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):

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.

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