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.

These cards take each question word in turn — what it asks, and how to build the answer. More examples are in From the lectures.

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.
Build the full negative answer, and the best answer adds a reason (sabab): هَلْ تُصَلّي الفَجْرَ في البَيْتِ؟ — لا، أُصَلّي في المَسْجِدِ.
Yes-form worked: هَلْ تَعْمَلُ بِاللَّيْلِ؟ — نَعَم، أَعْمَلُ بِاللَّيْلِ. · هَلْ تُحِبُّ عَمَلَكَ؟ — نَعَم، أُحِبُّ عَمَلي.

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.
مَا + noun/demonstrative asks about a thing → answer with هذا (masc.) / هذه (fem.): ما هذا؟ — هذا كِتابٌ · ما هذه؟ — هذه حَقيبةٌ.
مَاذَا + verb = "what is he doing?" — in the answer don't echo يَفْعَلُ; state the actual action: ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟ — أَقْرَأُ القُرْآنَ.
Subtle مَا-distinction in Work unit: ما عَمَلُكَ؟ (what is your work — + noun) vs ماذا تَعْمَلُ؟ (what do you do — + verb).

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.
Lead the answer with the place (أين focuses on location): أين تُصَلّي الجُمُعةَ؟ — في المَسْجِدِ الجامِعِ / النَّبَوِيِّ.
Origin / nationality → مِنْ أَيْنَ (or مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ), answer is a country: مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ سَلْمانُ؟ — سَلْمانُ مِنْ تُرْكِيا.

مَتَى · كَيْفَ — when & how

مَتَى = "when" → the answer is a day or a time: مَتى يَذْهَبُ؟ — يَوْمَ الخَميسِ · مَتى تَسْتَيْقِظُ؟ — عِنْدَ الفَجْرِ / الساعةَ السابِعةَ.
كَيْفَ = "how" — manner (means of travel): كَيْفَ تَذْهَبُ؟ — بِالحافِلةِ · كَيْفَ تُسافِرُ؟ — بِالطّائِرةِ.
The giveaway pair كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟; and with the future سـ it asks about the future: كَيْفَ سَتُسافِرُ إلى المَدينةِ؟

كَمْ — how many

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؟
High-yield phrase the lesson omits: كَمْ مَرّةً = "how many times?" (e.g. how many prayers a day) — give a number.
More كَمْ examples: كَمْ يَوْماً في الأُسْبوعِ؟ · كَمْ صورةً في هذا؟ · كَمْ أُخْتاً لَكَ؟

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.
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.
The whole Q3 is rehearsed as a ten-item interview (هَلْ تُصَلّي الفَجْرَ…؟ أَيْنَ تُصَلّي الظُّهْرَ…؟) — the exam frame the lesson drills.

📖 From the lectures — 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

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

Pick the right word for each blank — the answer the question expects is shown in grey. 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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