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Essential Arabic Prepositions You MUST Learn! حُروف الجّر
Most Common Prepositions in Arabic حُرُوفُ الجَرِّ (Hurouf al-jarr)
In Arabic, prepositions حُرُوفُ الجَرِّ are essential because they show relationships between words, just like in English. “To give” is different from “to give up”, or “to get in” is different from “to get up”.
There are 20 prepositions in Arabic, but the most commonly used ones are the ones discussed in this video lesson, along with their main (not all) usages and some examples. Make sure to watch the video, read the examples again, and don't forget to do the practice at the end!
These common prepositions are:
فِي Fī
عَلى ‘alá
إلى ’Ila
مِنْ Min
عَنْ ‘an
البَاءُ Bi-
اللَّامُ Li-
الكَافُ Ka-
A preposition always comes before a noun and causes it to take the genitive case مجرور. i.e it takes a kasra [i] vowel, unless the noun is indeclinable.
فِي Fī -"In / Inside a certain place/ At a certain time" (Location / where, time / when)
الكِتابُ فِي الحَقيبَةِ.The book is in the bag.
Al-kitābu fil-ḥaqībah.
أنا في المَنْزِلِ.
I am at home.
’Anā fil-manzil.
أسْتَيْقِظُ في الصَّباحِ.
I wake up in the morning.’Astayqiẓu fiṣ-ṣabāḥ.
عَلى ‘alá -"On / Upon" (Position: on, on top of, above; obligation or responsibility)
الكِتابُ عَلى الطَّاوِلَةِ.
Al-kitābu ‘alaṭ-ṭāwilah.
The book is on the table.
يَجِبُ عَلَيْكَ الدِّراسَةُ.
Yajibu ‘alayka ad-dirāsah.
You must study.
إلى ’Ilá -"To" (Destination, direction or movement towards something)
ذَهَبْتُ إِلى السُّوقِ.
Dhahabtu ’ilas-sūq.
I went to the market.
هُوَ يَنْظُرُ إِلى السَّمَاءِ.
Huwa yanẓuru ’ilas-samā’.
He is looking at/
towards the sky.
مِنْ Min -"From" (Starting point of an action, origin)
خَرَجْتُ مِنَ المَنْزِلِ.
kharajtu minal-manzil.I left from the house.
أنا مِنْ لُبْنان.
’Anā min Lubnān.
I am from Lebanon.
سَافَرْتُ مِنْ مِصْرَ إِلى فَرَنْسا.
Sāfartu min Miṣra ’ila Faransā.
I travelled from Egypt to France.
عَنْ ‘An -"About; From"
(Used when discussing a topic;
indicating separation)
تَحَدَّثَ عَنْ حَياتِهِ.
Taḥaddatha ‘an ḥayātih.He spoke about his life.
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ عُنْوانِهِ.
Sa’altuhu ‘an ‘unwānih.
I asked him about his address.
البَاءُ Bi -"With / By" (Instrument, shows how something is done)
كَتَبْتُ بِالقَلَمِ.
katabtu bil-qalam.
I wrote with the pen.
أُفَرِّشُ أسْناني بِفُرْشاةِ الأسْنانِ.
’Ufarrishu ’asnānī bi furshāti-l-asnān.
I brush my teeth with the toothbrush.
أذْهَبُ إلى العَمَلِ بِالسَّيّارَةِ.
’adhhabu ’ilal-‘amali bis-sayyārah.
I go to work by car.
اللَّامُ Li -"For / Belonging to" (shows who owns something or the reason for an action)
هَذَا الكِتَابُ لِأَحْمَدَ.
Hādhal-kitābu li ’Aḥmad.This book belongs to Ahmad.
This book is for Ahmad.
سَاُسافِرُ إلى كَنَدا لِلدِّرَاسَةِ.
Sa’ūsāfiru ’ila Kanadā lid-dirāsah.I will travel to Canada to study/
for the purpose of studying.
جِئْتُ إلى المَكْتَبِ لِلْعَمَلِ.
ji’tu ’ilal-maktabi lil-‘amal.
I came to the office to work/
for the purpose of working.
الكَافُ Ka -"Like / As" (Used for similes / similarity and comparison)
هُوَ شُجَاعٌ كَالأَسَدِ.
Huwa shujā‘un kal-’asad.
He is brave like a lion.
هِيَ جَميلَةٌ كَالقَمَرِ.
She’s beautiful like the moon.
Hiya jamīlatun kal-qamar.
Practice- Fill in the blanks with the right preposition:
أَدْرُسُ ..... الجَامِعَةِ القَرِيبَةِ ..... مَنْزِلِي، وأَقْضِي وَقْتِي مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي ..... المَكْتَبَةِ. أُفَضِّلُ القِرَاءَةَ ..... التَّارِيخِ، وأُحَضِّرُ نَفْسِي الآنَ .....اِمْتِحَانٍ مُهِمٍّ. بَعْدَ ذلِكَ، سَأَذْهَبُ ..... المَقْهَى .....شُرْبِ القَهْوَةِ، ثُمَّ سَأَعُودُ ..... البَيْتِ .....الدِّراسَةِ.
أَسْكُنُ ..... مَدِينَةٍ كَبِيرَةٍ قَرِيبَةٍ ..... البَحْرِ، وَأَذْهَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ ..... الجَامِعَةِ .....الدِّرَاسَةِ. أَقْضِي وَقْتِي مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي ..... الحَديقَةِ، نَتَحَدَّثُ ..... الكُتُبِ وَالقِصَصِ الجَدِيدَةِ. أُفَضِّلُ القِرَاء والكِتابَة .....القَلَمِ ..... دَفْتَرِي، وَأَحْلُمُ بِالمُسْتَقْبَلِ. بَعْدَ المُحَاضَرَةِ، أَذْهَبُ ..... المَقْهَى ..... شُرْبِ القَهْوَةِ، ثُمَّ أَعُودُ ..... البَيْتِ ..... الرَّاحَةِ.
Answers
أَدْرُسُ في الجَامِعَةِ القَرِيبَةِ مِنْ مَنْزِلِي، وأَقْضِي وَقْتِي مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي في المَكْتَبَةِ. أُفَضِّلُ القِرَاءَةَ عَنِ التَّارِيخِ، وأُحَضِّرُ نَفْسِي الآنَ لِامْتِحَانٍ مُهِمٍّ. بَعْدَ ذلِكَ، سَأَذْهَبُ إلى المَقْهَى لِشُرْبِ القَهْوَةِ، ثُمَّ سَأَعُودُ إلى البَيْتِ لِلدِّراسَةِ.
أَسْكُنُ فِي مَدِينَةٍ كَبِيرَةٍ قَرِيبَةٍ مِنَ البَحْرِ، وَأَذْهَبُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ إِلَى الجَامِعَةِ لِلدِّرَاسَةِ. أَقْضِي وَقْتِي مَعَ أَصْدِقَائِي فِي المَكْتَبَةِ، نَتَحَدَّثُ عَنِ الكُتُبِ وَالقِصَصِ الجَدِيدَةِ. أُفَضِّلُ القِرَاءَةَ وَالكِتَابَةَ بِالقَلَمِ عَلى / في دَفْتَرِي، وَأَحْلُمُ بِالمُسْتَقْبَلِ. بَعْدَ المُحَاضَرَةِ، أَذْهَبُ إِلَى المَقْهَى لِشُرْبِ القَهْوَةِ، ثُمَّ أَعُودُ إِلَى البَيْتِ لِلرَّاحَةِ.
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