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Level A1
Asking Questions
10 words · ~13 min
Grammar focus
Forming basic questions in Arabic using question words. Arabic questions often begin with the question word, similar to English. 'Hal' is a special yes/no question marker placed at the start of a sentence. 'Kam' (how many) is used for counting questions.
Cultural note
In Arabic culture, asking 'Kayfa haluka?' (How are you?) is more than a formality. People genuinely expect a meaningful answer, and it is polite to ask about someone's family and health before getting to the point of a conversation.
Lesson overview
Asking Questions is a level A1 lesson of 10 words: 5 adverbs, 4 pronouns and 1 particle.
- Builds on: First Words - Essential Greetings (A1)
- Previous lesson: More Greetings & Courtesies (A1)
- Next lesson: Personal Pronouns (A1)
Word list
| Arabic | Meaning | Type | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
مَاذَا mādhā | what | pronoun | |
مَنْ man | who | pronoun | |
أَيْنَ ayna | where | adverb | |
كَيْفَ kayfa | how | adverb | |
مَتَى matā | when | adverb | |
لِمَاذَا limādhā | why | adverb | |
كَمْ kam | how many / how much | adverb | |
هَلْ hal | is/are/do (question particle) | particle | |
أَيّ ayy | which / any | pronoun | |
مَا mā | what / not | pronoun |
Themes these words belong to: Question_words (10), Basics (10)