Language/Sanaani-arabic/Grammar/Questions
Hi Sanaani Arabic learners! ๐
In this lesson, we will learn how to ask questions in Sanaani Arabic. Asking questions is an important aspect of any language as it allows us to seek information or clarification. Questions can be formed in different ways and we will explore these in this lesson. We will also look at some useful words and phrases that we can use to ask questions. ๐ค
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Conditional Mood & Plurals.
Basic Questions[edit | edit source]
The most common way of forming a question in Sanaani Arabic is by adding a question particle at the end of a sentence. This particle is "ูู" (hal) and it is equivalent to "do/does" or "is/are" in English. For example:
| Sanaani Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ูุฐุง ุจูุช | hadha bayt | This is a house. |
| ูู ูุฐุง ุจูุชุ | hal hadha bayt? | Is this a house? |
Notice how the addition of "ูู" (hal) at the end of the sentence changes it into a question. This type of question is called a yes/no question as it can be answered with "ูุนู " (na'am) for yes or "ูุง" (la) for no. ๐
Another way of forming a question in Sanaani Arabic is by using question words. These are words such as "ู ู" (man) for "who", "ู ุง" (ma) for "what", "ุฃูู" (ayna) for "where", "ู ุชู" (mataa) for "when" and "ูู " (kam) for "how much/many". For example:
| Sanaani Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ู ุง ูุฐุงุ | ma hadha? | What is this? |
| ู ู ุงูุดุฎุต ุงูุฐู ุฑุฃูุชูุ | man al-shakhs alladhi ra'aytuhu? | Who is the person you saw? |
| ุฃูู ุงูู ุทุนู ุ | ayna al-mat'am? | Where is the restaurant? |
| ู ุชู ุชุณุงูุฑุ | mataa tasafar? | When are you traveling? |
| ูู ุนู ุฑูุ | kam 'umruka? | How old are you? |
Notice how the question words come at the beginning of the sentence and are followed by the verb and the subject. This type of question cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" as it requires more information. ๐ค
Useful Phrases[edit | edit source]
To further enhance your ability to ask questions, here are some useful phrases that you can use. Remember, practice makes perfect! ๐ช
- "ูู ุชุชููู ุงูุฅูุฌููุฒูุฉุ" (hal tatakallam al-'injiliziya?) - Do you speak English?
- "ูู ูู ูููู ุงูู ุณุงุนุฏุฉุ" (hal yumkinuni al-musa'adah?) - Can I help you?
- "ู ุง ุงุณู ูุ" (ma ismuka?) - What is your name?
- "ู ุงุฐุง ุชุนู ูุ" (mada ta'mal?) - What do you do?
- "ุฃูู ุฃูุช ู ูุ" (ayna anta min?) - Where are you from?
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Here is a dialogue to help you see these words and phrases in context:
- Person 1: "ูู ุชุชููู ุงูุฅูุฌููุฒูุฉุ" (hal tatakallam al-'injiliziya?) - Do you speak English?
- Person 2: "ูุงุ ูุง ุฃุชููู ุงูุฅูุฌููุฒูุฉ" (La, la 'atakallam al-'injiliziya) - No, I don't speak English.
- Person 1: "ุฃูู ุงูู ุญุทุฉุ" (ayna al-mahattah?) - Where is the station?
- Person 2: "ุงูู ุญุทุฉ ุจุฌูุงุฑ ุงูู ุณุชุดูู" (al-mahattah bijawar al-mustashfa) - The station is next to the hospital.
Sources[edit | edit source]
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