Arabic A2, Unit 6: Where and when: time words

Where and when: time words

Arabic A2 · Unit 6

GoalSay when something happens: today, yesterday, tomorrow, now, before and after.

New words

إِلَى أَيْن (ʾilā ʾayn) · where toمَتَى (matā) · whenالْيَوْم (al-yawm) · todayأَمْس (ʾams) · yesterdayغَدًا (ghadan) · tomorrowالْآن (al-ʾān) · nowقَبْل (qabl) · beforeبَعْد (baʿd) · after

Explanation

Time words say when: الْيَوْم (today), أَمْس (yesterday), غَدًا (tomorrow) and الْآن (now). They usually stand at the start of the sentence, and the verb follows: غَدًا أَذْهَب إِلَى السُّوق. Use a past verb after أَمْس: أَمْس ذَهَبْتُ. Ask “when?” with مَتَى and “where to?” with إِلَى أَيْن. قَبْل (before) and بَعْد (after) come before a noun: بَعْد الْمَدْرَسَة, “after school”.

Word	Meaning	Example
الْيَوْم	today	الْيَوْم أَكْتُب
أَمْس	yesterday	أَمْس ذَهَبْتُ
غَدًا	tomorrow	غَدًا أَذْهَب
قَبْل	before	قَبْل الْمَدْرَسَة
بَعْد	after	بَعْد الْمَدْرَسَة

Worked examples

Karim

إِلَى أَيْن تَذْهَبِين غَدًا؟

Salma

أَذْهَب إِلَى السُّوق مَعَ أُمِّي.

Karim

وَمَتَى؟

Salma

بَعْد الْمَدْرَسَة.

Karim asks Salma about tomorrow. Press each line.

Yesterday, now, before school. Listen and repeat.

A question with “when”.

Class activity

Make a day plan. Write six sentences with time words: two with أَمْس (and a past verb), two with الْيَوْم or الْآن, and two with غَدًا. Add بَعْد or قَبْل in two of them. Ask a friend two questions with مَتَى and إِلَى أَيْن, and answer them.

Practice

Press Listen. Is it the morning or the evening?

Write in Arabic: “after school”.

The picture shows a calendar. Which word do you use to ask “when?”

The picture shows a person walking. Ask a man: “where are you going?”

What is the opposite of قَبْل?

Prepositions and linking words

Where and when: time words