns (^) َض َما ِئ ُر  ِْلا ْس ِت ْف َها ِم
In addition to the above interrogative particles, there are several inter-
rogative pronouns, the following being the most common:
با َك؟َّشـُّ َه ْل َف َت ْح َت ل OR با َك؟َّشـُّ َأ َف َت ْح َت ل
hal fatah
̇
ta sˇ-sˇubba ̄ka?


a-fatah
̇
ta sˇ-sˇubba ̄ka?
Did you open the window?
َه ْل َأ ْن َت َتا ِج ٌر؟ OR َأ َأ ْن َت َتا ِج ٌر؟
hal


anta ta ̄g ̆irun? Are you a merchant?


a-


anta ta ̄g ̆irun?