Breakdown of هل هذه المجلات سياسية؟
الal
the
هلhal
is / are (question marker)
هذهhâdhihi
this (f)
سياسيsiyâsiyy
political
مجلةmajalla
magazine
Questions & Answers about هل هذه المجلات سياسية؟
Why does the sentence use هذه (this) instead of a plural word for "these"?
In Arabic, plural nouns that refer to non-humans (like المجلات, magazines) are treated grammatically as feminine singular. Because of this rule, we use the feminine singular word for "this" (هذه) instead of the human plural word for "these" (هؤلاء).
Why is the adjective سياسية (political) in the singular form when describing plural magazines?
This is another example of the non-human plural rule! Since المجلات (magazines) is a non-human plural, any adjective describing it must be feminine singular. That is why سياسية ends in the feminine marker ة (taa marbuta) rather than a plural ending.
Why does المجلات (magazines) have ال (the) attached to it? Doesn't that make it "Are these the magazines political?"
When you want to say "these [noun]" in Arabic, the noun must have ال (the) attached to it. So هذه المجلات translates together as "these magazines." If you left off the ال, the phrase هذه مجلات would mean "These are magazines," changing the whole meaning of the sentence.
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
Arabic doesn't use a word for "is" or "are" in simple present-tense sentences. The "are" is implied by putting the subject (هذه المجلات, these magazines) and the description (سياسية, political) right next to each other.
Learn هل هذه المجلات سياسية؟ 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