Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): هل القط هنا؟

No, هل (hal) just acts like a spoken question mark at the beginning of a sentence to show it is a yes/no question. Arabic doesn't actually use a word for "is" in the present tense.

How do we know it means "the cat IS here" if there is no verb?

This is a basic rule of Arabic sentences. When you take a definite noun (a specific noun, like القط) and follow it directly with a location word like هنا (here), it automatically creates a complete sentence meaning "The [noun] is [location]."

Why is "the" attached directly to the word for "cat"?

In Arabic, the definite article الـ (al-), which means "the", is a prefix rather than an independent word. It is always attached directly to the front of the noun it modifies, which is why "the cat" is written as a single word: القط.

Should I pronounce the "L" sound in القط?

Yes! Arabic letters are split into "sun" and "moon" categories. The letter ق (qāf) at the start of قط (cat) is a "moon letter." This means the "L" in the الـ prefix keeps its normal sound, so it is pronounced "al-qiṭṭ".