Arabic  Prepositions (Huruwf-ul-Jarr)

Introduction – مُقَدِّمَةٌ

• In this lesson we will learn the following things:
  • The rules for using prepositions (the words used to connect two or more words or sentences) and the four most common prepositions (Click on the Arabic words to hear the correct pronunciation of that word).

• The rule for the use of interrogative expressions – i.e. the sentences used to ask the questions, and some of the interrogative (questioning) words like:

• Some of the Personal pronouns – e.g.:

• The difference between the masculine and the feminine words and their punctuation and the three ways of changing a masculine noun to the feminine.

• The difference between the nominal sentences (starting –originally- with a noun) and the verbal sentences (starting –originally- with a verb):

Grammatical term	The Nominal Sentence /Al ĵumla tul Ismiyya/ الْجُمْلَةُ الاسْمِيَّةُ	The Verbal Sentence /Al ĵumla tul Fiξliyya/ الْجُمْلَةُ الْفِعْلِيَّةُ
Arabic	أَحْمَدُ ذَهَبَ إِلَىٰ الْجَامِعَةِ.	ذَهَبَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَىٰ الْجَامِعَةِ.
Transliteration	/Ahmadu dhahaba ilal ĵāmiξati/	/Dhahaba Ahmadu ilal ĵāmiξati/
Literally Reading	Ahmad went to the university	Went Ahmad to the university

 

 

Prepositions (Huruwf-ul-Jarr)

 

Aside from nouns (things) and verbs (actions), English and Arabic also contain prepositions–words like “in”, “at”, “from”, and so on. In Arabic, these are called Huruwf-ul-Jarr (حُرُوف الجَرّ; singular is Harf-ul-Jarr).

In Arabic grammar, the word that immediately follows the preposition becomes majruwr!

For example, you can say: الكِتَابُ عَلَى مَكتَبِ (al-kitaabu ‘ala al-maktabi)–”The book is on the table.” Here, we see the preposition ‘ala (on), and maktab (table), the word that follows ‘ala, becomes majruwr.

Or, you can say: البَطَّةُ فِي بَيتِكُم (al-battatu fiy baytikum)–”The duck is in your house.” Here, the preposition is fiy (in), and your house (baytikum) is majruwr. And you can have as many prepositions in a sentence as you like–just not back-to-back (eg. haadhaa fiy min …)

The table below lists all the huruwf-ul-jarr and their meanings, the meaning really depends on the context–i.e. the meaning changes depending on where and how the harf is used. So keep that in mind insha’Allah.

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
فِي	fiy	in
إلَى	ila	to (eg. travel to)
عَلَى	‘ala	on (top of)
مِن	min	from
لِ	li	for (eg. for you)
مَعَ	ma’a	with
بِ	bi	with
حَتَّى	hatta	until
مُنذُ	mundhu	since
عَن	aan	about
كَ	ka	like/as

 

English Prepositions	Arabic Prepositions
Prepositions	حُرُوْف الْجَر – horowf aljar
inside the house	دَاخِل الْمَنْزِل – daakhel almanzel
outside the car	خَارِج الْسَّيَّارَة – khaarej alsaeeaarah
with me	مَعِي – ma’eee
without him	بِدُوْنِه – bedowneh
under the table	تَحْت الْطَّاولَة – taht altaawlah
after tomorrow	بَعْد غَد – ba’d ghad
before sunset	قَبْل الْغُرُوْب – qabl alghorowb
but I’m busy	وَلَكِن أَنَا مَشْغُوْل – walaken aanaa mashghowl

 

Arabic Prepositions
About: hawla  حولَ	By: ‘ala  على	On: ‘ala… على
Above: fawqa  فوقَ	close by: bel qurbi men   بالقرب من	on top of: fawqa… فوقَ
according to…: wafqan li …وفقا ل	close to: bejaneb …بجانب	Opposite to: ‘aksa…  عكسَ
Across: ‘abra    عبرَ	Concerning: bekhosoos   بخصوص	Out: khaarej… خارج
After: ba’da  بعدَ	Despite: raghma   رغمَ	Outside…: bel kharej men… بالخارج
Against: dedda  ضدَ	Down: tahta  تحت	Over: ‘ala… على
ahead of: amama  أمامَ	due to: naatej ‘an   ناتج عن	Per …: li kolli…  لكل
all over: men jaded  من جديد	During: khelaala  خلالَ	Plus …: idafatan ila…إضافةً الى
Along: ‘ala tool   على طول	except for: bestethnaa’ (th as in think)  باستثناء	Regarding: bekhosoos…بخصوص
Among: men bayn من بين	Excluding: mostathnian   مستثنياً	Save: bestithnaa’ (th as in think)…باستثناء
Around: hawla حولَ	for: li…. ل	similar to: moshaabeh li…مشابه ل
As: ka…كَ	From: men   من	Since: mundu…منذُ
As … as: … ka ….كَ	In: fi… فِ	Than: men… من
Aside: bejaaneb   بجانب	in front of: amama   أمامَ	thanks to…: befadli…بفضل
At: ‘ala   على	in place of: makana …مكانَ	Through: khelaala …خلالَ
away from: ba’eedan ‘an  بعيدا عن	in spite of: berraghmi men….بالرغم من	Till: ila (or) ila ghaayat …الىor الى غاية
because of: besababi   بسبب	Including: mo’taberan   معتبراً	To: ila …إلى
Before: qabla   قبلَ	Inside: beddakhel… بالدّاخل	Towards: bettejaah … باتجاه
Behind: waraa’   وراءَ	instead of: ‘ewadan ‘an …عوضاً عن	Under: tahta…تحت
Below: tahta  تحت	Less: aqal… أقل	Unlike: kheelafan ‘an…خلافاً عن
Beneath: men taht  من تحت	Like …: methla …  (or) ka …مثلَ . (or) كَ	Until: ila ghayet …الى غاية
Beside: bejaneb   بجانب	Minus: naqes …ناقص	Up: fawq  فوق
Besides: bel idafati ila   باللإضافة الى	Near: qareeb… قريب	Versus: ‘aaksa …عكسَ
Between: bayna  بينَ	near to …: qareeb men…. قريبٌ من	Via: ‘abra….عبر
Beyond: wara’a  وراءَ	next to: bejaneb …بجانب	With: ma’a….مع
But: laken  لكن	Of: men (not for possessive)… من	Without: bedoon…بدون

Wherever: haithumaa (th as in think)   حيثما

Whenever: kullamaa  كلّما

When (not for question): ‘endamaa  عندما

If: ithaa (th as in this)   إذا

Either … or: imma ….aw …  إمّا….أو

Neither … nor: laa ….. wala …   لا….ولا

As if: kamaa law…   كما لو…

 

the all arabic preposition
About: hawla حولَ By: ‘ala على
Above: fawqa فوقَ close by: bel qurbi men بالقرب من
according to…: wafqan li …وفقا ل close to: bejaneb …بجانب
Across: ‘abra عبرَ Concerning: bekhosoos بخصوص
After: ba’da بعدَ Despite: raghma رغمَ
Against: dedda ضدَ Down: tahta تحت
ahead of: amama أمامَ due to: naatej ‘an ناتج عن
all over: men jaded من جديد During: khelaala خلالَ
Along: ‘ala tool على طول except for: bestethnaa’ (th as in think) باستثناء
Among: men bayn من بين Excluding: mostathnian مستثنياً
Around: hawla حولَ for: li…. ل
From: men من
As … as: … ka ….كَ In: fi… فِ
Aside: bejaaneb بجانب in front of: amama أمامَ
At: ‘ala على in place of: makana …مكانَ
away from: ba’eedan ‘an بعيدا عن in spite of: berraghmi men….بالرغم من
because of: besababi بسبب Including: mo’taberan معتبراً
Before: qabla قبلَ Inside: beddakhel… بالدّاخل
Behind: waraa’ وراءَ instead of: ‘ewadan ‘an … عوضاً عن
Below: tahta تحت Less: aqal… أقل
Beneath: men taht من تحت Like …: methla … (or) ka …مثلَ . (or) كَ
Beside: bejaneb بجانب Minus: naqes …ناقص
Besides: bel idafati ila باللإضافة الى Near: qareeb… قريب
Between: bayna بينَ near to …: qareeb men…. قريبٌ من
Beyond: wara’a وراءَ next to: bejaneb …بجانب
But: laken لكن Of: men (not for possessive)… من

On: ‘ala… على
on top of: fawqa… فوقَ
Opposite to: ‘aksa… عكسَ
Out: khaarej… خارج
Outside…: bel kharej men… بالخارج
Over: ‘ala… على
Regarding: bekhosoos…بخصوص
Save: bestithnaa’ (th as in think)…باستثناء
Without: bedoon…بدون
Since: mundu…منذُ
Than: men… من

Through: khelaala …خلالَ
Till: ila (or) ila ghaayat …الى or الى غاية
To: ila …إلى
Towards: bettejaah … باتجاه
Under: tahta…تحت
Up: fawq فوق
Versus: ‘aaksa …عكسَ
Via: ‘abra….عبر
With: ma’a….مع