Through, via, according to
These prepositions are two words with one meaning. Like في or على, they are followed by a noun in the genitive or by an attached pronoun.
| preposition | meaning |
|---|---|
| من خلال | through, by means of |
| عن طريق | by way of, via |
| حسب | according to |
| من حيث | in terms of |
| من بين | among, from among |
من خلال(min khilâli) is through: a window, or a person who helped. عن طريق(an tareeqi) names the route or the channel: a road, the internet, a card.
| We saw the mountain through the window. | رأينا الجبل من خلال النافذة.ra'aynâ al-jabala min khilâli an-nâfidha |
| We booked the room via the internet. | حجزنا الغرفة عن طريق الإنترنت.hajaznâ al-ghurfata 'an tarîqi al-internet |
حسب(hasaba), said حَسَبَ, gives the source of what you say.
| According to the map, the hotel is near the river. | حسب الخريطة، الفندق قريب من النهر.hasaba al-kharîtati, al-funduqu qarîbun mina an-nahri |
For and against, in terms of, among
ضد(didd) against is the opposite of مع for, with, and takes a pronoun like any preposition: ضدها.
| Are you with the idea or against it? | أأنت مع الفكرة أم ضدها؟a'anta ma'a al-fikrati am diddahâ? |
من حيث(min haythu) judges a thing in one respect; من بين(min bayni) picks one out of a group.
| The hotel is good in terms of the price. | الفندق جيد من حيث السعر.al-funduqu jayyidun min haythu as-si'ri. |
| Among the guests was a doctor. | كان من بين الضيوف طبيب.kâna min bayni ad-duyûfi tabîbun. |
Without: بلا
بلا(bilâ) is ب + لا, written as one word, and it works like English -less: it goes straight before a bare noun, without ال. بدون means the same.
| I drink coffee without sugar. | أشرب القهوة بلا سكر.ashrabu al-qahwata bilâ sukkarin |
Along, up and down
على طول('alâ tûli) + a noun is along. في الأعلى(fi al-a'lâ) and في الأسفل(fil asfal) stand on their own: at the top and at the bottom, or in a building upstairs and downstairs. To say above or below something, use فوق and تحت.
| We walked along the river. | مشينا على طول النهر.mashaynâ 'alâ tûli n-nahr |
| The village is at the bottom, and the hotel is at the top. | القرية في الأسفل، والفندق في الأعلى.al-qaryatu fi al-asfali, wal-funduqu fi al-a'lâ. |
