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### Asking "What" and "Why"

To ask for specific information about an action, place a question word directly at the beginning of your sentence, right before the verb. 

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### Asking "When" and "How"

Use متى (when) and كيف (how) before a present tense verb to ask about the timing or method of an action.

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### Gathering Detailed Information

Notice how the sentence structure remains consistent across different verbs and contexts: **Question Word + Verb + Rest of the Sentence**.

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

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)

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)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
to do	فعلfa'ala
What are you doing now?	ماذا تفعل الآن؟mâdhâ taf'alu l-âna?
Why do you always do that?	لماذا تفعل ذلك دائما؟limâdhâ taf'alu dhâlika dâ'iman?
when	متىmatâ
to wake up	استيقظistayqaza
When do you wake up in the morning?	متى تستيقظ صباحا؟matâ tastayqizu sabâhan?
to sleep	نامnâma
When do you sleep at night?	متى تنام في الليل؟matâ tanâmu fee l-layl?
how	كيفkayfa
How do you go to the hospital?	كيف تذهب إلى المستشفى؟kayfa tadh'habu ilâ almustashfâ?
to learn	تعلمta'allama
language	لغةlughah
Why are you learning a new language now?	لماذا تتعلم لغة جديدة الآن؟limâdhâ tata'allamu lughatan jadîdatan al-âna?
to begin	بدأbada'a
When does the meeting begin tomorrow?	متى يبدأ الاجتماع غدا؟matâ yabda'u al-ijtimâ'u ghadan?
How does this work begin?	كيف يبدأ هذا العمل؟kayfa yabda'u hâdhâ al-'amalu
Why does the boy sleep early?	لماذا ينام الولد مبكرا؟limâdhâ yanâmu al-waladu mubakkiran?
How do you always wake up early?	كيف تستيقظ مبكرا دائما؟kayfa tastayqizu mubakkiran dâ'iman?
He is learning a new language.	هو يتعلم لغة جديدة.huwa yata'allamu lughatan jadîdatan.
to speak	تكلمtakallama
When do you speak with the manager?	متى تتكلم مع المدير؟matâ tatakallamu ma'a al-mudîr?
Arabic	عربيarabî
Do you speak the Arabic language?	هل تتكلم اللغة العربية؟hal tatakallamu al-lughata al-arabiyyata?
How do you learn the Arabic language?	كيف تتعلم اللغة العربية؟kayfa tata'allamu al-lughata al-'arabiyya
Arabic (the language)	العربيةal-'arabiyya
I speak Arabic.	أنا أتكلم العربية.ana atakallamu al'arabiyyata
Are you learning Arabic now?	هل تتعلم العربية الآن؟hal tata'allamu al'arabiyyata al'âna?
which (+ noun) / any	أيayy
Which language do you speak?	أي لغة تتكلم؟ayya lughatin tatakallam
Which book are you reading?	أي كتاب تقرأ؟ayyu kitâbin taqra'u?
to live (reside)	سكنsakana
Where do you live?	أين تسكن؟ayna taskunu?
I live in the city.	أسكن في المدينة.askunu fî al-madîna.
In which city do you live?	في أي مدينة تسكن؟fee ayyi madînatin taskunu?
English (the language)	الإنجليزيةal-injilîziyya
I speak Arabic and English.	أتكلم العربية والإنجليزية.atakallamu al-arabiyyata wal-injiliziyyata
Are you learning English?	هل تتعلم الإنجليزية؟hal tata'allamu al-ingliziyyah?
Which language do you speak? I speak English.	أي لغة تتكلم؟ أتكلم الإنجليزية.ayyu lughatin tatakallamu? atakallamu l-injilîziyyata.

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