{"id":15114,"date":"2017-11-03T23:08:14","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T23:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=15114"},"modified":"2017-11-03T23:08:14","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T23:08:14","slug":"5-common-prepositions-in-arabic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/5-common-prepositions-in-arabic\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Common Prepositions in Arabic"},"content":{"rendered":"

In learning another language, one good thing about prepositions is that they are limited, i.e. belong to a closed class of words, just like pronouns. Besides, in the case of Arabic, they are simple when conjugating them with pronouns (i.e. appending pronouns to them). There are seventeen prepositions in Arabic. Here, we look at the Top Five<\/strong>, namely how they are combined with pronouns and their pronunciation when followed by definite nouns.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With respect to their meanings, they may have multiple meanings depending on the verb they are used with and the context; however, their most common meanings are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
from<\/td>\n\u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
to \/ toward<\/td>\n\u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
about<\/td>\n\u0639\u064e\u0646\u0652<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
by<\/td>\n\u0628\u0640\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
in<\/td>\n\u0641\u0650\u064a\u0652<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

When they are used with separate pronouns, such as \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652\u062a\u064e\u060c \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652\u062a\u0650\u060c \u0623\u0646\u064e\u0627\u060c \u0646\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646\u064f\u060c \u0647\u064f\u0648\u064e\u060c \u0647\u0650\u064a\u064e\u060c \u0647\u064f\u0645\u060c \u0647\u064f\u0646\u0651\u064e<\/strong> (a), we append the corresponding pronominal affix\/suffix (b) to the prepositions and they form one single word typographically (c), as in these examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(c)<\/td>\n(b)<\/td>\n(a)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652\u0643\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u0643\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652\u062a\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652\u0643\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u0643\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0623\u0646\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0639\u064e\u0646\u0651\u0650\u064a<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u064a<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0623\u064e\u0646\u064e\u0623<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0639\u064e\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0627<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u0646\u0627<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0646\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u0647<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u064f\u0648\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u064e\u0627<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0640\u0647\u064e\u0627<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u0650\u064a\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0628\u0650\u0647\u0650\u0645<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u064f\u0645<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u064f\u0645<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0641\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u064f\u0646\u0651<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0647\u064f\u0646\u0651\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Looking at the table image above, it is clear that some prepositions undergo some typographical or diacritical changes. Let\u2019s look at them and explain the irregularities.<\/p>\n

For \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong>, it gets shaddah<\/em> \u0651<\/strong> when \u0646\u064e\u0627<\/strong> of \u0646\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646\u064f<\/strong> is appended to it, i.e. \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0627<\/strong>. As shown in the table, the first \u0646\u0652<\/strong> has a sukuun<\/em>\u0652<\/strong> \u00a0and the second has a fatHah<\/em> \u064e<\/strong>, and the rule is when you have a sequence of two letters, the first with a sukuun<\/em> \u0652<\/strong> and the second with another diacritical mark, the two letters become one with shaddah<\/em> \u0651<\/strong>, i.e. \u0645\u064f\u0634\u064e\u062f\u0651\u064e\u062f<\/strong>, hence \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0627<\/strong>, so is the case with \u0639\u064e\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0627<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For \u0625\u0644\u0649<\/strong>, it ends with alif maqSuurah <\/em>\u0640\u0649<\/strong>. The rule is whenever a word end in alif maqSuurah<\/em>, it should change to a regular \u0640\u064a<\/strong> \u00a0(\u064a\u064e\u0627\u0621<\/strong>) before appending a pronoun to it. Therefor, \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong> becomes \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652<\/strong>, hence \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0643\u064e<\/strong> \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650<\/strong>, \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u064e\u0627<\/strong>, \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u064f\u0645<\/strong>. And so is the case with the preposition \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong> \u2018on\u2019, hence \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0651\u064e<\/strong>, \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u064e\u0627<\/strong>, \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0643\u064e<\/strong>, \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u064f\u0645<\/strong> and so forth.<\/p>\n

With nouns, prepositions stay separate, i.e. they are not appended, as in the last two columns of the table image above. However, their pronunciation undergoes some sort of blending in addition to a change in the diacritical marks.<\/p>\n

Take \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong>, the \u0646\u0652<\/strong> gets fatHah <\/em>\u064e<\/strong> when followed by definite nouns, namely nouns with \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong>. This is because in Arabic it is forbidden to have two letters in a sequence with sukuun<\/em> \u0652 <\/strong>(in this case\u0627\u0652<\/strong> \u00a0of \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong> and \u0646\u0652<\/strong> of \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong>); therefore, \u0646\u0652<\/strong> of \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong> become \u0646\u064e<\/strong>, that is \u0645\u0650\u0646\u064e<\/strong>. When reading the whole phrase, the alif <\/em>of \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong> gets assimilated, so \u0645\u0650\u0646\u064e<\/strong> \u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> is pronounced as \u0645\u0650\u0646\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong>. So is the case with \u0627\u0644\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong>, except that with it both alif <\/em>and laam<\/em> of \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong> get assimilated, hence \u0645\u0650\u0646\u064e<\/strong> \u0627\u0644\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628<\/strong> is pronounced as \u0645\u0650\u0646\u064e\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628<\/strong> because the \u0637<\/strong> belongs to the moon letters group.<\/p>\n

Looking at \u0639\u064e\u0646\u0652<\/strong>, you can see that the \u0646\u0652<\/strong> gets kasrah<\/em> \u0650 <\/strong>rather than fatHah <\/em>\u064e<\/strong>, compared to \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652<\/strong>. Basically, the sequence of similar diacritical marks plays a role in pronunciation and overriding some rules. In \u0639\u064e\u0646\u0652<\/strong>, the \u0639<\/strong> has fatHah <\/em>\u064e<\/strong>, so it is a bit cumbersome to pronounce another fatHah<\/em> on the \u0646\u0652<\/strong>, thus kasrah <\/em>is used in lieu, i.e. \u0639\u064e\u0646\u0650<\/strong>. Therefore, \u0639\u0650\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> \u00a0and \u0639\u0650\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong> are pronounced as \u0639\u0650\u0646\u0650\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> and \u0639\u064e\u0646\u0650\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong>, respectively.<\/p>\n

As for \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0649<\/strong> and \u0641\u0650\u064a<\/strong> with nouns, both \u0640\u0649<\/strong> and \u0640\u064a<\/strong> are dropped in speech. Therefore, \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> and \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong> are pronounced as \u0625\u0644\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0628\u0650\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> and \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong>, consecutively. This is generalizable to all other definite nouns.<\/p>\n

In the case of \u0628\u0640\u0650<\/strong>, the \u0628\u0640\u0650<\/strong> undergoes no change, but it causes the alif <\/em>of \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong> to assimilate and if the letter following the \u0644\u0640<\/strong> is moon letter, the \u0628\u0640\u0650<\/strong> causes the whole \u2018definite article\u2019 which is \u0627\u0644\u0640<\/strong> to assimilate. Thus, the pronunciation of \u0628\u0650\u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> and \u0628\u0650\u0627\u0644\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong> is \u0628\u0650\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650<\/strong> and \u0628\u0650\u0637\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u0650<\/strong>. This is another generalizable rule to all definite nouns (\u0627\u0644 + <\/strong>noun)\u00a0preceded by \u0628\u0650\u0640<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

In learning another language, one good thing about prepositions is that they are limited, i.e. belong to a closed class of words, just like pronouns. Besides, in the case of Arabic, they are simple when conjugating them with pronouns (i.e. appending pronouns to them). There are seventeen prepositions in Arabic. Here, we look at the…<\/p>\n

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