هذا مخيم صغير.

In Arabic, sentences like this often do not use a present-tense verb meaning is.

So هذا مخيم صغير literally looks like:

• هذا = this
• مخيم = camp
• صغير = small

But naturally it means:

• This is a small camp.

This is called a nominal sentence in Arabic. In the present tense, Arabic usually leaves out is / am / are.

هذا means this for a masculine singular noun.

It is used here because مخيم is a singular masculine noun, so the demonstrative must match it.

Compare:

• هذا مخيم صغير = This is a small camp.
• هذه مدينة صغيرة = This is a small city.

So the choice between هذا and هذه depends on the gender of the noun.

In Arabic, every noun has grammatical gender, either masculine or feminine.

مخيم is grammatically masculine, which is why:

• the demonstrative is هذا
• the adjective is صغير, not صغيرة

Unlike in English, gender is a basic grammatical feature of nouns, and adjectives and demonstratives often have to match it.

A very common clue for feminine nouns is the ending ـة, but مخيم does not have that ending, and it is masculine.

In Arabic, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

So:

• مخيم صغير = a small camp

This is the normal Arabic order:

• noun + adjective

not:

• adjective + noun

Also, the adjective must match the noun in things like:

• gender
• number
• definiteness
• often case

So صغير is placed after مخيم and agrees with it.

Because مخيم صغير is indefinite, meaning a small camp, not the small camp.

Compare:

• هذا مخيم صغير = This is a small camp.
• هذا المخيم الصغير = This is the small camp.

In Arabic, if the noun is definite with الـ, the adjective must also be definite:

• المخيم الصغير

If the noun is indefinite, the adjective is also indefinite:

• مخيم صغير

So noun and adjective match in definiteness.

Yes. It is a completely normal and complete Arabic sentence.

It has:

• هذا as the topic or pointing word: this
• مخيم صغير as the information about it: a small camp

Arabic often expresses full ideas very compactly, especially in simple present-tense statements.

A common pronunciation guide is:

• mukhayyam

A few helpful notes:

• خ is pronounced like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• the يّ shows a doubled y sound
• the stress is often heard roughly as mu-KHAY-yam

So it is not pronounced like English camp, of course, but something close to mukhayyam.

In normal Arabic writing, short vowel endings are usually not written.

A fully vocalized version would be:

• هٰذا مُخَيَّمٌ صَغِيرٌ

Those final -un endings show that مخيم and صغير are indefinite in standard grammar.

But in everyday printed Arabic, those endings are usually omitted, so you typically see:

• هذا مخيم صغير

Learners should know that the grammar is still there, even when the marks are not written.

Because صغير is the masculine singular form of the adjective small.

Since مخيم is masculine singular, the adjective must match it:

• مخيم صغير = a small camp

If the noun were feminine singular, you would use:

• صغيرة

For example:

• هذه خيمة صغيرة = This is a small tent.

So the adjective changes to match the noun.

Yes, it is a normal and correct MSA sentence.

It is simple, clear, and follows standard patterns:

• demonstrative
  • noun phrase
• noun
  • adjective
• no present-tense is

So it is a very useful model sentence for beginners.