Arabic Session 1 — Question Words

Each word has an anchor example — memorise the example and the word comes free. Toggle Flash mode to hide the meanings and self-test before the quiz.

There is no single "question-words" lecture — Q3 material is spread across the units, co-taught by Sheikh Irfan (units 2/4/6/8 + the U5–6 revision drill) and Sheikh Riyas (Unit 3, the canonical كَمْ). These cards organise the recorded teaching by question word, pulling the best example from whichever lecturer taught it. Tag ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §4 = arabic_v07, section 4. Off-topic and grammar-aside material is kept in From the lectures so nothing is lost.

هَلْ — yes/no, and building the answer

A question opening with هَلْ is yes/no → the answer must begin with نَعَم or لا; a question-word (أين etc.) takes a content answer instead. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §5
Build the full negative answer, and the best answer adds a reason (sabab): هَلْ تُصَلّي الفَجْرَ في البَيْتِ؟ — لا، أُصَلّي في المَسْجِدِ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §7–§8, §11
Yes-form worked: هَلْ تَعْمَلُ بِاللَّيْلِ؟ — نَعَم، أَعْمَلُ بِاللَّيْلِ. · هَلْ تُحِبُّ عَمَلَكَ؟ — نَعَم، أُحِبُّ عَمَلي. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §22; V37 §16

مَنْ vs مَا / مَاذَا — who, what-thing, what-action

مَنْ is for PEOPLE only — point with هذا/هذه and ask مَنْ هذا؟ — هذا والِدي · مَنْ هذه؟ — هذه والِدتي; for things use ما. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §47; V09 §16
مَا + noun/demonstrative asks about a thing → answer with هذا (masc.) / هذه (fem.): ما هذا؟ — هذا كِتابٌ · ما هذه؟ — هذه حَقيبةٌ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V09 §4, §13
مَاذَا + verb = "what is he doing?" — in the answer don't echo يَفْعَلُ; state the actual action: ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟ — أَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V13 §31–§32; V07 §25
Subtle مَا-distinction in Work unit: ما عَمَلُكَ؟ (what is your work — + noun) vs ماذا تَعْمَلُ؟ (what do you do — + verb). ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V37 §35–§38

أَيْنَ · مِنْ أَيْنَ — place & origin

أَيْنَ never changes for gender — only the answer shifts هو → هي: أين الكِتابُ؟ — هذا هو الكِتابُ · أين الغُرْفةُ؟ — هذه هي الغُرْفةُ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §15, §2–§4
Lead the answer with the place (أين focuses on location): أين تُصَلّي الجُمُعةَ؟ — في المَسْجِدِ الجامِعِ / النَّبَوِيِّ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §30; V31 §17, §37
Origin / nationality → مِنْ أَيْنَ (or مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ), answer is a country: مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ سَلْمانُ؟ — سَلْمانُ مِنْ تُرْكِيا. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §31

مَتَى · كَيْفَ — when & how

مَتَى = "when" → the answer is a day or a time: مَتى يَذْهَبُ؟ — يَوْمَ الخَميسِ · مَتى تَسْتَيْقِظُ؟ — عِنْدَ الفَجْرِ / الساعةَ السابِعةَ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §36; V13 §3, §33
كَيْفَ = "how" — manner (means of travel): كَيْفَ تَذْهَبُ؟ — بِالحافِلةِ · كَيْفَ تُسافِرُ؟ — بِالطّائِرةِ. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V13 §24, §34; V29 §16
The giveaway pair كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟; and with the future سـ it asks about the future: كَيْفَ سَتُسافِرُ إلى المَدينةِ؟ ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V29 §14–§15

كَمْ — how many (Sheikh Riyas's unit)

كَمْ = "how many?" — used when the answer is a number; the noun after كَمْ is SINGULAR + tanwīn fatḥah (ـً): كَمْ كِتاباً؟ · كَمْ قَلَماً؟ · كَمْ ساعةً تَعْمَلُ؟ ▶ Sheikh Riyas · V03 §3–§4; Sheikh Irfan · V37 §48–§54
High-yield phrase the lesson omits: كَمْ مَرّةً = "how many times?" (e.g. how many prayers a day) — give a number. ▶ Sheikh Riyas · V03 §6
More كَمْ from the board: كَمْ يَوْماً في الأُسْبوعِ؟ · كَمْ صورةً في هذا؟ · كَمْ أُخْتاً لَكَ؟ ▶ Sheikh Riyas · V03 §5, §8

لِمَاذَا · هَلْ answers · the person-shift rule

لِمَاذَا = "why" → answer with لِأنّ OR the purpose لِـ ("in order to"): لِماذا تُسافِرُ إلى مَكّةَ؟ — لِأُصَلّيَ في المَسْجِدِ الحَرامِ. A short answer may drop the understood part. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V29 §7–§9; V31 §34–§35
PERSON-SHIFT: a face-to-face question is 2nd person (تَسْتَيْقِظُ); a question about a third party shifts to 3rd person (يَسْتَيْقِظُ / يَنامُ) — answer the matching person, and negate with لا first. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V13 §28–§30
The whole Q3 is rehearsed as a ten-item interview (هَلْ تُصَلّي الفَجْرَ…؟ أَيْنَ تُصَلّي الظُّهْرَ…؟) — the exam frame the lesson drills. ▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §3–§4

📖 From the lectures — Sheikh Irfan & Sheikh Riyas on the question words →

Six decisions answer almost every Q3 item. Run them in order.

Could the answer be yes / no? → هَلْ
Asking about a person? → مَنْ
حال in the sentence? → كَيْفَ (كيف حالك)
"What" + noun (اسم، هذا) → مَا · "what" + verb → مَاذَا
Counting? (singular noun follows, often ـً) → كَمْ
Place → أَيْنَ · origin/country → مِنْ أَيْنَ · time → مَتَى · reason → لِمَاذَا · "which X" → فِيْ أَيِّ

🎯 Exam tactic: the paper gives a bank of 10 words for 10 blanks — each is used about once. Fill the certain ones first, then place the leftovers by elimination.

Extra exam facts (from the lectures)

Question word	When to use / example
هَلْ	Yes/no — the answer begins with نَعَم or لا; the best answer adds a reason (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §5)
مَنْ vs مَا	مَنْ for a person (مَنْ هذا؟ — هذا والِدي); مَا for a thing (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §47)
مَا (+ noun)	Answer with هذا (masc.) / هذه (fem.): ما هذا؟ — هذا كِتابٌ (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V09 §4, §13)
مَاذَا (+ verb)	State the action, not "he does": ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟ — أَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V13 §31)
أَيْنَ + gender	أَيْنَ never changes; only the answer shifts هو → هي (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V07 §15)
مِنْ أَيْنَ	Origin / nationality → the answer is a country: مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ؟ — مِنْ تُرْكِيا (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §31)
مَتَى	Answer = a day or a time: يَوْمَ الخَميسِ / الساعةَ السابِعةَ (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V31 §36)
كَيْفَ	Manner (بِالحافِلةِ) or the pair كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟; + سـ = future (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V13 §24; V29 §14)
كَمْ + noun	Next noun is singular + tanwīn fatḥah (ـً): كَمْ ساعةً، كَمْ كِتاباً (▶ Sheikh Riyas · V03 §4; Sheikh Irfan · V37 §49)
كَمْ مَرّةً	"How many times?" — give a number (▶ Sheikh Riyas · V03 §6)
لِمَاذَا	Answer with لِأنّ or the لِـ "in order to" form (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V29 §9; V31 §35)
مَا/ماذا/أين + noun	The following noun does NOT change case: أَيْنَ بَيْتُكَ؟، ما اسْمُكَ؟ (▶ Sheikh Irfan · V37 §41–§47)

Pick the right word for each blank — the answer the question expects is shown in grey. Includes 📹 Lecture items. Score 10/12 on first try to unlock the past-paper drill.

🔒 Locked — score 10/12 in the Quiz first.

I accept the risk — unlock anyway

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