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Prepositions (Huruwf-ul-Jarr)
By ArabicTree | November 17, 2007
Aside from nouns (things) and verbs (actions), English and Arabic also contain prepositions–words like “in”, “at”, “from”, and so on. In Arabic, these are called Huruwf-ul-Jarr (حُرُوف الجَرّ; singular is Harf-ul-Jarr).
In Arabic grammar, the word that immediately follows the preposition becomes majruwr!
For example, you can say: الكِتَابُ عَلَى مَكتَبِ (al-kitaabu ‘ala al-maktabi)–”The book is on the table.” Here, we see the preposition ‘ala (on), and maktab (table), the word that follows ‘ala, becomes majruwr.
Or, you can say: البَطَّةُ فِي بَيتِكُم (al-battatu fiy baytikum)–”The duck is in your house.” Here, the preposition is fiy (in), and your house (baytikum) is majruwr. And you can have as many prepositions in a sentence as you like–just not back-to-back (eg. haadhaa fiy min …)
The table below lists all the huruwf-ul-jarr and their meanings, the meaning really depends on the context–i.e. the meaning changes depending on where and how the harf is used. So keep that in mind insha’Allah.
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| فِي | fiy | in |
| إلَى | ila | to (eg. travel to) |
| عَلَى | ‘ala | on (top of) |
| مِن | min | from |
| لِ | li | for (eg. for you) |
| مَعَ | ma’a | with |
| بِ | bi | with |
| حَتَّى | hatta | until |
| مُنذُ | mundhu | since |
| عَن | aan | about |
| كَ | ka | like/as |
Topics: Beginner, Grammar | 8 Comments »
November 19th, 2007 at 4:36 am
Assalamu ‘alaykum
I think “هروف الجر” must be “حروف الجر” with a ح at the beginning, and “الكتاب على مَمْتب” must be “الكتاب على الْمَكتب” . Otherwise, a very useful post, masha Allah.
November 19th, 2007 at 4:40 am
Also, إِلَ and حَتَّ in the list of prepositions should be إِلَى and حَتَّى respectively. Then there is also (baytikum) and (baytika). I think the latter one must be like the former.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Jazakumullahu khayran katheera! May Allah reward you for your attention to detail (ameen)!
December 24th, 2007 at 11:43 am
As-salam-u-alaikum
I’ve never read “ma’a” as part of prepositions. Can you please check?
My teacher told me that prepositions are 17 in total (as summarized in this stanza):
باو تاو كافو لامو واو منذ مذ خلا
رُبّ حاشا من عدا فى عن علٰى حتّٰى الٰى
January 7th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Wa’alikum as-salaam,
I’m sure ma’a is a preposition–it’s in one of my books to learn Arabic. Can you ask your teacher what ma’a is, if it isn’t a preposition, and post it as a comment insha’allah?
March 18th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Salam-o-alakum,
Need to know why hoofe jarr FEE (in) give jarr or genitive to ,,adunya;;…………
I mean fee-dunya.
Please reply .Thanks
March 24th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
@Umbreen, dunya ends with alif, and alif has sukoon on it — it cannot take anything else. So it doesn’t appear differently when preceeded by fee, even if it is really majroor. Allahu a’lam.
April 27th, 2010 at 8:46 am
the all arabic preposition
About: hawla حولَ By: ‘ala على
Above: fawqa فوقَ close by: bel qurbi men بالقرب من
according to…: wafqan li …وفقا ل close to: bejaneb …بجانب
Across: ‘abra عبرَ Concerning: bekhosoos بخصوص
After: ba’da بعدَ Despite: raghma رغمَ
Against: dedda ضدَ Down: tahta تحت
ahead of: amama أمامَ due to: naatej ‘an ناتج عن
all over: men jaded من جديد During: khelaala خلالَ
Along: ‘ala tool على طول except for: bestethnaa’ (th as in think) باستثناء
Among: men bayn من بين Excluding: mostathnian مستثنياً
Around: hawla حولَ for: li…. ل
From: men من
As … as: … ka ….كَ In: fi… فِ
Aside: bejaaneb بجانب in front of: amama أمامَ
At: ‘ala على in place of: makana …مكانَ
away from: ba’eedan ‘an بعيدا عن in spite of: berraghmi men….بالرغم من
because of: besababi بسبب Including: mo’taberan معتبراً
Before: qabla قبلَ Inside: beddakhel… بالدّاخل
Behind: waraa’ وراءَ instead of: ‘ewadan ‘an … عوضاً عن
Below: tahta تحت Less: aqal… أقل
Beneath: men taht من تحت Like …: methla … (or) ka …مثلَ . (or) كَ
Beside: bejaneb بجانب Minus: naqes …ناقص
Besides: bel idafati ila باللإضافة الى Near: qareeb… قريب
Between: bayna بينَ near to …: qareeb men…. قريبٌ من
Beyond: wara’a وراءَ next to: bejaneb …بجانب
But: laken لكن Of: men (not for possessive)… من
On: ‘ala… على
on top of: fawqa… فوقَ
Opposite to: ‘aksa… عكسَ
Out: khaarej… خارج
Outside…: bel kharej men… بالخارج
Over: ‘ala… على
Regarding: bekhosoos…بخصوص
Save: bestithnaa’ (th as in think)…باستثناء
Without: bedoon…بدون
Since: mundu…منذُ
Than: men… من
Through: khelaala …خلالَ
Till: ila (or) ila ghaayat …الى or الى غاية
To: ila …إلى
Towards: bettejaah … باتجاه
Under: tahta…تحت
Up: fawq فوق
Versus: ‘aaksa …عكسَ
Via: ‘abra….عبر
With: ma’a….مع