QUESTION TAGS IN ARABIC LANGUAGE | INTERROGATIVE PARTICLE "WHERE" | "آداة الاستفهام "أين

Interrogative Particle (أين) (Where) in Arabic Language and how to use it in a sentence

By: Yusuf Basirat Bolanle

In our previous lessons, we have discussed Question Tag Particles. Who have talked about Interrogative Particles Who (من), and How (كيف)

Definition and Discussion with Examples

(أين) is an Arabic Word which means (Where). It is one of the question tags used to seek information about (المكان) the place of both human and Non-human beings.

When (أين) is used in a sentence, it is seeking information  about the place in both Nominal and Verbal Sentence. 

In the following examples, The questions are all about the places of objects in a Nominal Sentence. However, the places are in the position of the "Predicate" (الخبر) in the sentence.

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أين أبى؟

Where is my father?

 

أبى فى الصالة

My father is in the living room

 

أين أحمد؟

Where is Ahmad?

 

أحمد فى المدرسة

Ahmad is in the school

أين الْممحاة؟

Where is the duster?

 

الممحاة تحت الْمكتب

The duster is under the table

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In the above sentences, we are seeking information about the places of those objects, both living and non living things. Hence, the answers provided the places where those objects can be truly found.

 

For instance, my father can be found in "The living room", Ahmad can be found in the "school" while the duster can be found "Under the table".

 

However, in a verbal sentence, the question is also about the "place" of an object, but the "place" in this regard is in the position of "object" or objective position (مفعول به) in the sentence.

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أين يذهب عيسى؟

Where is Issah going?

 

 يذهب عيسى إلى السوق

Issah is going to the market

أين تدرس راضية؟

Where is Rodiyah studying?

 

تدرس راضية فى الحضانة 

Rodiyah is studying in the Nursery School

أين سافر يوسف؟

Where did Yusuf travel to?

 

سافر يوسف إلى أمريكا 

Yusuf travelled to America

أين يستريح الكلب؟

Where is the dog resting?

 

يستريح الكلب تحت الشجرة

The dog is resting under the tree

 .............................................

 

The sentences above also answer the questions about the places of the objects we are asking about. The first line of the sentences are all seeking information about the (المكان) the places of the objects: hence, the reply show where they can all be found.

 

NOTE: It is important to note that (أين) is used to seek information about the places (الْأَماكِن) and whereabouts of both human and non-human beings in sentences.

 

Continue Reading from Here:

Interrogative Particle Who (من)

Interrogative Particle How (كيف)