ما سبب هذا القرار؟

ما is a very common question word meaning what.

In this sentence, ما is used in the pattern:

ما + noun ... ؟
= What is the ... ?

So:

• ما سبب...؟ = What is the reason ... ?

You would usually use ماذا when asking what before a verb, for example:

• ماذا تريد؟ = What do you want?

So here, because سبب is a noun (reason/cause), ما is the natural choice.

سبب means reason, cause, or grounds.

In this sentence, it is being used as a noun:

• سبب = reason / cause

So ما سبب هذا القرار؟ literally means something like:

• What is the reason for this decision?

A learner should know that سبب is a very common formal word in both Modern Standard Arabic and formal speech.

In Arabic, the present tense of to be is usually not written or spoken as a separate word.

So Arabic often says:

• ما سبب هذا القرار؟

while English says:

• What is the reason for this decision?

There is no separate present-tense is in the Arabic sentence. This is completely normal.

In Arabic, demonstratives like هذا (this) usually come before the noun:

• هذا القرار = this decision

This is different from English only in form, not meaning.

A useful pattern is:

• هذا الكتاب = this book
• هذا الرجل = this man
• هذا القرار = this decision

Also notice that the noun after هذا is normally definite, so it often takes الـ.

Because in Arabic, after هذا, the noun is normally still marked as definite with الـ.

So Arabic says:

• هذا القرار

literally: this the-decision

But in natural English, we simply say:

• this decision

This is a standard Arabic pattern, not a special exception.

Yes, more or less.

Arabic often expresses relationships that English would translate with of or for by putting nouns next to each other in a possessive-type structure.

So:

• سبب هذا القرار literally resembles the reason of this decision
• in natural English: the reason for this decision

So even if the literal wording feels unusual in English, the Arabic structure is very normal.

In fully vowelled, careful Modern Standard Arabic, it would usually be:

ما سببُ هذا القرارِ؟

Transliteration: mā sababu hādhā al-qarāri?

The important endings are:

• سببُ with -u because it is in the nominative here
• القرارِ with -i because it comes after سبب in a genitive relationship

In everyday writing, these short vowels are usually omitted, so you normally just see:

ما سبب هذا القرار؟

In MSA, هذا is pronounced:

hādhā

A few notes:

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

So it sounds roughly like:

haa-thaa

But with th as in this, not as in thin.

It is pronounced:

al-qarār

A few details:

• ق = a deep q sound, not exactly like English k
• ر is a rolled or tapped r
• الـ is fully pronounced here because ق is a moon letter, not a sun letter

So you say:

al-qa-rār

not something like aq-qarār.

Yes, it sounds quite natural in formal Arabic and in Modern Standard Arabic.

ما سبب هذا القرار؟ is a good, polite, standard way to ask:

• What is the reason for this decision?

It is especially suitable in:

• news
• official writing
• formal discussion
• academic or business contexts

A less formal or shorter alternative could be:

• لماذا هذا القرار؟ = Why this decision?

But ما سبب هذا القرار؟ sounds more polished and explicit.

Yes.

سبب can mean:

• reason
• cause
• sometimes grounds or basis

The best English translation depends on context.

For example:

• سبب المشكلة = the cause of the problem
• سبب التأخير = the reason for the delay
• ما سبب هذا القرار؟ = what is the reason for this decision?

So the core idea is something that explains why something happened.

Yes, it is basically a nominal sentence in Arabic, because it is built around nouns rather than beginning with a verb.

Very roughly, the structure is:

• ما = what
• سبب = reason
• هذا القرار = this decision

So it is asking about the identity of the reason.

This is a very common Arabic way to form questions such as:

• ما اسمك؟ = What is your name?
• ما هدف المشروع؟ = What is the goal of the project?
• ما سبب هذا القرار؟ = What is the reason for this decision?

Yes, depending on the nuance.

Possible alternatives include:

• ما سبب هذا القرار؟ = What is the reason/cause for this decision?
• ما مبرر هذا القرار؟ = What is the justification for this decision?
• ما الداعي إلى هذا القرار؟ = What calls for this decision? / What is the reason for this decision?
• لماذا اتُّخِذَ هذا القرار؟ = Why was this decision made?

But سبب is one of the most straightforward and common choices.