Yes/No Questions with هل
To turn a standard statement into a question that requires a "yes" or "no" answer, place the question particle هل at the very beginning of the sentence. It acts like "is," "are," "do," or "does" in English questions, and the rest of the Arabic sentence structure does not change.
| Is the manager busy now? | هل المدير مشغول الآن؟hali al-mudîru mashghûlun al-âna? |
| Are you tired now? | هل أنت متعب الآن؟hal anta mut'abun al-âna? |
You can answer affirmative questions with نعم (yes), followed by your statement.
| Yes, I am also tired. | نعم، أنا متعب أيضا.na'am, anâ mut'abun aydan |
This simple rule applies to both nominal (noun-based) sentences and verbal sentences.
| Did the man go to the market? | هل ذهب الرجل إلى السوق؟hal dhahaba r-rajulu ilâ s-sûq? |
The Question Particle أ and Alternatives (أم)
Arabic has a second question particle: أ. Unlike هل, it is a single prefix letter (a hamza) that attaches directly to the front of the first word in the sentence.
While هل and أ are often interchangeable for simple yes/no questions, أ is specifically required when offering an alternative choice. When asking someone to choose between two options (A or B), you pair the prefix أ with a special word for "or": أم.
| or (in questions) | أمam |
Notice how أ attaches to the beginning of the question, and أم sits between the two specific choices being offered.
| Are you a doctor or an engineer? | أأنت طبيب أم مهندس؟a'anta tabîbun am muhandisun |
| Is this man a manager or a doctor? | أهذا الرجل مدير أم طبيب؟a hâdhâ r-rajulu mudîrun am tabîbun |
| Is this car new or old? | أهذه السيارة جديدة أم قديمة؟a hâdhihi s-sayyâratu jadîdatun am qadîmatun? |
