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)