Madina Arabic Book 1
LESSON 01 - الدَّرْسُ الأوَّلُ
This is /hadha/ هَـٰذَا
01-1-Introduction
Please read the sentences below. After completing the sentences we shall go over the rules for this lesson.
In Part 1 of Lesson 1 we learn how to use the pronoun هَـٰذَا which means 'This' (called the demonstrative pronoun in grammar). /Hādhā/ is pronounced هَاذَا but is written without the first /alif/. The second word is the noun (object) being referred to, e.g.: بَيْتٌ means house.
هَـٰذَا بَيْتٌ
Hadha Baitun
This is a house
هَـٰذَا مَسْجِدٌ
Hadha Masjidun
This is a mosque
هَـٰذَا بَابٌ
Hadha Babun
This is a door
هَـٰذَا كِتَابٌ
Hadha Kitabun
This is a book
هَـٰذَا قَلَمٌ
Hadha Qalamun
This is a pen
هَـٰذَا مِفْتَاحٌ
Hadha Miftahun
This is a key
Continued...
هَـٰذَا مَكْتَبٌ
Hadha Maktabun
This is a desk
هَـٰذَا سَرِيرٌ
Hadha sareerun
This is a bed
هَـٰذَا كُرْسِىٌّ
Hadha Kursiun
This is a chair
Arabic has no word which is equal to the English word "is" which is referred to as a “copula” in grammar. We can see this rule demonstrated above where we see the words for هَـٰذَا and the noun/predicate مَسْجِدٌ being referred to without any copula. i.e. هَـٰذَا مَسْجِدٌ If read literally this sentence would read "This a mosque", however, the word "is" can be implied in this sentence so that it reads "This is a mosque".
There is no word in Arabic corresponding to "a" in English as in: "This is a book". The n-sound, i.e. the /tanwīn/ (doubled vowel sign) at the end of the Arabic noun (kitābu-n, baitu-n, masĴidu-n) is the Arabic indefinite article corresponding to the English "a/an".
In Sha Allah next Lesson we will Learn how to say 'What is this?' to ask a question followed by the answers to the questions In-Shā’-Allâh (God-willing).
