Where it is: prepositions of place
Place is described here without a verb: an object, a preposition, a place — and the phrase is complete. at-taawila fii al-ghurfa — the table is in the room: no linking verb, as always; it is the same verbless frame on which all description stands. For example: “الطاولة في الغرفة” — The table is in the room. A rule from the Arabic course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Place is described here without a verb: an object, a preposition, a place — and the phrase is complete. at-taawila fii al-ghurfa — the table is in the room: no linking verb, as always; it is the same verbless frame on which all description stands.
The prepositions are few and short: fii — in, alaa — on, taht — under, fawq — above, amaam — in front of, khalf — behind, bayn — between. After a preposition the noun almost always takes the article: fi l-ghurfa, alaa at-taawila.
Place is asked with the familiar ayna: ayna al-miftaah? — where is the key? The answer will open with a preposition — al-miftaah alaa at-taawila — and question and answer match word for word, except the question word.
Table
| preposition | reading | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| في — in | fii | في الغرفة | in the room |
| على — on | alaa | على الطاولة | on the table |
| تحت — under | taht | تحت الطاولة | under the table |
| أمام — in front | amaam | أمام الباب | in front of the door |
| خلف — behind | khalf | خلف البيت | behind the house |
| بين — between | bayn | بين البيت والسوق | between the house and the market |
By example
- الطاولة في الغرفةат-таавила фи аль-гурфаThe table is in the room
- المفتاح على الصندوقаль-мифтаах аля ас-сундуукThe key is at the till
- الدرج خلف البابад-дардж хальф аль-бабThe stairs are behind the door
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Prepositions of place in Arabic?
The prepositions are few and short: fii — in, alaa — on, taht — under, fawq — above, amaam — in front of, khalf — behind, bayn — between. After a preposition the noun almost always takes the article: fi l-ghurfa, alaa at-taawila.
Fii vs alaa in Arabic?
The prepositions are few and short: fii — in, alaa — on, taht — under, fawq — above, amaam — in front of, khalf — behind, bayn — between. After a preposition the noun almost always takes the article: fi l-ghurfa, alaa at-taawila.
How to say on the table in Arabic?
Place is described here without a verb: an object, a preposition, a place — and the phrase is complete. at-taawila fii al-ghurfa — the table is in the room: no linking verb, as always; it is the same verbless frame on which all description stands.
Arabic prepositions behind and between?
The prepositions are few and short: fii — in, alaa — on, taht — under, fawq — above, amaam — in front of, khalf — behind, bayn — between. After a preposition the noun almost always takes the article: fi l-ghurfa, alaa at-taawila.
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“الطاولة في الغرفة” (ат-таавила фи аль-гурфа) — The table is in the room. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.