Standard Arabic grammar

Every grammar guide of Lingora’s Standard Arabic A1 course, with examples you can listen to.

01Nouns: DeclensionIn Arabic, the ending of a noun changes to show its role in a sentence. Look at the word for 'the man' in these three examples: ⁧وَصَلَ الرَّجُلُ.⁩ The…
02Vowel ElisionWhen Arabic words connect in speech, certain vowels are skipped to keep the flow smooth. Listen to the difference: ⁧اَلْكِتَابُ جَدِيدٌ.⁩ The book is…
03Nouns: Construct FormThe construct form, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧إِضَافَة⁩⁩ (iḍāfah), is the standard way to connect two nouns to indicate possession, relationship, or to define…
04Nouns: Definite vs Indefinite FormsCompare these two: ⁧بَيْتٌ⁩ (baytun, a house) and ⁧الْبَيْتُ⁩ (al-baytu, the house). Two things change: the prefix ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-) appears, and the final -n…
05Nouns: Nominative CaseThe nominative case, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧الْمَرْفُوع⁩⁩ (al-marfū‘), is the default state of a noun. It is primarily used to identify the "doer" of the…
06Nouns: Accusative CaseThe accusative case, known as ⁧⁧الْمَنْصُوب⁩⁩ (al-manṣūb) in Arabic, is a grammatical state primarily used to mark the direct object of a verb. While the…
07Nouns: Genitive CaseThe genitive case, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧الْمَجْرُور⁩⁩ (al-majrūr), is one of the three grammatical cases in the language. It is primarily used in two…
08Nouns: DualUnlike English, which groups quantities into "singular" (one) and "plural" (more than one), Arabic has a specific category for exactly two items called…
09Adjectives: DualAdjectives describe the qualities of a noun. In Arabic, the adjective must mirror the noun it modifies in every aspect: gender, definiteness, case, and…
10Pronouns: DualUnlike English, which groups numbers into "singular" (one) and "plural" (more than one), Arabic has a specific category called the Dual. This form is…
11Nouns: PaucalArabic distinguishes between quantities more precisely than many other languages. While English simply has singular (one) and plural (more than one),…
12Nouns: PluralIn Arabic, the plural is strictly used for quantities of three or more. If you are referring to exactly two items or people, the dual form is used…
13Collective NounsCollective nouns in Arabic refer to a substance, material, or a group of objects naturally found together, such as plants, animals, or food. These nouns…
14Personal PronounsArabic verbs already tell you who is doing the action through their prefix — so standalone pronouns are mainly used for emphasis or clarity: ⁧أَدْرُسُ…
15Possessive Adjectives: Suffix FormPossessive adjectives in Arabic function differently than in English. Instead of being separate words placed before a noun (like "my car" or "his…
16Object Pronouns: Suffix FormObject pronouns in Arabic are not standalone words. Instead, they appear as suffixes attached to the end of verbs, prepositions, or particles. When…
17Verbs: Present TenseThe Arabic present tense covers both 'I write' and 'I am writing' — there is no distinction. To form it, a prefix is added to the verb root that tells…
18Verbs: Past TenseThe past tense in Arabic, known as ⁧⁧الْمَاضِي⁩⁩ (al-māḍī), refers to actions that have been completed. Unlike English, which often uses helper verbs…
19Verbal NounsThe verbal noun, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧المَصْدَر⁩⁩ (al-maṣdar), is a noun derived from a verb. It represents the abstract concept of an action without…
20Active ParticiplesThe active participle is a specific form derived from a verb. It functions as a noun or an adjective to indicate the entity performing an action or being…
21Verbs: Dual FormUnlike English, which uses the same verb form for two people as it does for three or more (plural), Arabic has a specific grammatical category for pairs.…
22Verbs: PluralWhen the subject of a sentence is a group of three or more (or an unspecified "we"), the verb takes a plural form. Arabic distinguishes between the first…
23Verbs: Imperative MoodThe imperative mood is used to give direct orders, make requests, or offer advice. Since commands are always directed at someone present, this mood…
24Verbs: Subjunctive MoodThe subjunctive mood, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب⁩⁩ (al-muḍāriʿ al-manṣūb), is a specific form of the present tense verb. It is used…
25Verbs: Jussive MoodThe Jussive mood, known in Arabic as ⁧⁧الْمَجْزُوم⁩⁩ (al-majzūm), is a specific grammatical state of the imperfect (present tense) verb. It is primarily…
26Verbs: Passive FormsThe passive voice allows you to describe an action without mentioning who performed it. This is used when the doer is unknown, obvious, or intentionally…
27Adjectives: DeclensionIn Arabic, adjectives follow the noun they modify. Unlike in English, where the adjective stays the same (e.g., "the big boy," "the big girls"), Arabic…
28Common PrefixesArabic words are frequently modified by single-letter prefixes. These particles cannot stand alone and must be attached directly to the beginning of the…
29Emphasis with إِنَّThe particle ⁧⁧إِنَّ⁩⁩ (inna) is a fundamental tool in Arabic used to strengthen the meaning of a sentence. It functions as an intensifier, roughly…
30Questions with هَلْThe particle ⁧⁧هَلْ⁩⁩ (hal) is the primary tool used to form interrogative sentences that require a "yes" or "no" answer. It functions similarly to the…
31Verb NegationNegation in Arabic is achieved by placing specific particles before the verb. The choice of particle is determined by the tense of the action (past,…
32Vocative FormsThe vocative is the grammatical form used to address someone directly, call for attention, or invoke a person or deity. In Arabic, this is primarily…
33Prepositions with Personal SuffixIn Arabic, prepositions are never followed by separate personal pronouns like "I," "you," or "he." Instead, they combine with pronoun suffixes to form a…
34Attributive AdjectivesAdjectives are words that describe nouns, such as "big," "red," or "happy." In Arabic, the placement and behavior of adjectives differ significantly from…
35Expressing Possession with لَدَىThe preposition ⁧⁧لَدَى⁩⁩ (ladā) is a formal and versatile way to express possession in Arabic. While it literally translates to "at", "by", or "in the…
36Expressing 'must' with عَلَىThe preposition ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʿalā) literally means "on" or "upon". When used to express obligation, it conveys the idea that a duty or task rests "upon" a…
37Expressing 'to not be' with لَيْسَArabic nominal sentences (sentences that start with a noun) do not use a verb for "to be" in the affirmative. However, to negate these sentences—to say…
38Numbers in ArabicArabic numbers function differently depending on the quantity being counted. They change their form based on the gender of the noun, the grammatical…
39Negation with غَيْرThe word ⁧⁧غَيْر⁩⁩ (ghayr) is a noun used to negate single words within a sentence. It functions similarly to the English prefixes "un-", "in-", or…
40Female Forms for Inanimate NounsIn Arabic grammar, plural nouns are divided into two categories: human (referring to people) and non-human (referring to objects, animals, plants, or…
41Adverbs from the Accusative FormAdverbs describe how, when, or to what degree an action takes place. While English often uses the suffix -ly (as in quickly or softly), Arabic frequently…
42Preposition ل with Pronoun SuffixesThe preposition ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (li-) is one of the most frequent particles in Arabic. It generally translates to "for" or "to" in English. When this preposition…