Breakdown of هل يوجد قارض في هذه الغرفة؟
الal
the
هلhal
is / are (question marker)
فيfî
in / about, regarding
هذهhâdhihi
this (f)
غرفةghurfa
room
يوجدyûjadu
there is (is found)
قارضqâridun
rodent
Questions & Answers about هل يوجد قارض في هذه الغرفة؟
Why is يوجد used here instead of هناك for "there is"?
Both يوجد (yūjadu) and هناك (hunāka) mean "there is." However, يوجد is slightly more formal and literally means "is found" (it is the passive voice of the verb for "to find"). You will see both used, but يوجد strongly emphasizes physical presence or existence in a location.
Why does قارض (rodent) lack the definite article الـ (al-)?
When asking if any instance of something exists (like "a rodent"), the noun must be indefinite. If you added the definite article and said هل يوجد القارض, it would change the meaning to "Is the rodent found [here]?", asking about a specific animal rather than checking if any rodents are around.
What does the shape of the word قارض (rodent) tell us about its meaning?
It comes from a root word meaning to gnaw or chew. The word قارض follows the active participle pattern (like the English "-er" ending), which means "the doer of the action." So, a قارض is literally "a gnawer."
Why do we say هذه الغرفة with the definite article on "room"?
To say "this room" in Arabic, the noun following the demonstrative word هذه (this) must have the definite article الـ (al-). If you leave the article out and just say هذه غرفة, the phrase turns into a complete sentence meaning "This is a room."
Learn هل يوجد قارض في هذه الغرفة؟ 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