Introduction 1. What is the secret of Arabic vowels? 2. How many roots does the Arabic language have? 3. Which letters can you add to a root? 4. Letters without dots - Does it work? 5. Who was the first Arabic grammar expert? 6. What does the word‎ ‎نَحْوٌ‎‎ mean? 7. How many vowels does Arabic know? 8. Can an Arabic word start with a vowel? 9. Why is the letter ا‎ (Aleph) special? 10. What is a weak letter? 11. When does ‎ا‎ or ‎ى‎‎ or ‎ي‎ cause massive trouble? 12. How do you say his colleagues? زُمَلاؤه, زُمَلائه or زُمَلاءه‎‎? 13. أَلِفٌ مَقْصُورةٌ‎‎ - What is so special about this Aleph? 14. رَأْي and الْقاضِي‎ - Same ending, same problem? 15. Are there words that look the same in all cases? 16. سَماءٌ‎ - How did the‎ هَمْزةٌ‎‎ get into this word? 17. What is the plural of the word sky ‎(‎سَماءٌ)‎?‎ 18. حَرْفُ عَطْفٍ‎ - What is so special about it? 19. شُئُونٌ ‎or شُؤُونٌ ‎ - What is correct? 20. What is the definite article الْ made of? 21. Why does the definite article sometimes have a ribbon? 22. The word but - How do you spell it? 23. This and that - Why are they extraordinary in Arabic? 24. ‎ذا‎ - Does it only mean this? 25. ماذا and ‎ما ذا‎ ‎(with space) – What is the difference? 26. Are there biliteral roots (only two letters) in Arabic? 27. Are there Arabic roots which are related to each other? 28. Does the word order matter in Arabic? 29. What is special about the Arabic word for son (اِبْنٌ)‎? 30. Osama bin Laden or Osama ibn Laden - What is correct? 31. How are family names constructed in Arabic? 32. ‎الْبَرادِعِيُّ‎ - What is the meaning of this name? 33. Are there pet names in Arabic? 34. What are the main plural forms in Arabic? 35. What is a preposition in Arabic? 36. Is‎‎ ‎‎مَع‎‎‎ ‎(with) a noun (‎اِسْمٌ) or a preposition (‎حَرْفُ جَرٍّ)‎? 37. Why is it important to count syllables in Arabic? 38. Why do you need helping vowels? 39. ‎‎‎‎‎فَ‎ plus‎ ‎‎اِسْمَعُوا‎‎ - ‎How do you pronounce that? 40. Can you study Arabic grammar in verses? 41. What is essential to know about verb forms? 42. Does every verb pattern convey a different meaning? 43. How do you say both in Arabic? 44. My two colleagues - How do you say that? 45. ‎‎وَالِدَيَّ‎ - How would you translate that? 46. This car is mine - How do you express that in Arabic? 47. ‎‎شِبْهُ الْجُمْلةِ‎ - What is that? 48. How many types of words are there in Arabic? 49. How do you recognize a ‎اِسْمٌ in a text? 50. What can be used as adjectives in Arabic? 51. Why do adjectives need agreement? 52. How do you say would in Arabic? 53. Do all English tenses exist in Arabic? 54. Prayer is better than sleep - Is it really better? 55. What does the name Husayn (حُسَيْن‎) mean? 56. Is حَرْبٌ‎‎‎ (war) masculine or feminine? 57. Why does the Arabic word for caliph (خَلِيفةٌ) end in ة‎? 58. Can you use a masculine adjective for a feminine noun? 59. ‎أَمْسِ - ‎‎Does it always stay the same as yesterday? 60. Why is there a ‎و in the proper name عَمْرٌو‎ (Amr)? 61. How do you build the imperative of ‎قالَ‎ in the dual? 62. ‎‎اِزْدَحَمَ‎ - What is the root of this word? 63. Are there abbreviations in Arabic? 64. The letter ء‎ - How do you spell it correctly? 65. What is syntax, what is form? 66. Do we always need a second part in the إِضافةٌ‎? 67. ‎فُهِمَ الدَّرْسُ‎ and ‎الدَّرْسُ مَفْهُومٌ‎ ‎- Any difference? 68. Can a verbal sentence serve as the predicate (خَبَرٌ)‎?‎ 69. أَوْ‎ or أَمْ‎ ‎- What is the correct word for or? 70. Why is‎ lesson (دِراسةٌ‎‎) a‎ ‎مَصْدَرٌ‎ but river (‎نَهْرٌ) ‎ not? 71. How do you build the مَصْدَرٌ‎ of a verb? 72. How do you express already? 73. What is an implied (hidden) pronoun? 74. Can you use a participle (اِسْمُ فاعِلٍ) instead of a verb‎?‎ 75. Is every noun (اِسْمٌ) derived from a root? 76. A‎ مَصْدَرٌ‎‎ can never be indefinite - Is that true? 77. Why is there a‏‎‎‎ ‎‏مَصْدَرٌ مِيمِيٌّ‏‎‎‎‎ ‎‎in Arabic? 78. Do ‏سُؤَالٌ‎‎‎ and ‎‏مَسْأَلةٌ‎ both mean the same? 79. Freedom (حُرِّيّةٌ) - What kind of word is that in Arabic? 80. To raise (رَبَّى)‎ ‎- What is the‎ مَصْدَرٌ ‎of this verb? 81. To have - How can you express that in Arabic? 82. Do ‎أُرِيدُ أَنْ أذْهَبَ‎ and أُرِيدُ الذَّهابَ‎‎ mean the same? 83. ‎تَغْنِيَةٌ‎‎ and ‎‎غِناءٌ‎ ‎- Do they mean the same? 84. What are the so-called five verbs (أَفْعالٌ خَمْسةٌ)‎?‎ 85. سَيَذْهَبُ‎ and‎ ‎سَوْفَ يَذْهَبُ‏‎‎‎ ‎- Do they mean the same? 86. If someone died, why do you use the passive voice? 87. كَذَّابٌ‎ ‎- What kind of liar is he? 88. To respect each other - How do you say that in Arabic? 89. How do you express probability with only one word? 90. Can, should, must - Does Arabic have modal verbs? 91. Can you use a present tense verb to describe the past? 92. Past and future tense together - Does that work? 93. How do you attract someone's attention in Arabic? 94. ‎‎‎يا فاطِمَةُ‎ or ‎يا فاطِمَ‎ ‎‎- What is correct for: O Fatima? 95. The letter ج‎‎ ‎‎- Which pronunciation is correct? 96. Immediately after… - How do you express that in Arabic? 97. The direction right - Should you use يَمِين‎‎ or أَيْمَن‎‎? 98. Is the predicate of a verb the same as the direct object? 99. ‎‎فِعْلٌ ناقِصٌ‎ - What is that? 100. To be (كانَ)‎ - What is so tricky about its predicate? 101. What are the sisters of ‎كانَ‎ (to be)? 102. Almost, just about to - How do you say that in Arabic? 103. What are the verbs of hope (فِعْلُ رَجاءٍ)‎?‎ 104. To begin something - How do you express that in Arabic? 105. When do you need to focus on agreement (الْمُطابَقةُ)‎?‎ 106. How do you express me in Arabic? 107. Do you always need‎ أَنْ‎‎‎ to connect two verbs? 108. After أَنْ, is it okay to use a verb in the past tense? 109. He gives it to me - How do you say that in Arabic? 110. Which verbs may carry two (direct) objects in Arabic? 111. Are there verbs which may carry three objects? 112. I thought that… - How do you express that in Arabic? 113. Can an Arabic sentence start with the object? 114. A man who went... - How do you say that in Arabic? 115. One student - How do you say that in Arabic? 116. Is there a German man (one) in Arabic? 117. One must... - How do you say that in Arabic? 118. خِدْمة (service) - What is the Arabic plural of this word? 119. He jumped like a tiger. - How do you say that in Arabic? 120. To eat three times - How do you say that in Arabic? 121. What does ‎‎لَسْتُ بِفاهِمٍ‎ ‎‎mean? 122. What is an absolute object (مَفْعُولٌ مُطْلَقٌ)‎?‎ 123. Why not? - How do you say that in Arabic? 124. Why do you write ‎دَعا ‎ (with ا) but ‎مَشَى‎ (with ى)‎? 125. Barely, hardly - How do you express that in Arabic? 126. How many things can the letter ل express? 127. What is the difference between 3,000 and thousands? 128. What is the plural of month?‎ أَشْهُرٌ‎ or شُهُورٌ‎‎? 129. Which (Gregorian) year is 1435 Hijri? 130. ...has become unacceptable – How do you translate that? 131. Can the word ما unite with other words? 132. Is there a difference whether you negate with ما or لَمْ‎?‎ 133. Can you negate a nominal sentence with ما‎?‎ 134. How many different jobs may‎ ما‎ have in Arabic? 135. Is there a word in Arabic which consists of only 1 letter? 136. Because, since, as - How do you express that in Arabic? 137. Because of… How do you say that in Arabic? 138. What do ‎عَلَّمَ‎, أَخْرَجَ‎ and ناقَشَ‎‎ have in common? 139. Does a weak letter cause trouble in the مَصْدَرٌ-form? 140. What does the‎ ‎تّ‎ ‎do in اِتِّصالٌ (connection)‎?‎ 141. Why does‎ ‎‎‎سَماءٌ‎ ‎take nunation (“un”) but‎ ‎‎زَرْقاءُ‎‎ ‎doesn't? 142. مَساءًا or مَساءً - Which spelling is correct? 143. ‎‎‎‎عَظِيمٌ‎ ‎‎and ‎رَحِيمٌ‎‎ - Same pattern, same form? 144. ...رَأَيْتُ السَّيّارَةَ الْجَمِيلَ لَوْنُها‎ - Is there a mistake? 145. What is the اِسْمُ الْفاعِلِ‎‎ ‎of أَتَى‎ (to come)? 146. أَفْعَلُ‎ - This is the comparative pattern, isn't it? 147. What does the word دُنْيا‎‎ mean? 148. How do you mark the مَجْرُورٌ‎- case in the word الدُّنْيَا‎? 149. Why is عُلْيا written with an Aleph but كُبْرَى not? 150. How do you express still in Arabic? 151. How do you say yet and not yet in Arabic? 152. Does the Egyptian word لِسَّه mean still or yet? 153. ‎مُتْحَفٌ‎ or مَتْحَفٌ‎ - What is the Arabic word for museum? 154. مُبْتَدَأٌ - Why do we use this grammar term for subject? 155. Can you use the letter ل to emphasize a word in Arabic? 156. Can you use an extra ن to give emphasis? 157. What are the particles of attention? 158. Can you use بِ‎ and مِنْ‎ to emphasize? 159. What does a (separate) personal pronoun express? 160. Can you use a negation to emphasize in Arabic? 161. When do you use a pronoun in a relative clause? 162. الَّذِي and مَنْ ‎- When do you use which word for who? 163. Exactly twenty or more than twenty. How do you know? 164. If a verb is transitive, what does that mean? 165. What is the root of the word تَارِيخٌ‎ (history)? 166. How do you convert transitive into intransitive verbs? 167. What is so special about a kilogram of sugar in Arabic? 168. .اِمْتَلَأَتْ الْبُحَيْرةُ سَمَكًا‎ ‎- How do you translate that? 169. What is the passive participle (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ) of دَعا‎?‎ 170. How do you build the noun of place (اِسْمُ مَكانٍ)‎?‎ 171. Does ‎مَوْلِدٌ‎ mean birthday or birthplace? 172. What do verbs of stem II to X have in common? 173. What is the root of ‎مُسْتَشْفًى (hospital)? 174. Is ‎‏مُسْتَشْفًى‎ (hospital) masculine or feminine? 175. How do you build words for tools (اِسْمُ آلةٍ)‎?‎ 176. ‎مِئْذَنَةٌ‎ or ‎‎مَأْذَنةٌ‎ ‎‎- What is the word for minaret? 177. How do you say write! in Arabic? 178. ذٰلِكُم الْكِتابُ مُفِيدٌ يا أَصْدِقائِي‎ ‎‎- Is there a mistake? 179. What does إِمَّا mean? 180. What type of word is لَيْسَ (not to be)? 181. .لَيْسَ لَدَيْهِ سَيَّارةٌ ‎- Is there a mistake? 182. لَسْتُ أَدْرِي ‎- Is there a mistake? 183. Can you praise or condemn something with one word? 184. When does a verb need the مَنْصُوبٌ-mood? 185. Nice flowers. Should you say زَهْرٌ جَميلٌ‎ or زَهْرٌ جَمِيلةٌ‎‎?‎ 186. How do you say not at all in Arabic? 187. The girl is bigger than... - Why is that tricky in Arabic? 188. What is the stem of the verb to be reassured (اِطْمَأَنَّ)‎? 189. How do you say more crowded in Arabic? 190. Why shouldn't you say I buy a Qur'an in Arabic? 191. Why is the verb to wish (عَسَى) of special kind? 192. How do you say dark/deep red? 193. بَيْتًا or بَيْتاً - Where do you add the two lines at the end? 194. When would you use the word أَجْمَلَ‎ in Arabic? 195. مَدِينةُ قَرطاجَ‎ or الْمَدِينةُ قَرطاجُ‎‎‎ - What is cor­rect? 196. Why do we read numbers from left to right in Arabic? 197. Why are there “an”-endings in‎ أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا‎‎‎?‎ 198. النَّوْمَ, النَّوْمَ!‏‎‎ ‎- Why do these words get ‎فَتْحةٌ?‎ 199. How do you express although; despite in Arabic? 200. بَعَدَما‎ or بَعَدَ ما‎ (with space) - How do you spell after...? 201. How do you say so that in Arabic? 202. How do you recognize a reported (indirect) speech? 203. How do you build reported questions? 204. لَبَّيْكَ‎‎‎‎‎ (at your service) - What form is that? 205. Why do you have to be careful when you say ‎وَﷲِ?‎ 206. If we curse in the name of God, why do we use the past? 207. Can you use‎ ‎مَنْ‎ ‎to start a conditional sentence? 208. What is the difference between أَلّا and إِلّا‎? 209. What is the function of a‎ ‎بَدَلٌ‎‎‎ ‎(apposition)? 210. What is the root of the verb to examine; to study (اِطَّلَعَ)‎? 211. How do you use وَ‎‎‎‎‎, ‎‎فَ, and ثُمَّ‎‎?‎ 212. What does the verb عاد mean? 213. Do إِذا‎ and إِذًا‎ and إِذَنْ‎ and إِذْ‎ mean the same? 214. Can إِذا‎ and إِذْ‎ express something unexpected? 215. How many words may be used to express except? 216. Is the word بَعْضٌ‎ (some) definite or indefinite? 217. How do you express exclusiveness in Arabic? 218. How do you express I can in Arabic? 219. Does a simple sentence also mean simple grammar? 220. What are the so-called five nouns in Arabic? 221. What is the correct spelling of before? قَبْلَ or قَبْلُ‎?‎ 222. How do you express never in Arabic? 223. كانَ‎ and إِنَّ‎ are somehow the opposite, aren't they? 224. What is the plural of the word year (سَنةٌ)‎? 225. What does the word‎ ‎أُولُو‎ ‎mean? 226. ‎قَضَيْتُ أَوْقاتٍ or قَضَيْتُ أَوْقاتًا‎ - What is correct? 227. What is the Arabic active participle of to point out (دَلَّ)‎? 228. How do you express on the same day in Arabic? 229. What is the difference between إِنَّ‎ and ‎أَنَّ‎?‎ 230. What kind of word do you put after the particle أَنَّ‎? 231. When do you have to use the particle إِنَّ‎? 232. Can you use ‎قال‎‎ ‎(to say) together with أَنَّ‎?‎‎ 233. When is a noun (اِسْمٌ) in the nominative case ‎(مَرْفُوعٌ)‎?‎ 234. What is the difference between قُتِلَ and تَمَّ الْقَتْلُ‎?‎ 235. What may the word أَيّ express? 236. How do you express when I was eleven… in Arabic? 237. What is a causal object (مَفْعُولٌ لِأَجْلِهِ)‎?‎ 238. How do you express: at the beginning of the century? 239. What is special about diptotes (مَمْنُوعٌ مِن الصَّرْفِ)‎?‎ 240. How do you mark cases in diptotes (مَمنُوعٌ مِن الصَّرْفِ)‎? 241. Is ‎ حَسناءُ‎ the feminine form of ‎أَحْسَنُ‎‎ ‎(better)? 242. .مَشَيْتُ وَالْبَحْرَ‎ - How would you translate that? 243. What is the root of مِينَاءٌ‎ (port; harbor)? 244. How do you express whereas or while in Arabic? 245. How do you express his brother came laughing? 246. Why are نَعْتٌ‎ and ‎حالٌ often confused? 247. Why should you pay attention when you see ‎مَهْما? ‎ 248. ‎.لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا ﷲُ‎‎ ‎- Why does God have a‎ ‎فَتْحةٌ‎ ‎(“a”)? 249. Why are Arabic if-clauses difficult to translate? 250. What does the jussive mood (مَجْزُومٌ) express? 251. When do you need the jussive (مَجْزُومٌ) in if-clauses? 252. Do you always need the مَجْزُومٌ- mood in if-clauses? 253. When do you use فَ in conditional sentences? 254. What is the difference between إِذا and إِنْ‎?‎ 255. What are the essential rules for writing numbers? 256. Are numbers in Arabic nouns (اِسْمٌ)‎?‎ 257. Why can it be difficult to pronounce ten (عشر)‎?‎ 258. Does few (بِضْعٌ) sometimes change its shape? 259. What is a logical subject? 260. How do you express: emphasis? 261. How do you express: amplification or likeness? 262. How do you express: contrast or concession? 263. How do you express: to give an example? 264. How do you express: proof? 265. How do you express: cause and effect? 266. How do you express: restatement? 267. How do you express: conclusion? 268. How do you express: time or place? 269. How do you start emails and formal letters in Arabic? 270. How do you end emails and formal letters in Arabic? Glossary of English grammar terms Islamic salutations after certain names INDEX