Question 1

Why are two different words used for "this" here?

Accepted Answer

In Arabic, nouns have a gender. مكتب (desk) is a masculine word, so we use the masculine word for "this", which is هذا. سبورة (board) is feminine, so it takes the feminine word for "this", هذه.

Question 2

How can I tell that سبورة (board) is feminine?

Accepted Answer

You can usually spot a feminine word by its ending. Notice the letter at the very end of سبورة and جديدة? That tied loop shape is called a ta marbuta (ة). It is the most common sign that a noun or adjective is feminine.

Question 3

Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Arabic doesn't use a word for "is" or "are" in the present tense. By simply putting a demonstrative pronoun like هذا right next to an indefinite noun like مكتب, the "is" is naturally implied to mean "This is a desk".

Question 4

Why does the adjective come after the noun here?

Accepted Answer

In English we say "big desk", but in Arabic, the noun comes first and the describing word (the adjective) follows it. That's why we say مكتب كبير (desk big) and سبورة جديدة (board new).

Question 5

The spelling of هذا looks like it should be pronounced "hadha", but I hear a long "aa". Why?

Accepted Answer

You have a good ear! The words هذا and هذه are special exceptions in Arabic spelling. They have an invisible long "a" sound right after the first letter. You just have to memorize their pronunciation since the long vowel is not written out.

هذا مكتب كبير وهذه سبورة جديدة.

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