Learn Arabic (Modern Standard): هل تتكلم اللغة العربية؟

هل (hal) is used specifically to ask Yes/No questions. Because the answer to 'Do you speak Arabic?' is yes or no, we use هل at the beginning. If you wanted to use a word like ماذا, you would be asking for information, such as 'What do you speak?' (ماذا تتكلم؟).

Does تتكلم mean 'you speak' for a man or a woman?

تتكلم (tatakallam) means 'you speak' when you are talking to a male. If you were asking a female, the verb changes slightly: you would add an 'een' sound at the end and say تتكلمين (tatakallameen).

Why do both اللغة and العربية have the 'al-' prefix at the beginning?

In Arabic, adjectives must match the noun they describe. Because 'language' has the 'al-' (the) prefix making it definite (اللغة), the adjective 'Arabic' must also have it (العربية). Literally, the phrase reads as 'the language the Arabic'.

Why is there no Arabic word for 'do' in this sentence?

Arabic does not use helper verbs like 'do' or 'does' to form questions. The simple addition of the question particle هل does all the work, turning the statement 'You speak Arabic' directly into the question 'Do you speak Arabic?'.