هذا فتى.

In Arabic, the present-tense to be is usually not written or spoken in simple sentences like this.

So هذا فتى literally looks like this boy, but it means this is a boy.

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence. Arabic often just places the two parts next to each other:

• هذا = this
• فتى = a boy / youth

There is no need for a separate word like is in the present tense.

هذا is the masculine singular demonstrative, meaning this.

It is pronounced approximately hādhā.

A few useful notes:

• هَا sounds like hā
• ذ is the sound of th in this
• the final ا gives a long ā sound

So the whole word is hādhā.

Because فتى is a masculine singular noun.

In Arabic, demonstratives must agree with the noun in gender and number:

• هذا = this (masculine singular)
• هذه = this (feminine singular)

Since فتى means boy / youth and is masculine, هذا is the correct choice.

In Modern Standard Arabic, the normal way to say this is a boy is هذا فتى.

Here, هذا comes first because it is functioning as the subject of the sentence, and فتى is the predicate.

So the structure is basically:

• هذا = this
• فتى = a boy

Arabic word order does not always match English word order exactly. Even though English says this is a boy, Arabic simply puts the two parts together as هذا فتى.

Because the sentence means this is a boy, not this boy.

That distinction is important:

• هذا فتى = This is a boy
• هذا الفتى = This boy or This is the boy, depending on context

So in هذا فتى, the noun فتى is indefinite because it is giving information about what this is.

In other words, فتى is not being used here as part of a single noun phrase this boy. It is being used as the predicate: a boy.

Because Arabic is not building the same kind of structure here that English uses.

In English, this boy is a noun phrase.
But in هذا فتى, Arabic is making a full sentence: This is a boy.

That is why the noun after هذا can be indefinite.

If you wanted the noun phrase this boy, you would normally say:

• هذا الفتى

So the lack of الـ tells you that فتى is not just following this as part of one noun phrase; it is acting as the predicate of the sentence.

فتى is pronounced approximately fatā.

A few points:

• ف = f
• ت = t
• the final ى is pronounced like a long ā, not like y

So even though the word ends with a shape that may look unfamiliar, the ending is a long vowel sound: fatā.

The final ى is called alif maqṣūrah.

It looks like ي without dots, but in pronunciation it usually represents a long ā sound, not y.

So in فتى:

• it is written with ى
• it is pronounced ā

This is why the word is pronounced fatā, not faty.

Yes, in grammar it does, but in normal unvowelled writing you usually do not see it clearly.

In a sentence like هذا فتى, فتى is the predicate of the sentence and is nominative.

With many nouns, the nominative ending is visible. But with a word like فتى, which ends in alif maqṣūrah, the ending is not obvious in ordinary spelling.

So for a beginner, the most useful thing to remember is:

• grammatically, it is nominative
• in everyday writing, it is simply written فتى

Not always in everyday speech.

فتى is a correct and common Modern Standard Arabic word, but it often sounds a bit more literary or formal than some other words.

Depending on context, Arabic may also use words like:

• ولد = boy
• شاب = young man

Still, فتى is completely normal in MSA and very common in textbooks, news-style Arabic, and formal writing.

Normally, by itself, هذا فتى is understood as this is a boy.

If you want to say this boy as a noun phrase, the more standard form is:

• هذا الفتى

So the presence or absence of الـ matters a lot:

• هذا فتى = this is a boy
• هذا الفتى = this boy / this is the boy

Yes, it is a complete sentence.

Arabic allows very short nominal sentences, and هذا فتى is one of them.

It has everything needed:

• هذا = the thing being pointed out
• فتى = what it is

So even though it is only two words, it is a full and correct sentence in Modern Standard Arabic.

Yes, exactly.

If the noun is feminine singular, you would use هذه instead of هذا:

• هذه فتاة = this is a girl

This shows the basic agreement pattern:

• هذا فتى = this is a boy
• هذه فتاة = this is a girl

That is a very useful pair to remember.