What for / why
Adding the preposition li-لِـ= “for“ to maawill produce lima لِمَwhich means “what for” or “why.”
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لِـ + مَاْ=لِمَ |
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li- +maa= lima |
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for + what→ what for / why |
لِمَ هَذَاْ ؟
lima haathaa
= what for/why this (is)
Translation: what is this for?
لِمَ أَنَاْ هُنَاْ ؟
lima ‘anaa hunaa
= what for/why I (am) here
Translation: why am I here?
لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَاْ ؟
lima fa”alt(a) haathaa
= what for/why (you sing. masc.) did this
Translation: what did you do that for?
why did you do that?
لِمَ تَضْحَكْنَ ؟
lima tadhakn(a)
= what for/why (you plu. fem.) laugh
Translation: why are you laughing?
Similarly, li-is added to maathaa to create the interrogative li-maathaa لِمَاْذَاْ, which means just like lima.
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لِـ +مَاْذَا= لِمَاْذَاْ |
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li- +maathaa= li–maathaa |
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for + what → what for / why |
لِمَاْذَاْهَذَاْ ؟
li–maathaa haathaa
= what for/why this (is)
Translation: what is this for?
لِمَاْذَاْ أَنَاْ هُنَاْ ؟
li–maathaa ‘anaa hunaa
= what for/why I (am) here
Translation: why am I here?
لِمَاْذَاْ فَعَلْتَ هَذَاْ ؟
li–maathaa fa”alt(a) haathaa
= what for/why (you sing. masc.) did this
Translation: what did you do that for?
why did you do that?
لِمَاْذَاْ تَضْحَكْنَ ؟
li–maathaa tadhakn(a)
= what for/why (you plu. fem.) laugh
Translation: why are you laughing?
Maa& Maathaa as Relative Pronouns
This was covered in the relative pronoun section.
An example:
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Question أَتَعْرِفُ مَاْذَاْ يُرِيْدُ ؟ ‘a-ta”rif(u)maathaa yureed(u) = is it that (you sing. masc.) know what (he) wants Translation: do you know what he wants?
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Answer وَمِنْ أَيْنَ لِيْ أَنْ أَعْلَمَ wa-min ‘ayn(a) l-ee ‘an ‘a”lama(u) = and from where for me that (I) know Translation: how should I possibly know?
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*The wa- وَ = “and” in the beginning of the second sentence is a superfluous word. Arabs use a lot of unnecessary “and’s” in their talk.
2) Who
مَنْ أَنْتَ ؟
man ‘ant(a)
= who you (are)
Translation: who are you?
مَنْ هَذَاْ ؟
man haathaa
= who this (is)
Translation: who is this?
مَنْ هَذَاْ الرَّجُلُ ؟
man haathaa (‘a)r-rajul(u)
= who this the man (is)
Translation: who is this man?
*See the section on demonstrative for information on their usage.
مَنْ يَعْلَمُ ؟
man ya”lam(u)
= who knows (is)
Translation: who knows?
مَنْ تُرِيْدُوْنَ ؟
man tureedoon(a)
= whom (you plu. masc.) want (is)
Translation: whom do you want?
Man + thaa
Like maa, man can also be followed by the demonstrative thaaذَاْ= “this,” but they will not form a single word here. However, this is a rare classical combination.
مَنْ ذَاْ أَنْتَ ؟
man thaa ‘ant(a)
= who you (are)
Translation: who are you?
مَنْ ذَاْيَعْلَمُ ؟
man thaa ya”lam(u)
= who knows (is)
Translation: who knows?
مَنْ ذَاْ تُرِيْدُوْنَ ؟
man thaa tureedoon(a)
= whom (you plu. masc.) want (is)
Translation: whom do you want?
Maa + (‘a)l-lathee
When used before verbs, mancan be followed by the general relative pronoun (‘a)l-lathee الَّذِيْ= “which/that.“
مَنْ الَّذِيْ يَعْلَمُ ؟
man (‘a)l-lathee ya”lam(u)
= who that knows (is)
Translation: who knows?
مَنْ الَّذِيْ تُرِيْدُوْنَ ؟
man (‘a)l-lathee tureedoon(a)
= whom that (you plu. masc.) want (is)
Translation: whom do you want?
As mentioned before, the last sentence will usually be expressed as follows:
مَنْ الَّذِيْ تُرِيْدُوْنَهُ ؟
man (‘a)l-lathee tureedoona–h(u)
= whom that (you plu. masc.) want him (is)
Translation: whom do you want?
Manas a Relative Pronouns
This was covered in the relative pronoun section.
An example:
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Question هَلْ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ فَعَلَ هَذَاْ ؟ hal ra’ayt(a) man fa”al(a) haathaa = is it that (you) saw who did this Translation: have you seen who did this?
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Answer لا ، وَلَكِنِّيْ أَعْلَمُ مَنْ هُوَ laa wa-laakinnee ‘a”lam(u) man huw(a) = no but me know who he (is) Translation: no, but I know who he is
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*The wa- وَ = “and” before laakinnee in the second sentence is superfluous. See the section on verb-like particles for more details.
مَنْزَرَعَ حَصَدَ
man zara”(a) hasad(a)
= who planted harvested
Translation: he who plants harvests
3) When
مَتَىْ الْمَوْعِدُ ؟
mataa (‘a)l-maw”id(u)
= when the appointment/date (is)
Translation: when is the appointment/date?
مَتَىْ أَتَيْتَ ؟
mataa ‘atayt(a)
= when (you) came
Translation: when did you come?
مَتَىْ سَتُسَاْفِرُ ؟
mataa sa-tusaafir(u)
= when (you) will travel
Translation: when will you leave the country/town?
إِلَىْ مَتَىْ نَنْتَظِرُ ؟
‘ilaa mataa nantazir(u)
= to when (we) will wait
Translation: how long will we wait?
مُنْذُ مَتَىْ وأَنْتُمْ هُنَاْ ؟
munth(u) mataa wa-‘antum hunaa
= since when and you (plu. masc.) (are) here
Translation: how long have you been here?
هَلْ تَعْلَمُ مَتَىْ جَاْءَ الأَوْلادُ ؟
hal ta”lam(u) mataa jaa'(a) (‘a)l-‘awlaad(u)
= is it that (you sing. masc.) know when came the children
Translation: do you know when the kids came?
The word ‘ayyaan(a) أَيَّاْنَ also means “when,” but it is classical and not used in the modern language.
وَمَاْ يَشْعُرُوْنَأَيَّاْنَ يُبْعَثُوْنَ
wa-maa yash”uroon(a) ‘ayyan(a) yub”athoon(a)
= and not (they plu. masc.) feel when (they plu. masc.) will be resurrected
Translation: and they don’t know when they will be resurrected