Arabic Prepositions – Prepositions in Arabic

حروف الجر العربية

Arabic Prepositions

Prepositions, known as ** huruf al-jarr ( حروف الجر )** in Arabic, play a crucial role in connecting nouns (or pronouns) to other elements in a sentence. They provide information about location, direction, time, and other relationships between words. Here’s a breakdown of some key points about prepositions in Arabic:

• Function:

  • They link nouns (or pronouns) to verbs, adjectives, or other nouns.
  • They indicate the relationship between these words.
  • Examples:
    • علي (alaa) – “on” (the book على الطاولة (alaa al-taawila) – “the book is on the table”)
    • في (fee) – “in” (أنا (ana) في المكتبة (al-maktaba) – “I am in the library”)

• Common Prepositions:

Here are some commonly used prepositions in Arabic, along with their general meanings:

• من (min) – from, of, some of, one of

• إلى (ilaa) – to, at, until

• عن (an) – from, about, concerning

• على (alaa) – on, above, upon

• في (fee) – in, inside, at

• بِ (bi) – with, by, in

• Multiple Meanings:

It’s important to note that some prepositions can have multiple meanings depending on the context. For example:

• بِ (bi) can also mean “by” (means) or “with” (instrument).

• No Fixed Position:

Unlike English prepositions that usually come before the noun, Arabic prepositions come directly before the noun they govern.

1 – مِنْ

Has three usages:

1. With Places
   

   سافرَ أحمدَ مِنْ مصر إلى الولايات المتحدة
   

   Ahmed traveled from Egypt to USA
   

1. With Time
   

   درستُ مِنْ الساعةِ السابعةِ إلى الساعةِ العاشرةِ
   

   I Studied From 7 to 10
   

1. Parting
   

   أكلت جزءاً مِنْ تفاحة.
   

   I ate a piece of an apple.
   

   قرأت فصلاً مِنْ كتاب.
   

   I read a Chapter of a book.
   

2 – إلى

Has two usages

1. Places
   ذهبتُ إلى المكتبةِ
   

   I went to the library
   

2. Time
   

   عملُ إلى الساعة الرابعة
   

   I worked tell 4 O’clock
   

3 –على

Has three usages

1. On
   

   وقفتُ على الغصنِ.
   

   I stranded on the branch.
   

   القطة على الطاولة.
   

   The Cat is On the Table.
   

2. For
   

جازَيتُهُ على عملِهِ.

I rewarded him for his good job

عاقبتة على حماقتة.

I punished him for his rudeness

1. With
   

   إنّه صديقي على أخطائِهِ
   

   He is my friend With -Despite- his mistakes
   

4 –في

1. In- Place
   

   الطالبُ في المدرسة
   

   The Student is in the school
   

2. In- Time
   

   سِرتَ في الليلِ
   

   I walked in the night
   

5 –عن

1. Away or out
   

   خرجتُ عنِ البلَد
   

   I got out the country
   

2. Instead of
   

   أجَبتُ عنكَ
   

   I answered instead of you
   

6 –حتّى

1. Up to – end of place-
   

   تنزهت حتّى القاهرة
   

   I took a picnic up to Cairo – meaning that Cairo was the last step of his trip-.
   

2. Until –end of time-
   

   درسْتُ حتّى الليلِ
   

   I studied until the night.
   

7 –رُبَّ

1. Minimizing
   
2. Maximizing
   

1. –الباء
   
   1. Because
      

      خسرنا المبارة بعدم تنظمينا
      

      We lost the game because we are not organized.
      

   2. Connector -by-
      

      مررت بدارك
      

      I came by your house
      

   3. Swear –with-
      

بالله لنْ أخونَ صديق

I swear by Allah I will not betray a friend

9 –الكاف

1. Comparison
   

هى كالزهرة

She is like the flower

10 –اللام

1. Ownership
   

   هذا الكتابُ لعباسٍ
   

   This book is for Abbas
   

2. Because
   

   عاقبتك لشقاوتك
   

   I punished you for being naughty
   

11 –الواو

1. Swear
   

   والله انك لصادق
   

   I swear by Allah you are Honest
   

2 –إلى

1. To
   

وصلتُ إلى بيتِك

I arrived to your home

1. Till
   

علملت الى الساعة الرابعة

I worked till 4 O’clock

12 –التاء

1. Swear-used only with Allah –
   

   تالله انك لصادق
   

   I swear by Allah you are Honest
   

Note:

The noun that follows a proposition is Magror .