The Arabic Demonstrative Pronoun هَذَا

In this Arabic grammar lesson for beginners, we will study the demonstrative pronoun هَذَا. This topic is essential for students who want to learn Arabic online, build their first Arabic sentences and point to a nearby person or thing.

The word هَذَا usually means “this”, “this one” or “this is”, depending on the context. It is used with masculine singular nouns that are close to the speaker.

What Does هَذَا Mean in Arabic?

In Arabic, a demonstrative pronoun is called اِسْمُ إِشَارَةٍ. It is used to point to a person, object, animal or idea.

The pronoun هَذَا is used to refer to a masculine singular item that is near the speaker.

Examples:

• هَذَا كِتَابٌ: this is a book;
• هَذَا مَسْجِدٌ: this is a mosque;
• هَذَا بَيْتٌ: this is a house.

This rule is important for Arabic beginners because it helps you quickly form simple and useful Arabic sentences.

When to Use the Demonstrative Pronoun هَذَا

You use هَذَا to point to a nearby masculine singular noun.

It can refer to:

• a masculine person;
• a masculine animal;
• an object or noun that is grammatically masculine in Arabic.

Be careful: grammatical gender in Arabic does not always match English. For example, مَسْجِدٌ and بَيْتٌ are masculine nouns in Arabic.

هَذَا with Near Masculine Nouns

The pronoun هَذَا is usually followed by a noun. In this type of Arabic sentence, the verb “to be” is understood and does not need to appear.

For example:

• هَذَا قَلَمٌ: this is a pen;
• هَذَا مِفْتَاحٌ: this is a key;
• هَذَا سَرِيرٌ: this is a bed;
• هَذَا مَكْتَبٌ: this is a desk.

The noun after هَذَا is often indefinite in beginner examples. In vocalized Arabic, the indefinite form can be marked by tanwin, as in كِتَابٌ or قَلَمٌ.

How to Say “What Is This?” in Arabic

To ask “what is this?” in Arabic, use:

مَا هَذَا؟

This question is generally used to ask about an object, animal or non-human thing.

Examples:

• مَا هَذَا؟: what is this?
• هَذَا بَيْتٌ: this is a house;
• مَا هَذَا؟: what is this?
• هَذَا قَمِيصٌ: this is a shirt.

How to Ask a Question with أَهَذَا

To form a yes-or-no question, you can place the particle أَ at the beginning of the sentence.

Examples:

• أَهَذَا مِفْتَاحٌ؟: is this a key?
• لَا، هَذَا قَلَمٌ: no, this is a pen;
• أَهَذَا بَيْتٌ؟: is this a house?
• نَعَمْ، هَذَا بَيْتٌ: yes, this is a house;
• أَهَذَا سَرِيرٌ؟: is this a bed?
• لَا، هَذَا كُرْسِيٌّ: no, this is a chair.

How to Say “Who Is This?” in Arabic

To ask “who is this?” in Arabic, use:

مَنْ هَذَا؟

This question is used when referring to a person.

Examples:

• مَنْ هَذَا؟: who is this?
• هَذَا طَبِيبٌ: this is a doctor;
• مَنْ هَذَا؟: who is this?
• هَذَا وَلَدٌ: this is a child;
• مَنْ هَذَا؟: who is this?
• هَذَا طَالِبٌ: this is a student;
• مَنْ هَذَا؟: who is this?
• هَذَا رَجُلٌ: this is a man.

Vocabulary Examples with هَذَا

Here are some useful examples to practise the demonstrative pronoun هَذَا:

How to Memorize هَذَا

To memorize هَذَا, remember three simple points:

• هَذَا refers to something near;
• هَذَا is used with masculine singular nouns;
• the verb “to be” is usually understood in this type of Arabic sentence.

You can then practise with simple Arabic vocabulary: كِتَابٌ, قَلَمٌ, بَيْتٌ and طَبِيبٌ.

Learn Arabic Grammar with a Teacher

The demonstrative pronoun هَذَا is an essential foundation for students who want to learn Arabic online, read their first sentences and understand beginner Arabic grammar.

To continue your learning, you can follow our online Arabic classes, study through our Modern Standard Arabic online lessons, review the Arabic alphabet or download our free Arabic books for beginners.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we studied the demonstrative pronoun هَذَا. We learned that it means “this”, “this one” or “this is”, and that it is used with a nearby masculine singular noun.

This topic helps you build your first Arabic sentences. However, to learn Arabic correctly, students need a progressive method, regular practice and correction from a qualified Arabic teacher.