Lesson 3
The Home
المنزل
Describe the rooms and objects in your home and say where things are. Prepositions of place are introduced here and used throughout the entire course.
Home Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
غُرْفَةghurfaroom
مَطْبَخmaṭbakhkitchen
صَالَةṣālaliving room / hall
مَكْتَبmaktabdesk / office
كُرْسِيkursīchair
طَاوِلَةṭāwilatable
نَافِذَةnāfidhawindow
Prepositions of Place
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
فِيfīin / inside
عَلَىʿalāon / on top of
تَحْتtaḥtunder
أَمَامamāmin front of
وَرَاءwarāʾbehind
بِجَانِبbijānibbeside / next to
الْكِتَابُ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ وَالْقَلَمُ بِجَانِبِه
Al-kitābu ʿalā l-maktabi wa-l-qalamu bijānibihi
The book is on the desk and the pen is beside it.
أَيْنَ الْمَطْبَخ؟ الْمَطْبَخُ أَمَامَ الصَّالَة
Ayna l-maṭbakh? Al-maṭbakhu amāma ṣ-ṣāla
Where is the kitchen? The kitchen is in front of the living room.
- Prepositions govern genitive: The noun after a preposition takes a kasra (ِ) ending فِي الْبَيْتِ (in the house).
- Question أَيْنَ: "Where?" always answered with a preposition + location.
- Definite article الـ: Added to make a noun specific بَيْت (a house) vs الْبَيْت (the house).
- Genitive after preposition: The ِ (kasra) on the final letter signals genitive case.