Examples of Arabic interrogative sentence - Durusul lughah book 2 - lesson 1

Today, we are going to learn the interrogative sentence with particle hamzah (الاستفهام بالهمزة), and the word "or" in Arabic interrogative sentence.

The basic concept of Arabic interrogative sentence with أَ and أَم

1. We use hamzah (أ) to make yes/no question.

Example:

question:

أَهَذَا كِتَابٌ؟ = Is this a book?

answer:

نَعَمْ, هَذَا كِتَابٌ = yes, this is a book.

2. We can also use hamzah (أ) to ask for particular explanation and choose one correct answer between two options, for example "Are you a doctor or an engineer?"

3. We use أَمْ (which means "or") in an interrogative sentence, while in non-interrogative sentence we use أَوْ 

Interrogative sentence examples with explanation

1. Sentence example

أَطَبِيْبٌ أَنْتَ أَمْ مُهَنْدِسٌ؟ 

Are you a doctor or an engineer?

2. Pattern (sentence construction)

Particle أ precedes one of the two things about which the question is asked whereas the word "أَمْ" precedes the other.

The correct construction:

أَمُدَرِّسٌ أَنْتَ أَمْ طَالِبٌ؟

Are you a teacher or a student?

The wrong construction :

أَأَنْتَ مُدَرِّسٌ أَمْ طَالِبٌ؟

Exercises

1. Ask your friend whether he is from France or Germany in Arabic.

أَمِنْ فِرَنْسَا أَنْتَ أَمْ مِنْ أَلْمَانِيَا؟ 

Are you from France or Germany?

2. Ask your friend whether the car is owned by Zaid or Bakr in Arabic.

أَسَيَّارَةُ زَيْدٍ هَذِهِ أَمْ سَيَّارَةُ بَكْرٍ؟

Is this Zaid's car or Bakr's car?

3. Ask your friend whether his home is near or far in Arabic

أَقَرِيْبٌ بَيْتُكَ أَمْ بَعِيْدٌ؟

Is your house near or far?

4. Ask your friend whether he see Zaid or Bakr in Arabic

أَزَيْدًا رَأَيْتَ أَمْ بَكْرًا؟

Did you see Zaid or Bakr?

================================

Recommended article which is related :

Interrogative particle