Tools of the Arabic Language
The term “language tools” refers to a collection of words that create a grammatical function shared among letters, nouns, and verbs. These tools primarily include the following:
Interrogative Tools
The interrogative tools consist of the following:
| Interrogative Tool | Example |
| Al-Hamzah (الهمزة) | Does the caravan arrive on Thursday? |
| Hal (هل) | Did you understand the lesson? |
| Man (مَنْ) | Who broke the glass? |
| Ma (ما) | What is the matter you disagreed about? |
| Mata (متى) | When does the plane return from this trip? |
| Ayan (أيّان) | When is the final meeting? |
| Ayna (أين) | Where are you traveling this summer? |
| Kayfa (كيف) | How are you? |
| Anna (أنّى) | When are you traveling? |
| Kam (كم) | How many books do you have? |
| Ayy (أيّ) | What type of fruit did you buy? |
Noun Case Tools
The noun case tools mainly consist of the following, along with examples for each:
| Noun Case Tool | Example |
| An (أن) | I hope he arrives on time. |
| Lan (لن) | I will never believe you. |
| Idhan (إذن) | We study all year: hence, we succeed. |
| Kay (كي) | We learn to understand life’s matters correctly. |
| Hatta (حتى) | We exercise to maintain our health. |
| Lam Al-Ta’leel (لام التعليل) | “Indeed, Allah intends to remove from you, O people of the Prophet’s house, [all] impurity.” |
| Fa’ Al-Sababiyyah (فاء السببية) | “And do not extend it [the property] all the way [to the limit] that you should sit, blamed and regretful.” |
Conjunction Tools
The conjunction tools are as follows, each with an example:
| Conjunction Tool | Example |
| Wa (و) | Omar and Zayd won. |
| Fa (ف) | The guard entered, followed by the manager. |
| Thumma (ثم) | Zayd traveled, then Umar. |
| Hatta (حتى) | The supplies ran out, even the water. |
| Aw (أو) | Ride the bike or walk. |
| Am (أم) | Did you pray in the mosque or did you stay at home? |
| Lakin (لكن) | The servant did not benefit, but his master did. |
| La (لا) | Zayd traveled, not Umar. |
Invocation Tools
Here are the principal invocation tools, each with an example:
| Invocation Tool | Example |
| Ya (يا) | O benefactor, give alms. |
| Aiya (أيَا) | O traitor of the homeland! |
| Ayy (أي) | O Ahmad, fulfill your duties. |
| Al-Hamza (الهمزة) | Is it enough, O Zayd? |
Jussive Tools
The essential jussive tools include:
| Jussive Tool | Example |
| Lam (لم) | Khalid did not squander the trust. |
| Lamma (لمّا) | The time came, and Zayd has not arrived yet. |
| La Al-Nahiyyah (لا الناهية) | Do not sit in front of the television for more than an hour each day. |
| Lam Al-Amr (لام الأمر) | Pay attention to the road. |
Conditional Tools
Conditional tools can be divided into two categories as follows:
- Jussive Conditional Tools
The jussive conditional tools consist of the following:
| Jussive Conditional Tool | Example |
| In (إن) | “If We want, We will send down a sign from the sky.” |
| Man (مَن) | “Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.” |
| Ma/Mahma (ما/مهما) | Whatever you buy of books will benefit you. |
| Mata/Ayan (متى/أيّان) | When you help people, they will love you. |
| Haythama/Aina (حيثما/أين/أينما) | Wherever you live, I will live. |
| Kayfama (كيفما) | However you act, I will act. |
| Ayy (أيّ) | Whichever crop you plant, you will harvest its fruits. |
- Non-Jussive Conditional Tools
The non-jussive conditional tools consist of the following:
| Non-Jussive Conditional Tool | Example |
| Law (لو) | If people looked at their flaws, they would not criticize one another. |
| Lawla (لولا) | If it weren’t for studying, Khalid would have failed. |
| Idha (إذا) | If you befriend the wicked, they will turn against you. |
| Amma (أمّا) | As for Alexandria, it has the most population and is the most developed. |
| Lamma (لمّا) | When the rain fell, the crops flourished. |
| Kolama (كلّما) | “Whenever they ignite a fire for war, Allah extinguishes it.” |
It is noteworthy that there are many other tools in the Arabic language not mentioned above, such as conjunctions, comparatives, exceptions, transpositions, and negations.