الباب خشب.

The door is made of wood.

Breakdown of الباب خشب.

• باب: door
• خشب: wood

Questions & Answers about الباب خشب.

Why is there no word for is in الباب خشب?

Because Arabic usually leaves out the verb to be in the present tense.

So الباب خشب literally looks like the door wood, but it means the door is wood / the door is made of wood.

This is very normal in both Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic.
If you want past or future, then Arabic does use a verb:

• الباب كان خشب = The door was wood / was made of wood
• الباب هيبقى خشب = The door will be wood / will be made of wood

In the present, though, no is is needed.

What does ال in الباب mean?

ال is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.

So:

• باب = a door / door
• الباب = the door

In Egyptian Arabic, ال is usually pronounced el-, so الباب is pronounced el-bāb.

Why is خشب not written with ال too?