☰ Units · Arabic A1

Questions and mini dialogues

Unit 12 · Part B · Arabic A1 (Beginners)
2

Yes-no questions

Arabic A1 · Unit 12
GoalAsk a question with the answer yes or no using هَل, and answer with نَعَم or لَا.
New words
هَل (hal) · (question word: yes or no?)نَعَم (naʿam) · yesلَا (lā) · noهَل هَذَا بَاب؟ (hal hādhā bāb?) · is this a door?هَل هُوَ طَالِب؟ (hal huwa ṭālib?) · is he a student?هَل هِيَ مُعَلِّمَة؟ (hal hiya muʿallima?) · is she a teacher?نَعَم، هَذَا بَاب (naʿam, hādhā bāb) · yes, this is a doorلَا، هُوَ مُعَلِّم (lā, huwa muʿallim) · no, he is a teacher
Explanation

To ask a question with the answer yes or no, put هَل (hal) at the start of a sentence. هَذَا بَاب (this is a door) becomes هَل هَذَا بَاب؟ (is this a door?). The word order does not change. For things, هُوَ and هِيَ mean “it”, by the gender of the noun: لَا، هُوَ أَخْضَر, “no, it is green”. Answer with نَعَم (naʿam, yes) or لَا (lā, no). After لَا you can give the right answer. In writing, put the Arabic comma ، after نَعَم and لَا.

SentenceQuestion
هِيَ طَالِبَةهَل هِيَ طَالِبَة؟
الْقَلَم أَزْرَقهَل الْقَلَم أَزْرَق؟
هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةهَل هَذِهِ سَيَّارَة؟
Worked examples
A statement and its question: the same words, plus هَل.
Hassan

هَل الْغُرْفَة كَبِيرَة؟

Dina

نَعَم، هِيَ كَبِيرَة.

Hassan

هَل هِيَ جَدِيدَة؟

Dina

لَا، هِيَ قَدِيمَة.

Two friends talk about a room. Press each line.
Say no and give the right answer.
Class activity

Yes or no? Take five objects. Ask yourself about each one with هَل, for example هَل هَذَا قَلَم أَزْرَق؟. Answer with نَعَم or لَا. When the answer is no, correct it: لَا، هُوَ أَحْمَر. Write two questions and two answers on paper, with the comma and the question mark.

Practice
1
Press Listen. Is it a statement or a question?
2
How do you say “yes” and “no” in Arabic?
3
Turn this into a question: هُوَ طَالِب.
4
The picture shows a book. Answer the question هَل هَذَا قَلَم؟ with “no” and the right word.
5
The picture shows the sun. Answer the question هَل هَذِهِ شَمْس؟