Interrogative particles & Interrogative pronoun in Arabic - With Examples

After learning noun aflection in Arabic  , we will continue on new subject regarding اِسْمٌ (noun).

Today I will show you interrogative pronoun (ism al-istifhaam).

Introduction

إِسْتِفْهَامٌ  means  asking; question

Like in English, Interrogative pronouns are used for asking question: who, whom, what, whose, which, why, how.

I will explain you these words in Arabic with sentence examples.

Interrogative particles ( حُرُوفُ الاِسْتِفْهَامِ  ) 

Interrogative particles is particle/letter used in the beginning of a sentence to ask question, for examples: أَ ; هَلْ

Interrogative particles are:

1. أَ -> a

We can ask a question by prefixing the first word of the sentence with أَ

Example:

أَفَتَحْتَ الْبَابَ؟ = Did you open the door?


2. هَلْ -> hal

A positive sentence can be made interrogative by introducing it with هَلْ

Example:

A positive sentence: عَرَفْتَ أَحْمَدَ  = You recognized Ahmad.

This sentence is made interrogative by putting هَلْ in the beginning of sentence.

Interrogative sentence:  هَلْ عَرَفْتَ أَحْمَدَ ؟   =  Did you recognize Ahmad?


Special note:

The particle أَ cannot be used before definite noun (noun having the definite article ال).


Therefore if we want to change this sentence

الْوَلَدُ فِيْ الْبَيْتِ  = the boy is in the house

to become an interrogative sentence, use هَلْ  instead of أَ


Interrogative sentence for this sentence = هَلِ الْوَلَدُ فِي الْبَيْتِ؟ => Is the boy in the house?

 Interrogative pronoun  ( اِسْمُ الاِسْتِفْهَامِ  )

 Interrogative pronoun is word used in the beginning of a sentence to ask questions, for examples: مَنْ ; مَتَى ; أَيْنَ

Commonly, interrogative pronoun is indeclinable (مَبْنِيٌّ ).

In addition to interrogative particles, there are some interrogative pronouns that you have to know.

Below are the lists of interrogative pronouns

1. مَنْ = who; whom; whose.

Example:

a. مَنْ هِيَ؟  = who is she?

b. قَلَمُ مَنْ هَذَا ؟ = whose pen is this?



2. مَتَى  = when

Example:

مَتَى الْاِمْتِحَانُ؟ = When is the exam?



3. أَيْنَ = where?

Example:

أَيْنَ تَعْمَلُ؟  = Where do you work?



4. أَيُّ  = which

Example:

أَيَّ كِتَابٍ تَقْرَأُ؟ = Which book do you read?


Special note:

note1

أَيُّ  in a sentence is acted as mudhaf, therefore noun after أَيُّ  is majruur.

example: أَيُّ كِتَابٍ؟  = which book?


note2

Notice the sentence أَيَّ كِتَابٍ تَقْرَأُ؟

Why أَيُّ  becomes أَيَّ ? Because in this sentence it is acted object (maf'ul), so the case is manshuub.




5. مَا  = what

Example:

مَا هَذَا  = what is this?



6. مَاذَا = what

Example :

مَاذَا تَعْمَلُ الآنَ؟ = What are you doing now?



7. لِمَاذَا = why

Example:

لِمَاذَا تَبْكِيْ؟  = Why are you crying?

لِمَهْ  = why?



8. لِمَنْ = for whom/for which/whose

Example:

لِمَنْ هَذَا الْقَلَمُ؟ = Whose pen is this? (for whom is this pen?)



9. كَيْفَ = how

Example:

كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟  = How are you?



10. كَمْ  = how many; how much

Example:

كَمْ بَيْتًا عِنْدَكَ؟  = How many houses do you have?



11. بِمَ  = wherewith; by which; whith what

Example:

بِمَ تَكْتُبُ؟  = What do you write with?



12. لِمَ  = What for

Example:

لِمَ تَدْرُسُ؟  = What are you studying for?



13. مِمَّنْ  = from whom

Example:

مِمَّنْ سَمِعْتَ الْخَبَرَ؟ = From whom did you hear the news?



14. مَعَ مَنْ = with whom

Example:

مَعَ مَنْ تَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَدْرَسَةِ؟  = With whom do you go to school?



15. عَمَّ = about what

Example:

عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُوْنَ؟ = About what do they ask one another?