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This lesson teaches you how to present options and alternatives in Arabic, a very useful skill whether you are picking a movie, comparing digital plans, or deciding on a gym membership.

### Either... Or

To say "either... or" in Arabic, we use the correlative conjunctions إمّا ... أو. You simply place إمّا before the first option and أو before the second option. This structure works perfectly when choosing between two nouns or two adjectives.

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### Actions as Alternatives

If your choices involve verbs (actions) rather than just nouns, you will often add the particle أن directly after إمّا to introduce the first verbal clause. The second verbal clause will then follow أو.

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### Subscriptions and Streaming

Now let's apply this grammar to everyday digital and fitness plans. You will practice useful vocabulary for navigating modern services, such as "subscription" (اشتراك), "package" (باقة), "streaming" (بث), and "renewal" (تجديد). Notice how the "either... or" structure frames your choices.

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Either... or (إمّا ... أو)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Question	Answer
either	إماimmâ
subscription	اشتراكishtirâk
annual	سنويsanawiyy
My brother can choose either a monthly subscription or an annual subscription.	يستطيع أخي أن يختار إما اشتراكا شهريا أو اشتراكا سنويا.yastatî'u akhî an yakhtâra immâ ishtirâkan shahriyyan awi ishtirâkan sanawiyyan
package	باقةbâqah
basic	أساسيasâsî
Either Maryam buys the basic package, or she pays extra fees.	إما أن تشتري مريم الباقة الأساسية أو تدفع رسوما إضافية.immâ an tashtariya maryamu l-bâqata l-'asâsiyyata aw tadfa'a rusûman idâfiyyatan.
series	مسلسلmusalsal
streaming	بثbathth
I want to watch either a series or a film on the streaming app.	أريد أن أشاهد إما مسلسلا أو فيلما في تطبيق البث.uridu an ushâhida immâ musalsalan aw filman fi tatbiqi al-baththi
membership	عضوية'udwiyyah
premium	متميزmutamayyiz
The gym membership is either basic or premium.	عضوية النادي الرياضي إما أساسية أو متميزة.udwiyyatu an-nâdi ar-riyâdiyyi immâ asâsiyyatun aw mutamayyizatun
renewal	تجديدtajdîd
The renewal of the annual subscription is either automatic or manual.	تجديد الاشتراك السنوي إما أوتوماتيكي أو يدوي.tajdîdu al-ishtirâki as-sanawiyyi immâ ôtômâtîkiyyun aw yadawiyyun
The streaming app almost failed without the premium package.	كاد تطبيق البث يفشل بدون الباقة المتميزة.kâda tatbîqu albaththi yafshalu bidûni albâqati almutamayyizati
Ahmad almost forgot the renewal of the membership.	كاد أحمد ينسى تجديد العضوية.kâda ahmadu yansâ tajdîda al'udwiyyati
We will watch either this series or that film.	سوف نشاهد إما هذا المسلسل أو ذلك الفيلم.sawfa nushâhidu immâ hâdhâ al-musalsala aw dhâlika al-fîlma
The manager (f.) canceled the basic subscription.	ألغت المديرة الاشتراك الأساسي.alghati al-mudîratu al-ishtirâka al-asâsiyya
The annual package was very expensive.	كانت الباقة السنوية غالية جدا.kânati l-bâqatu s-sanawiyyatu ghâliyatan jiddan