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### Annexing Time Words to Clauses

In Arabic, you can specify exactly when an action happened by attaching a time word directly to a complete sentence (a clause). This grammar structure is known as **إضافة الظروف إلى الجمل** (Annexing Temporal Nouns to Clauses).

Instead of using a complex phrase like "on the day in which...", simply take a bare time noun—like **حين** (when / time) or **يوم** (day)—and place the verb clause immediately after it.

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### Other Temporal Nouns

This structure is highly flexible and works with many other time-related nouns to add precise context to your stories. You can use words like **لحظة** (moment), **ساعة** (hour), **وقت** (time), and **سنة** (year) in the exact same way.

Notice how the English translation often requires linking words like "the moment *that*..." or "the year *when*...", but in Arabic, the time noun connects directly to the following verb.

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### Using Prepositions Before the Time Word

Because the time word acts as a standard noun, it can still take prepositions. A common combination is using **منذ** (since) before a time word like **زمن** (time/era), which is then directly followed by the clause describing that era.

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Time words linked to clauses (يوم، حين)

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
nostalgia	حنينhanîn
I feel intense nostalgia when we browse this album.	أشعر بحنين شديد حين نتصفح هذا الألبوم.ash'uru biḥanînin shadîdin ḥîna nataṣaffaḥu hâdhâ al-albûma
colored	ملونmulawwan
My sister remembered our childhood the moment she saw this color picture.	تذكرت أختي طفولتنا لحظة رأت هذه الصورة الملونة.tadhakkarat ukhtî tufûlatanâ laḥẓata ra'at hâdhihi aṣ-ṣûrata al-mulawwanah.
to recall	استعادista'âda
My father recalled his old memories the day he found this album.	استعاد أبي ذكرياته القديمة يوم وجد هذا الألبوم.ista'âda abî dhikrayâtihi l-qadîmata yawma wajada hâdhâ l-albûma
intimate	حميميhamîmiyy
spontaneous	عفويafwiyy
Our features seemed intimate and spontaneous the hour we took the picture.	بدت ملامحنا حميمية وعفوية ساعة التقطنا الصورة.badat malâmihunâ hamîmiyyatan wa'afwiyyatan sâ'atal taqatnâ assûrah.
We took this spontaneous picture the year we traveled to Egypt.	التقطنا هذه الصورة العفوية سنة سافرنا إلى مصر.iltaqatnâ hâdhihi as-sûrata al-afawiyyata sanata sâfarnâ ilâ misra
to pass down (by inheritance)	توارثtawâratha
era / time	زمنzaman
My family has passed down this album since the time my grandfather was a young man.	تتوارث عائلتي هذا الألبوم منذ زمن كان جدي شابا.tatawârathu 'â'ilatî hâdhâ al-albûma mundhu zamanin kâna jaddî shâbban.
We recall these intimate memories the time we gather together.	نستعيد هذه الذكريات الحميمية وقت نجتمع معا.nastaidu hâdhihi adh-dhikrayâti al-hamîmiyyata waqta najtamiu maan.
I remember this spontaneous moment when we talk about the past.	أتذكر هذه اللحظة العفوية حين نتحدث عن الماضي.atadhakkaru hâdhihi al-lahzata al-afawiyyata hîna natahaddathu ani al-mâdî
Is there a color picture of my mother the day she graduated from the university?	هل هناك صورة ملونة لأمي يوم تخرجت من الجامعة؟hal hunâka sûratun mulawwanatun li'ummî yawma takharrajat mina l-jâmi'ah?
My grandmother cried the day she found this old picture.	بكت جدتي يوم وجدت هذه الصورة القديمة.bakat jaddatî yawma wajadat hâdhihi as-sûrata al-qadîma
She smiled the moment she saw this album.	ابتسمت لحظة رأت هذا الألبوم.ibtasamat lahzata ra'at hâdhâ al-albûma.
We feel intense nostalgia when we remember our childhood.	نشعر بحنين شديد حين نتذكر طفولتنا.nash'uru bihanînin shadîdin hîna natadhakkaru tufûlatanâ
photographic	فوتوغرافيfûtûghrâfî
engraved	محفورmahfoor
lineage	سلالةsulâla
This is an etched photographic memory the time our lineage passed down this house.	هذه ذكرى فوتوغرافية محفورة زمن توارثت سلالتنا هذا البيت.hâdhihi dhikrâ fûtûghrâfiyyatun mahfûratun zamana tawârathat sulâlatunâ hâdhâ al-bayta
The king's face is etched in a photographic album the day he founded the dynasty.	وجه الملك محفور في ألبوم فوتوغرافي يوم أسس السلالة.wajhu almaliki mahfûrun fî albûmin fûtûghrâfiyyin yawma assasa assulâlata.