Questions & Answers about هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء.
Why is there no verb like is in this sentence?
Arabic often uses a nominal sentence (a sentence that starts with a noun) in the present tense, so the meaning of “is/are” is understood without a verb.
So هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء literally reads like: “This appointment today in the evening.” = “This appointment is today in the evening.”
Why does it start with هذا? What exactly is هذا doing?
هذا is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “this” (masculine singular). It “points to” the noun after it:
- هذا الموعد = this appointment/this meeting time
Why is هذا masculine, and how do I know?
Because موعد (appointment / scheduled time) is masculine in Arabic. Demonstratives must match the noun’s gender and number:
- masculine singular: هذا
- feminine singular would be هذه (used with a feminine noun)
Why does الموعد have الـ (the definite article)? Could it be without it?
Both are possible, with a nuance:
- هذا الموعد = this specific appointment (very natural when you mean a particular known one)
- هذا موعد = this is an appointment / this is a scheduled time (more like introducing what something is)
In practice, with “this + noun,” Arabic often uses the definite form when you mean a specific, identifiable thing.
Is هذا الموعد an iḍāfa (construct phrase like “the appointment of…”)?
No. An iḍāfa is a noun + noun relationship (e.g., موعدُ الطبيبِ = the doctor’s appointment).
Here it’s demonstrative + noun: هذا + الموعد.
What is اليوم grammatically here?
Why is it في المساء and not just المساء?
في means “in”, and في المساء is a very common, straightforward way to say “in the evening.”
You can also express “in the evening” without في using an adverbial form (see next question), but في المساء is the safe, common structure.
Could I also say مساءً instead of في المساء?
Yes. You can say:
- هذا الموعد اليوم مساءً = This appointment is today, in the evening.
مساءً is an adverbial accusative (it uses tanwīn ـًا) and often feels a bit more “compact” than في المساء.
Can the word order change (e.g., put “evening” earlier)?
Yes, word order is flexible, and changes can shift emphasis. For example:
- هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء (neutral)
- هذا الموعد في المساء اليوم (emphasis on “in the evening”)
- هذا الموعد مساء اليوم (very natural: “this appointment is this evening/tonight”)
What would the full case endings be in careful MSA pronunciation?
In fully vowelled MSA (pausal forms aside), it would commonly be read like:
- هٰذا المَوْعِدُ اليَوْمَ في المَساءِ
- الموعدُ: nominative (ـُ) as the topic/subject
- اليومَ: accusative (ـَ) as a time adverb (ظرف)
- المساءِ: genitive (ـِ) after the preposition في
In everyday speech, these endings are often not pronounced.
How would I turn this into a yes/no question or a negative sentence?
Yes/no question:
- هل هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء؟ = Is this appointment today in the evening?
Negative (common MSA pattern with ليس):
- ليس هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء. = This appointment is not today in the evening.
More from this lesson
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ArabicMaster Arabic — from هذا الموعد اليوم في المساء to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions