Continued
أَيُّ
- In this lesson we will learn a new word أَيُّ and the rules for its use In-Shā’-Allâh (God willing). أَيُّ is an interrogative article – i.e. it is used to ask questions. In Lesson No. 4 section 4 we have already learnt the use of some of the interrogative articles. However unlike the other interrogative articles, أَيُّ meaning “Which…?” is used as a /Muđâf/ (possessed), so any word that follows أَيُّ will be treated as /Muđâf Ilaihi/ and will therefore take the genitive case with a /kasratain/. E.g.:
| English | Arabic |
| Which house is this? | أَيُّ بَيْتٍ هَذَا؟ |
- However the word أَيُّ will take different cases in different situations, i.e.:
- أَيُّ will take a nominative case with a /đammah/, if it appears as مُبْتَدَأٌ – i.e. in a nominal sentence, for example:
| English | Arabic |
| Which school is this? | أَيُّ مَدْرَسَةٍ هَذِهِ؟ |
- أَيُّ will take a genitive case with a /Kasrah/, if it is preceded by a preposition, e.g.:
| English | Arabic |
| In which room did you enter? | فِي أَيِّ غُرْفَةٍ دَخَلْتَ؟ |
- أَيُّ will take an accusative case with a fatħah/, if it appears as مَفْعُولٌ بِهِ (the object of a verbal sentence) e.g.:
| English | Arabic |
| Which language do you like? | أَيَّ لُغَةٍ تُحِبُّ؟ |
· Let’s take some more examples of this rule:
| Picture | English | Arabic |
|
| Which day is this? It is Saturday | أَيُّ يَوْمٍ هَذَا؟ هَذَا يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ. |
|
| Which month is this? This is the month of Rajab | أَيُّ شَهْرٍ هَذَا؟ هَذَا شَهْرُ رَجَبٍ. |
|
| Which faculty is this? This is the faculty of Commerce | أَيُّ كُلِّيَّةٍ هَذِهِ؟ هَذِهِ كُلِّيَّةُ التِّجَارَةِ. |
|
| In which school are you? I am in the primary school | فِي أَيِّ مَدْرَسَةٍ أَنْتَ؟ أَنَا فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ الْمُتَوَسِّطَةِ. |
|
| From which country are you? I am from Jordan | مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ أَنْتَ؟ أَنَا مِنَ الأُرْدُن. |
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| Which book do you (all) like? We like the book of Arabic language | أَيَّ كِتَابٍ تُحِبُّونَ ؟ نُحِبُّ كِتَابَ اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ. |
