Prepositions with Personal Suffix

01

Standard Attachment

For most prepositions ending in a consonant or a short vowel, you simply attach the suffix directly to the end of the word. Common suffixes include ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y) for "me," ⁧⁧ـكَ⁩⁩ (-kạ-ka-ka-k) for "you (masc.)," and ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h) for "him/it."

• ⁧هَلْ الْقَلَمُ مَعَكَ؟⁩

  hạl ᵃlqạlạmụ mạʕạkạ?hal ᵃlqalamu maʿaka?hal ᵃlqalamu maʿaka?hl ᵃlqlm mʕk?

  Is the pen with you?

• ⁧هَذِهِ الْهَدِيَّةُ لَكِ.⁩

  hặḏịhị ᵃlhạdịyyạẗụ lạkị.hād͟hihi ᵃlhadiyyatu laki.hāḏihi ᵃlhadiyyaẗu laki.hḏh ᵃlhdyẗ lk.

  This gift is for you (fem.).

• ⁧أَنَا أَعْمَلُ مَعَهُمْ.⁩

  ʼạnā ʼạʕmạlụ mạʕạhụm.ʾanā ʾaʿmalu maʿahum.ˈanā ˈaʿmalu maʿahum.ˈana ˈaʕml mʕhm.

  I work with them.

02

Prepositions Ending in Nun (n)

When the prepositions ⁧⁧مِنْ⁩⁩ (mịnminminmn) - from and ⁧⁧عَنْ⁩⁩ (ʕạnʿanʿanʕn) - about are combined with the "me" suffix (⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y)), the "n" sound doubles. This is marked with a ⁧⁧شَدَّة⁩⁩ (šạddạẗs͟haddahšaddaẗšdẗ)⁦ ( ⁩⁧ّ⁩⁦ ) symbol.⁩

• ⁧⁧مِنْ⁩⁩ (mịnminminmn) + ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y) becomes ⁧⁧مِنِّي⁩⁩ (mịnnīminnīminniymny) - from me.
• ⁧⁧عَنْ⁩⁩ (ʕạnʿanʿanʕn) + ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y) becomes ⁧⁧عَنِّي⁩⁩ (ʕạnnīʿannīʿanniyʕny) - about me.

• ⁧هَلْ تُرِيدُ شَيْئًا مِنِّي؟⁩

  hạl tụrīdụ šạyʼạṇ mịnnī?hal turīdu s͟hayʾan minnī?hal turiydu šayˈá minniy?hl tryd šyʼa mny?

  Do you want anything from me?

• ⁧سَمِعْتُ خَبَرًا عَنْهُ.⁩

  sạmịʕtụ ḵạbạrạṇ ʕạnhụ.samiʿtu k͟habaran ʿanhu.samiʿtu ẖabará ʿanhu.smʕt ḵbra ʕnh.

  I heard news about him.

03

Prepositions Ending in Alif

Some prepositions end in an "⁧⁧أَلِف مَقْصُورَة⁩⁩ (ʼạlịf mạqṣūrạẗʾalif maqṣūrahˈalif maqṣuwraẗˈalf mqṣwrẗ)" (the letter ⁧⁧ى⁩⁩ (āāāa) that sounds like 'ā'), such as ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʕạlāʿalāʿalāʕla) - on and ⁧⁧إِلَى⁩⁩ (ʼịlāʾilāˌilāˌila) - to.

When you add a suffix to these, the ⁧⁧ى⁩⁩ (āāāa) changes to a ⁧⁧ي⁩⁩ (y) sound (a diphthong).

• ⁧⁧إِلَى⁩⁩ (ʼịlāʾilāˌilāˌila) + ⁧⁧ـكَ⁩⁩ (-kạ-ka-ka-k) becomes ⁧⁧إِلَيْكَ⁩⁩ (ʼịlạykạʾilaykaˌilaykaˌilyk) - to you.
• ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʕạlāʿalāʿalāʕla) + ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hụm-hum-hum-hm) becomes ⁧⁧عَلَيْهِمْ⁩⁩ (ʕạlạyhịmʿalayhimʿalayhimʕlyhm) - on them.

Special note for "me": When combining these with the "me" suffix, the result is ⁧⁧ـَيَّ⁩⁩ (-ạyyạ-ayya-ayya-y).

• ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʕạlāʿalāʿalāʕla) + ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y) becomes ⁧⁧عَلَيَّ⁩⁩ (ʕạlạyyạʿalayyaʿalayyaʕly) - on me.

• ⁧تَعَالَ إِلَيَّ!⁩

  tạʕālạ ʼịlạyyạ!taʿāla ʾilayya!taʿāla ˌilayya!tʕal ˌily!

  Come to me!

• ⁧سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ.⁩

  sạllạmtụ ʕạlạyhịm.sallamtu ʿalayhim.sallamtu ʿalayhim.slmt ʕlyhm.

  I said hello to them. (Lit: I greeted upon them)

04

Vowel Harmony with "Him/It"

The suffix for "him" or "it" is usually ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h). However, if the preposition ends in an ī vowel or a y sound, the suffix changes to ⁧⁧ـهِ⁩⁩ (-hị-hi-hi-h) to make pronunciation smoother.

• ⁧⁧فِي⁩⁩ (fīfīfiyfy) - in + ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h) becomes ⁧⁧فِيهِ⁩⁩ (fīhịfīhifiyhifyh) - in it/him.
• ⁧⁧إِلَى⁩⁩ (ʼịlāʾilāˌilāˌila) - to + ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h) becomes ⁧⁧إِلَيْهِ⁩⁩ (ʼịlạyhịʾilayhiˌilayhiˌilyh) - to him.

• ⁧الْمِفْتَاحُ فِيهِ.⁩

  almịftāḥụ fīhị.almiftāḥu fīhi.ʾalmiftāḥu fiyhi.almftaḥ fyh.

  The key is in it.

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ.⁩

  ḏạhạbtụ ʼịlạyhị.d͟hahabtu ʾilayhi.ḏahabtu ˌilayhi.ḏhbt ˌilyh.

  I went to him.

05

Expressing "To Have" and Obligation

Arabic does not have a verb for "to have." Instead, it uses prepositions with suffixes.

• ⁧⁧عِنْدَ⁩⁩ (ʕịndạʿindaʿindaʕnd) - at + suffix: ⁧⁧عِنْدِي⁩⁩ (ʕịndīʿindīʿindiyʕndy) - I have / "at me".
• ⁧⁧لِـ⁩⁩ (lị-li-li-l-) - for/to + suffix: ⁧⁧لِي⁩⁩ (līlīliyly) - I have / "to me".

Additionally, the preposition ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʕạlāʿalāʿalāʕla) - on with a suffix is often used to express obligation ("have to" or "must").

• ⁧⁧عَلَيْكَ⁩⁩ (ʕạlạykạʿalaykaʿalaykaʕlyk) - "upon you" implies "you must."

• ⁧عِنْدِي سُؤَالٌ.⁩

  ʕịndī sụʼālụṇ.ʿindī suʾālun.ʿindiy suˈālú.ʕndy sʾal.

  I have a question.

• ⁧عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَذْهَبَ.⁩

  ʕạlạykạ ʼạn tạḏhạbạ.ʿalayka ʾan tad͟hhaba.ʿalayka ˈan taḏhaba.ʕlyk ˈan tḏhb.

  You have to go.