هذا السؤال الأول.

this

Breakdown of هذا السؤال الأول.

• السؤال: question
• أول: first

Questions & Answers about هذا السؤال الأول.

Why does the sentence start with هذا?

هذا means this. It is a masculine singular demonstrative, used to point to something: this.

In this sentence, Arabic is literally saying something like this the first question, which in natural English is this is the first question.

Why is it هذا and not هذه?

Because السؤال is a masculine singular noun.

• هذا = this for masculine singular nouns
• هذه = this for feminine singular nouns

So:

• هذا السؤال = this question / this is the question
• If the noun were feminine, you would use هذه

Where is the word is?

There is no separate word for is here because Arabic normally omits the present-tense copula in sentences like this.

So:

• هذا السؤال الأول literally: this the first question
• natural English: this is the first question

This is very normal in Modern Standard Arabic. If you want to say was, will be, and so on, Arabic does use verbs, but in the simple present it usually leaves is/am/are unstated.

Why is it السؤال الأول and not الأول السؤال?