Learn Arabic Through Real Conversations: Questions, Negation, and Build Vocabulary for Self-Learners

Discover how Khalid, Farid, and Rafiq use هل, أين, and dual nouns in a real school conversation—plus grab our vocabulary list!

Today, we're going to learn daily expression in Arabic through a conversation between two students, Khalid and Farid, and later with their friend Rafiq. 

This conversation will introduce you to new vocabulary, basic grammatical structures (نَحْو), and basic Arabic morphology (صَرْف).

✅1. Lesson Objectives: After studying this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand and use various question structures in Arabic, particularly هل (Are/Is) and question words like أين (where) and متى (when).

• Correctly use and distinguish between prepositions of place and time.

• Identify and apply gender and number agreement in simple sentences.

• Express possession and negation with لا (no/not) and لم (did not).

• Expand their vocabulary related to school, time, and common conversational phrases.

• Grasp the semantic nuances of greetings and conversational responses.

Ready to learn? To start, we’ll explore a conversation among three friends at school.

✅2. Conversation in Arabic and English Meaning

 الحِوَارُ (Dialogue)

Arabic: (فِي الفَصْلِ)

English: (In the classroom)

Arabic: خَالِدٌ: يَا فَرِيدُ، إِنَّ الإخْتِبَارَ مَوْجُودٌ.

English: Khalid: Farid, the test is here.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: هَلْ أَنْتَ مُتَأَكِّدٌ؟

English: Farid: Are you sure?

Arabic: خَالِدٌ: نَعَمْ، أَنَا مُتَأَكِّدٌ.

English: Khalid: Yes, I am sure.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: أَيْنَ كِتَابِي، يَا خَالِدُ؟

English: Farid: Where is my book, Khalid?

Arabic: خَالِدٌ: أَيَّ كِتَابٍ؟

English: Khalid: Which book?

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: كِتَابُ الْقِرَاءَةِ. كَانَ الْكِتَابُ مَوْجُودًا هُنَا.

English: Farid: The reading book. The book was here.

Arabic: خَالِدٌ: أَلَيْسَ الْكِتَابُ مَجْمُوعًا فِي مَكْتَبِ الأُسْتَاذِ؟

English: Khalid: Isn't the book collected in the teacher's office?

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: بَلَى ، يَا خَالِدُ. إِذَنْ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى مَكْتَبِ الْمُدَرِّسِينَ الآنَ.

English: Farid: Yes, Khalid. So I'll go to the teachers' office now.

Arabic: خَالِدٌ: تَفَضَّلْ.

English: Khalid: Go ahead. (or "Please.")

Arabic: (فِي مَمَرِّ الْمَدْرَسَةِ)

English: (In the school hallway)

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: أَهْلاً، يَا رَفِيقُ.

English: Farid: Hello, Rafiq.

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: أَهْلاً بِكَ، يَا فَرِيدُ. إِلَى أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟

English: Rafiq: Hello to you, Farid. Where are you going?

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ إِلَى مَكْتَبِ الْمُدَرِّسِينَ.

English: Farid: I want to go to the teachers' office.

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: لَا تَذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ، لِأَنَّ الْمَكْتَبَ فَارِغٌ.

English: Rafiq: Don't go there now, because the office is empty.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ لَمْ أَذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ. مَتَى إِذَنْ؟

English: Farid: Thank God I didn't go there. When then?

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: إِذْهَبْ بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ.

English: Rafiq: Go after the prayer.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: حَسَناً، شُكْرًا عَلَى الْخَيْرِ، يَا رَفِيقُ.

English: Farid: Okay, thanks for the good news, Rafiq.

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: عَفْوًا، يَا فَرِيدُ.

English: Rafiq: You're welcome, Farid.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: هَلْ تَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ أَوِ الْفَصْلِ؟

English: Farid: Are you going to the mosque or the classroom?

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْفَصْلِ ثُمَّ الْمَسْجِدِ لِلصَّلاةِ.

English: Rafiq: I am going to the classroom, then to the mosque for prayer.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: هَلْ عِنْدَكَ قَلَنْسُوَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ؟

English: Farid: Do you have two caps?

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: لَا، عِنْدِي قَلَنْسُوَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَطْ.

English: Rafiq: No, I only have one cap.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: حَسَنًا، لَا بَأْسَ.

English: Farid: Okay, no problem.

Arabic: رَفِيقٌ: إِذَنْ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْفَصْلِ أَوَّلاً.

English: Rafiq: So I will go to the classroom first.

Arabic: فَرِيدٌ: تَفَضَّلْ.

English: Farid: Go ahead. (or "Please.")

Let's break down the conversation.

✅3. The Questions and Certainty in Arabic

Our first part of the conversation takes place in the classroom, where Khalid and Farid are talking about a test. This section is perfect for learning how to express certainty and ask questions about things you're not sure about.

• خَالِدٌ: يَا فَرِيدُ، إِنَّ الإخْتِبَارَ مَوْجُودٌ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 يَا  (yā): a particle used for calling someone, like "O" or "Hey."

 فَرِيدُ  (Farīd): Farid (the name).

 إِنَّ  (inna): a particle that adds emphasis or certainty, often translated as "indeed" or "certainly." It is one of the "sisters of inna" (أَخَوَاتُ إِنَّ), which puts the following noun in the accusative case.

 الْاِخْتِبَارَ  (al-ikhtibār): the test/exam. Notice the fatḥah (a) on the last letter, which is due to inna.

 مَوْجُودٌ  (mawjūd): present, available.

o Semantic Meaning: Khalid is making a definitive statement: "Certainly, the test is here." The use of inna adds a strong sense of confirmation.

o Grammar (نَحْو): The particle inna is a key intermediate grammar point. It affects the grammatical case of the noun that follows it. In this sentence, al-ikhtibār (the test) is the subject of inna and is in the accusative case (manṣūb), marked by the fatḥah.

o Morphology (صَرْف): The word مَوْجُودٌ  (mawjūd) is a passive participle (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُول - ism al-mafʿūl) derived from the verb وَجَدَ (wajada), meaning "to find." It literally means "that which is found" or "is present/available."

 

• فَرِيدٌ: هَلْ أَنْتَ مُتَأَكِّدٌ؟

o Word-by-Word translation:

 هَلْ  (hal): a question particle for yes/no questions. It has no direct translation but signals an interrogative sentence.

 أَنْتَ  (anta): you (masculine singular).

 مُتَأَكِّدٌ  (muta'akkid): sure, certain.

o Semantic Meaning: This is a direct yes/no question: "Are you sure?"

o Grammar (نَحْو): This sentence introduces the most basic way to form a question in Arabic. You simply place the question particle “هل” at the beginning of a statement.

 

• خَالِدٌ: نَعَمْ، أَنَا مُتَأَكِّدٌ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 نَعَمْ  (naʿam): yes.

 أَنَا  (anā): I.

 مُتَأَكِّدٌ  (muta'akkid): sure, certain.

o Semantic Meaning: A simple and direct affirmative answer.

 

• فَرِيدٌ: أَيْنَ كِتَابِي، يَا خَالِدُ؟

o Word-by-Word translation:

 أَيْنَ  (ayna): where.

 كِتَابِي  (kitābī): my book.

 يَا خَالِدُ  (yā Khālid): O Khalid.

o Grammar (نَحْو): Here, we see a different type of question using a question word (أَيْنَ). Unlike هل, أين is used to ask for a specific piece of information (the location of the book). The word كتابي  is a possessive construction, where the pronoun ي (my) is attached to the noun كِتَاب  (book).

 

• فَرِيدٌ: أَلَيْسَ الْكِتَابُ مَجْمُوعًا فِي مَكْتَبِ الأُسْتَاذِ؟

o Word-by-Word translation:

 أَ  (a): a question particle, similar to هل.

 لَيْسَ  (laysa): is not.

 الْكِتَابُ  (al-kitāb): the book.

 مَجْمُوعًا  (majmūʿan): collected.

 فِي  (fī): in.

 مَكْتَبِ  (maktab): office/desk.

 الأُسْتَاذِ  (al-ustādh): the teacher.

o Semantic Meaning: This is a negative question: "Isn't the book collected in the teacher's office?" It implies that Farid expects the answer to be "yes."

o Grammar (نَحْو): The combination of the question particle أ  and the verb of negation لَيْسَ  is a key intermediate structure. The noun following laysa (the subject) is in the nominative case (al-kitābu), while the predicate (majmūʿan) is in the accusative case (alif tanwīn), which is the rule with laysa.

 

·       فَرِيدٌ: بَلَى، يَا خَالِدُ. إِذَنْ أَذْهَبُ إِلَى مَكْتَبِ الْمُدَرِّسِينَ الآنَ.

·       Word-by-Word translation:

o   بَلَى  (balā): A particle used specifically to respond affirmatively to a negative question, meaning "Yes" or "On the contrary." It is the correct response when the answer to a question like أَلَيْسَ...؟ (Isn't...?) is in the affirmative.

o   يَا خَالِدُ  (yā Khālid): O Khalid.

o   إِذَنْ  (idhan): so, therefore.

o   أَذْهَبُ  (adhhabu): I go.

o   إِلَى  (ilā): to.

o   مَكْتَبِ  (maktab): office.

o   الْمُدَرِّسِينَ  (al-mudarrisīn): the teachers (plural).

o   الآنَ  (al-ān): now.

·       Semantic Meaning: When Khalid asks, "Isn't the book collected in the teacher's office?", he is expecting a "yes" or "no" answer. Because Farid believes the book is collected in the office, he must use the word بَلَى  to affirm this. The meaning is, "Yes, it is collected there. Therefore, I will go to the teachers' office now."

• Grammar (نَحْو - naḥw): The particle بَلَى  is a crucial element of Arabic grammar for intermediate learners. It is used exclusively to provide an affirmative answer to a question that contains a particle of negation (أَلَيْسَ, أَلَمْ, etc.). In contrast, نَعَمْ  is used to agree with the negative statement (meaning, "No, it is not"). This distinction is vital for accurate communication. 

• خَالِدٌ: تَفَضَّلْ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 تَفَضَّلْ  (tafaḍḍal): a polite imperative verb.

o Semantic Meaning: This phrase can be translated in many ways depending on the context, such as "Go ahead," "Please come in," or "Help yourself." Here, it gives Farid permission to leave.

✅4. Navigating the Hallway: New Conversations and Grammar

The conversation continues in the hallway, where Farid meets another friend, Rafiq. This section introduces more vocabulary related to school and new grammatical concepts.

• رَفِيقٌ: لَا تَذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ الآنَ، لِأَنَّ الْمَكْتَبَ فَارِغٌ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 لَا تَذْهَبْ  (lā tadhhab): don't go.

 إِلَيْهِ  (ilayhi): to it.

 الآنَ  (al-ān): now.

 لِأَنَّ  (li'anna): because.

 الْمَكْتَبَ  (al-maktaba): the office.

 فَارِغٌ  (fārigh): empty.

o Grammar (نَحْو): This is our first introduction to a negative command (لَا تَذْهَبْ), using the particle لَا  followed by a jussive verb (a verb in the shortened form). The particle لِأَنَّ  is another important intermediate tool, meaning "because." Like إِنَّ, it affects the case of the noun that follows, making الْمَكْتَبَ  accusative.

 

• فَرِيدٌ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ لَمْ أَذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ  (al-ḥamdu lillāh): Praise be to God.

 لَمْ أَذْهَبْ  (lam adhhab): I did not go.

 إِلَيْهِ  (ilayhi): to it.

o Grammar (نَحْو): The particle لَمْ is crucial for negating past tense actions. When لَمْ is used, the following present tense verb takes the jussive form (the verb أَذْهَبْ  has a sukoon at the end). This is a more formal and emphatic way of saying "I did not go" than using a past tense verb with ما.

 

• رَفِيقٌ: هَلْ عِنْدَكَ قَلَنْسُوَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ؟

o Word-by-Word translation:

 هَلْ  (hal): question particle.

 عِنْدَكَ  (ʿindaka): with you/do you have.

 قَلَنْسُوَتَانِ  (qalansuwatan): two caps (dual form).

 اثْنَتَانِ  (ithnatān): two (feminine dual number).

o Grammar (نَحْو): This sentence introduces a key aspect of Arabic grammar: the dual form (الْمُثَنَّى - al-muthannā). قَلَنْسُوَةٌ  (a cap) is a feminine noun. Its dual form is قَلَنْسُوَتَانِ, ending in -tāni. The number اثْنَتَانِ  also matches in gender and dual form. This is a crucial concept for expressing quantities of two.

 

• رَفِيقٌ: لَا، عِنْدِي قَلَنْسُوَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَطْ.

o Word-by-Word translation:

 لَا  (lā): no.

 عِنْدِي  (ʿindī): with me/I have.

 قَلَنْسُوَةٌ  (qalansuwah): cap (singular).

 وَاحِدَةٌ  (wāḥidah): one (feminine number).

 فَقَطْ  (faqaṭ): only.

o Grammar (نَحْو): This sentence is a perfect example of noun-adjective agreement. The noun قَلَنْسُوَةٌ  is feminine, so the number وَاحِدَةٌ  must also be feminine. The word فَقَطْ  is an adverb that adds emphasis, meaning "only."

✅5. Vocabulary List

• اِخْتِبَارٌ  (ikhtibār): test/exam

• مَوْجُودٌ  (mawjūd): present/available

• مُتَأَكِّدٌ  (muta'akkid): certain/sure

• كِتَابٌ  (kitāb): book

• هُنَاَ (hunaa): here    

• مَجْمُوعٌ (majmuu'un): collected/gathered

• قِرَاءَةٌ  (qirā'ah): reading

• مَكْتَبٌ  (maktab): office/desk

• أُسْتَاذٌ  (ustādh): male teacher/professor

• مُدَرِّسٌ  (mudarris): male teacher (plural: مُدَرِّسُونَ)

• مَمَرٌّ  (mamarr): hallway/corridor

• مَدْرَسَةٌ  (madrasah): school

• صَلَاةٌ  (ṣalāh): prayer

• مَسْجِدٌ  (masjid): mosque

• فَصْلٌ  (faṣl): classroom

• قَلَنْسُوَةٌ  (qalansuwah): cap/skullcap

• وَاحِدٌ  (wāḥid): one

• اثْنَانِ  (ithnāni): two (masculine dual)

• فَقَطْ  (faqaṭ): only/just

✅6. Summary

Congratulations! You've just completed a detailed analysis of a simple dialogue. We've explored different types of questions, the use of إنَّ  and its sisters, dual forms for nouns, and key particles for negation and emphasis.

By studying Arabic through these real-life conversations, you're not just memorizing, you're building a deeper understanding of how the language works. The next time you encounter a dialogue, try to identify the grammar rules we discussed today.

Ready to practice? Try writing a short dialogue of your own using some of these new vocabulary words and grammatical structures. And don't forget to share your progress in the comment section! Stay tuned for our next lesson, where we'll continue our journey to Arabic fluency.