Breakdown of هل القصة صحيحة؟
الal
the
هلhal
is / are (question marker)
قصةqissa
story
صحيحsaheeh
correct / true
Questions & Answers about هل القصة صحيحة؟
Why doesn't the word for "true" have "al-" (the) attached to it?
In Arabic, sentences like "The story is true" are made by putting a definite noun (with "al-") next to an indefinite adjective (without "al-"). If you added "al-" to صحيحة, making it القصة الصحيحة, it would just be a phrase meaning "the true story," not a full sentence.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
There is no word for "is" in present-tense Arabic sentences. The "is" is naturally understood when you put the subject (القصة, "the story") right before the describing word (صحيحة, "true"). This is called a nominal sentence.
Why does صحيحة end with the letter taa marbuuta (ة)?
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because القصة (the story) is a feminine word (ending in a taa marbuuta), the adjective صحيح (true/correct) must also take a taa marbuuta to become the feminine صحيحة.
Did adding هل change the order of the words compared to a regular statement?
No! A great thing about Arabic yes/no questions is that the word order stays exactly the same as a normal statement. "The story is true" is القصة صحيحة, and you simply place هل at the beginning to turn it into "Is the story true?".
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