What are the interrogation words in Arabic? Are you aware of them? They are discussed hereunder!

Interrogative words (أدوات الاستفهامية), in Arabic parlance, have the combination of two Arabic parts of speech: ism (noun) and Harf (prepositions). It is thus, commonly known as Interrogative prepositions in English.

What are they?

Some of the Adawaatulis-tif-haamiyyah are mentioned below:

1. Man (من): It means "WHO". It is used to ask about animate and not non-living things; and which posseses brain and not an animal. In short, it is used to refer to human being. E.g:
- (Man) Huwal-loohu? => (Who) is Allaah?

2. Maa (ما): This, unlike MAA (ما), means "WHAT". And it is used for non-living things and living things (plants and animals). E.g:
- (Maa) Alladhii biyadika? => (What) is in your hand?

3. Mataa (متى): this mean "WHEN". It is used to ask about time, either 'PAST' or 'FUTURE'. E.g:
- (Mataa) jalas-tu? => (When) did I sit down?

4. Ayna (أين): This is used to ask about a place; it is interpreted as "WHERE". E.g:
- (Ayna) Mas-kanuka? => (Where) is your house?

5. Kayfa (كيف): it means "HOW", and it used to ask about condition, state, situation of things, a person or other being. E.g:
- (Kayfa) Ant? => How are you?

6. Kam (كم): it is interpreted, if used to ascertain or enquire about a number of things, as "HOW MANY". Therefore, it is used to ask about number of things. E.g:
- (Kam) kitaaban qoro't? => How many book have you read?

7. Ayyu (أي): it used for specification when used as an adaatulis-tif-haamiyyah in a given Arabic sentence. And it means, in English, "WHICH". E.g:
- (Ayyu) rojulin at-`am-tahu? => (Which) man did you feed?

8. An-naa (أنى): This has a more complex meaning. It could mean: "HOW", "FROM WHERE" and so on, based on how it is used in a given jum-lah (sentence). E.g:
- (An-naa) laki haadhaa? => (From where) did you get this? (See: Q3 vs 37)
- (An-naa) hafiz-tal-Qur-aan? => (How) did you memorized the Qur-aan? (Register at a Madrasah to know more).

9. Ayyaana (أيان): Like Mataa (متى), ayyaana cab also mean "WHEN". It is used to ask about FUTURE events. E.g:
- (Ayyaana) taquum? => (When) will you stand?

10. Hal/ A (هل / أ): These both take their meaning, based on how they appear in an Arabic construction, from Helping Verb otherwise called Lexical Verb in English. Their meaning could be of: BE verbs (is, are, were), DO verbs (do, did, does). E.g:
- (Hal) jalas-ta `alal-maq-`ad? => Did you sit on a chair?
- (A) huwa abuuka? => Is he your father?
NOTE: Although, they both mean the same, there usage is not the same. Wants to know more? Make a progress...