Breakdown of هذا مكتب، والحقيبة هنا.
الal
the
هناhunâ
here
وwa
and
هذاhâdhâ
this (m)
حقيبةhaqîba
bag
مكتبmaktab
desk
Questions & Answers about هذا مكتب، والحقيبة هنا.
Why is هذا used here instead of هذه?
هذا (this) is the masculine form, used because the word it refers to, مكتب (desk), is a masculine word. If we wanted to say 'This is a bag,' we would use the feminine form هذه because حقيبة (bag) is feminine.
Why is there no alif (ا) in the middle of هذا even though it's pronounced with a long 'a' sound?
هذا is one of a small group of special words in Arabic where a long 'a' sound is pronounced but not written. Even though it is spelled 'hadha,' you should always pronounce it as 'haa-dhaa'.
Where is the word for 'is' in both halves of the sentence?
Arabic doesn't use a word for 'is' or 'are' in present-tense sentences. You simply place the subject and the information about it side by side. So, هذا مكتب literally translates to 'This [a] desk,' and الحقيبة هنا translates to 'The bag [here].'
Why is the word 'and' attached directly to 'the bag' to make والحقيبة?
The word for 'and' is و (wa). In Arabic, words that consist of only one letter cannot stand alone with spaces around them. They must always be attached directly to the beginning of the following word, which is why it is written as one block: والحقيبة.
Learn هذا مكتب، والحقيبة هنا and more in Arabic
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free