The Formal 'There is / There are' (ثَمَّةَ)
In formal Arabic, particularly in academic writing, research papers, and literature, you will often encounter the word ثَمَّةَ. It means "there is" or "there are." It serves the exact same grammatical function as هُناكَ but belongs to a higher, more elevated register.
| there is / there are | ثمةthammata |
Grammatically, ثَمَّةَ acts as a fronted locative predicate. The noun that follows it is the delayed subject and is usually indefinite.
| There is a big problem in this academic report. | ثمة مشكلة كبيرة في هذا التقرير الأكاديمي.thammata mushkilatun kabîratun fî hâdhâ at-taqrîri al-akâdîmî. |
| There is an important citation missing from the draft. | ثمة استشهاد مهم مفقود من المسودة.thammata stishhâdun muhimmun mafqûdun mina al-musawwadati |
| There is a long appendix at the end of the book. | ثمة ملحق طويل في نهاية الكتاب.thammata mulhaqun tawîlun fî nihâyati l-kitâb |
Using ثَمَّةَ with Plural Subjects
Because it is an adverb acting as a predicate, ثَمَّةَ does not change its form. You use the exact same word regardless of whether the subject that follows is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.
| There are many gaps in the historical evidence. | ثمة ثغرات كثيرة في الدليل التاريخي.thammata thagharâtun kathîratun fî ad-dalîli t-târîkhiyyi |
| There are great contributions in this research. | ثمة مساهمات عظيمة في هذا البحث.thammata musâhamâtun ʿazhîmatun fî hâdhâ-l-baḥth |
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