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Welcome to Lesson 27 of the Arabic course for English speakers. This lesson focuses on the interrogative word ما (mā) meaning "what," one of the most fundamental question words in Arabic. You'll learn how to form questions, understand different uses of this versatile word, and explore its grammatical functions in various contexts.
For a complete index of all lessons in this course, please visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ Schema: Q: What does ما mean in Arabic? A: ما (mā) means "what" in Arabic. It is an interrogative pronoun used to ask questions about things, ideas, or situations. It can also function as a negative particle in certain contexts.
In this lesson, ما (mā) will appear in various positions within sentences - at the beginning of questions, in the middle of complex interrogative structures, and combined with other particles to create different meanings. You'll encounter both its interrogative use and its role as a relative pronoun meaning "that which" or "whatever."
Key Takeaways: -
ما (mā) is the primary word for "what" in Arabic -
It can begin direct questions or appear in indirect questions -
When combined with prepositions, it creates new interrogative meanings -
ماذا (mādhā) is a variant form also meaning "what" -
The word has additional uses as a negative particle and relative pronoun
27.1a ما (mā) what اسمك (ismuka) your-name
27.1b mā (maa) what ismuka (is-mu-ka) your-name
27.2a ما (mā) what هذا (hādhā) this الشيء (ash-shayʾ) the-thing
27.2b mā (maa) what hādhā (haa-dhaa) this ash-shayʾ (ash-shay) the-thing
27.3a أخبرني (akhbirnī) tell-me ما (mā) what حدث (ḥadatha) happened
27.3b akhbirnī (akh-bir-nee) tell-me mā (maa) what ḥadatha (ḥa-da-tha) happened
27.4a لا (lā) not أعرف (aʿrifu) I-know ما (mā) what تريد (turīdu) you-want
27.4b lā (laa) not aʿrifu (aʿ-ri-fu) I-know mā (maa) what turīdu (tu-ree-du) you-want
27.5a بماذا (bi-mādhā) with-what تفكر (tufakkiru) you-think
27.5b bi-mādhā (bi-maa-dhaa) with-what tufakkiru (tu-fak-ki-ru) you-think
27.6a ما (mā) what الذي (alladhī) which يجعلك (yajʿaluka) makes-you سعيداً (saʿīdan) happy
27.6b mā (maa) what alladhī (al-la-dhee) which yajʿaluka (yaj-ʿa-lu-ka) makes-you saʿīdan (sa-ʿee-dan) happy
27.7a سألته (saʾaltuhu) I-asked-him ما (mā) what المشكلة (al-mushkilah) the-problem
27.7b saʾaltuhu (sa-al-tu-hu) I-asked-him mā (maa) what al-mushkilah (al-mush-ki-lah) the-problem
27.8a ما (mā) what رأيك (raʾyuka) your-opinion في (fī) in هذا (hādhā) this
27.8b mā (maa) what raʾyuka (ra-yu-ka) your-opinion fī (fee) in hādhā (haa-dhaa) this
27.9a افعل (ifʿal) do ما (mā) what تشاء (tashāʾu) you-wish
27.9b ifʿal (if-ʿal) do mā (maa) what tashāʾu (ta-shaa-u) you-wish
27.10a ما (mā) what أجمل (ajmala) more-beautiful هذا (hādhā) this المنظر (al-manẓar) the-view
27.10b mā (maa) what ajmala (aj-ma-la) more-beautiful hādhā (haa-dhaa) this al-manẓar (al-man-ẓar) the-view
27.11a عن (ʿan) about ماذا (mādhā) what تتحدث (tataḥaddathu) you-speak
27.11b ʿan (ʿan) about mādhā (maa-dhaa) what tataḥaddathu (ta-ta-ḥad-da-thu) you-speak
27.12a أعطني (aʿṭinī) give-me ما (mā) what عندك (ʿindaka) at-you
27.12b aʿṭinī (aʿ-ṭi-nee) give-me mā (maa) what ʿindaka (ʿin-da-ka) at-you
27.13a ما (mā) what معنى (maʿnā) meaning هذه (hādhihi) this الكلمة (al-kalimah) the-word
27.13b mā (maa) what maʿnā (maʿ-naa) meaning hādhihi (haa-dhi-hi) this al-kalimah (al-ka-li-mah) the-word
27.14a قرأت (qaraʾtu) I-read ما (mā) what كتبت (katabta) you-wrote
27.14b qaraʾtu (qa-ra-tu) I-read mā (maa) what katabta (ka-tab-ta) you-wrote
27.15a ما (mā) what السبب (as-sabab) the-reason وراء (warāʾa) behind ذلك (dhālika) that
27.15b mā (maa) what as-sabab (as-sa-bab) the-reason warāʾa (wa-raa-a) behind dhālika (dhaa-li-ka) that
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27.1 ما اسمك؟ - What is your name?
27.2 ما هذا الشيء؟ - What is this thing?
27.3 أخبرني ما حدث - Tell me what happened
27.4 لا أعرف ما تريد - I don't know what you want
27.5 بماذا تفكر؟ - What are you thinking about?
27.6 ما الذي يجعلك سعيداً؟ - What makes you happy?
27.7 سألته ما المشكلة - I asked him what the problem was
27.8 ما رأيك في هذا؟ - What is your opinion about this?
27.9 افعل ما تشاء - Do what you wish
27.10 ما أجمل هذا المنظر! - How beautiful this view is!
27.11 عن ماذا تتحدث؟ - What are you talking about?
27.12 أعطني ما عندك - Give me what you have
27.13 ما معنى هذه الكلمة؟ - What is the meaning of this word?
27.14 قرأت ما كتبت - I read what you wrote
27.15 ما السبب وراء ذلك؟ - What is the reason behind that?
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27.1 ما اسمك؟
27.2 ما هذا الشيء؟
27.3 أخبرني ما حدث
27.4 لا أعرف ما تريد
27.5 بماذا تفكر؟
27.6 ما الذي يجعلك سعيداً؟
27.7 سألته ما المشكلة
27.8 ما رأيك في هذا؟
27.9 افعل ما تشاء
27.10 ما أجمل هذا المنظر!
27.11 عن ماذا تتحدث؟
27.12 أعطني ما عندك
27.13 ما معنى هذه الكلمة؟
27.14 قرأت ما كتبت
27.15 ما السبب وراء ذلك؟
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Grammar Rules for ما (mā)
The interrogative pronoun ما (mā) serves multiple grammatical functions in Arabic. As an interrogative, it asks about non-human things, concepts, and situations. Unlike English "what," Arabic distinguishes between asking about people (using مَن man "who") and things (using ما mā "what").
Forms and Variations: -
ما (mā) - basic form meaning "what" -
ماذا (mādhā) - emphatic form, also meaning "what" -
لماذا (limādhā) - "why" (literally "for what") -
بماذا (bimādhā) - "with what" -
عمّا (ʿammā) - "about what" (عن + ما)
Common Mistakes: -
Using ما for people - Remember: ما is for things, مَن is for people -
Forgetting that ماذا and ما are often interchangeable -
Not recognizing ما as a negative particle in certain contexts -
Confusing the exclamatory ما with the interrogative ما
Step-by-Step Guide to Using ما: -
For direct questions: Place ما at the beginning -
For "what is": Use ما + noun (ما اسمك "what is your name") -
With verbs: ما + verb creates "what does/did" -
In exclamations: ما + أفعل pattern (ما أجمل "how beautiful!") -
As relative pronoun: means "that which" or "what"
Comparison with English: Unlike English which uses "what" uniformly, Arabic has contextual variations. The exclamatory use (ما أجمل "how beautiful!") differs significantly from English structure. Arabic also uses ما as a negation particle, which has no English parallel.
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In Arabic-speaking cultures, the art of questioning holds special significance. The interrogative ما (mā) appears frequently in classical Arabic poetry and philosophy, where questioning the nature of existence, love, and divine purpose forms a central theme. The famous opening of pre-Islamic poems often began with questions about abandoned campsites, using ما to inquire about what remains of past dwellings.
In Islamic texts, ما appears in profound theological questions. The Quran contains numerous instances where ما introduces questions about the nature of revelation, human purpose, and divine wisdom. The phrase "وما أدراك ما" (wa-mā adrāka mā) meaning "and what will make you know what..." introduces descriptions of profound spiritual concepts.
Modern Arabic maintains this questioning tradition. In educational settings across the Arab world, teachers encourage students to ask "ماذا" (mādhā) and "لماذا" (limādhā) to develop critical thinking. The cultural emphasis on hospitality also involves frequent use of ما in polite inquiries about guests' needs and preferences.
The exclamatory use of ما reflects Arabic's emotional expressiveness. Phrases like "ما شاء الله" (mā shāʾ Allah - "what God has willed") serve as protective expressions against the evil eye, demonstrating how grammar intersects with cultural beliefs.
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From "ألف ليلة وليلة" (Alf Laylah wa-Laylah - One Thousand and One Nights):
"فقالت شهرزاد: بلغني أيها الملك السعيد أن التاجر لما سمع كلام العفريت قال له: وما ذنبي حتى تقتلني؟ فقال العفريت: اسمع حكايتي. قال التاجر: أنا كلي سمع وطاعة. فقال العفريت: اعلم أنه كان لي بنت أحبها كنفسي، وفي يوم من الأيام خرجت وما عادت، فبحثت عنها في كل مكان فما وجدتها."
Part F-A (Interleaved Construed Text)
F-A1 فقالت (fa-qālat) so-she-said شهرزاد (Shahrazād) Scheherazade بلغني (balaghanī) it-reached-me
F-A2 أيها (ayyuhā) O الملك (al-malik) the-king السعيد (as-saʿīd) the-fortunate
F-A3 أن (anna) that التاجر (at-tājir) the-merchant لما (lammā) when
F-A4 سمع (samiʿa) he-heard كلام (kalām) speech العفريت (al-ʿifrīt) the-demon
F-A5 قال (qāla) he-said له (lahu) to-him وما (wa-mā) and-what
F-A6 ذنبي (dhanbī) my-sin حتى (ḥattā) so-that تقتلني (taqtulanī) you-kill-me
F-A7 فقال (fa-qāla) so-said العفريت (al-ʿifrīt) the-demon اسمع (ismaʿ) listen
F-A8 حكايتي (ḥikāyatī) my-story قال (qāla) said التاجر (at-tājir) the-merchant
F-A9 أنا (anā) I كلي (kullī) all-of-me سمع (samʿ) hearing
F-A10 وطاعة (wa-ṭāʿah) and-obedience فقال (fa-qāla) so-said العفريت (al-ʿifrīt) the-demon
Part F-B (Original Arabic with English Translation)
فقالت شهرزاد: بلغني أيها الملك السعيد أن التاجر لما سمع كلام العفريت قال له: وما ذنبي حتى تقتلني؟ فقال العفريت: اسمع حكايتي. قال التاجر: أنا كلي سمع وطاعة.
Scheherazade said: "It has reached me, O fortunate King, that when the merchant heard the demon's words, he said to him: 'What is my sin that you should kill me?' The demon said: 'Listen to my story.' The merchant said: 'I am all ears and obedience.'"
Part F-C (Arabic Text Only)
فقالت شهرزاد: بلغني أيها الملك السعيد أن التاجر لما سمع كلام العفريت قال له: وما ذنبي حتى تقتلني؟ فقال العفريت: اسمع حكايتي. قال التاجر: أنا كلي سمع وطاعة.
Part F-D (Literary Analysis)
This passage from the Arabian Nights demonstrates the interrogative ما in a dramatic context. The merchant's desperate question "وما ذنبي" (wa-mā dhanbī - "and what is my sin?") showcases ما in its essential function of seeking unknown information. The structure places ما after the conjunction و (wa - "and"), showing how Arabic maintains the interrogative force even when ما doesn't begin the sentence.
The phrase illustrates classical Arabic's formal register, where questions about guilt and innocence carry legal and moral weight. The merchant's use of ما to challenge the demon's threat demonstrates the interrogative's role in Arabic rhetoric - not merely seeking information but also expressing incredulity and protest. This usage pattern continues in modern Arabic legal discourse.
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Part A (Interlinear Glossing)
27.16a ما (mā) what الأخبار (al-akhbār) the-news الجديدة (al-jadīdah) the-new من (min) from العاصمة (al-ʿāṣimah) the-capital
27.16b mā (maa) what al-akhbār (al-akh-baar) the-news al-jadīdah (al-ja-dee-dah) the-new min (min) from al-ʿāṣimah (al-ʿaa-ṣi-mah) the-capital
27.17a سأل (saʾala) asked المراسل (al-murāsil) the-correspondent ما (mā) what تأثير (taʾthīr) impact القرار (al-qarār) the-decision
27.17b saʾala (sa-a-la) asked al-murāsil (al-mu-raa-sil) the-correspondent mā (maa) what taʾthīr (ta-theer) impact al-qarār (al-qa-raar) the-decision
27.18a الوزير (al-wazīr) the-minister أوضح (awḍaḥa) clarified ما (mā) what سيحدث (sa-yaḥduthu) will-happen غداً (ghadan) tomorrow
27.18b al-wazīr (al-wa-zeer) the-minister awḍaḥa (aw-ḍa-ḥa) clarified mā (maa) what sa-yaḥduthu (sa-yaḥ-du-thu) will-happen ghadan (gha-dan) tomorrow
27.19a ما (mā) what زال (zāla) ceased الناس (an-nās) the-people ينتظرون (yantaẓirūn) waiting النتائج (an-natāʾij) the-results
27.19b mā (maa) what zāla (zaa-la) ceased an-nās (an-naas) the-people yantaẓirūn (yan-ta-ẓi-roon) waiting an-natāʾij (an-na-taa-ij) the-results
27.20a لنرى (li-narā) let-us-see ما (mā) what يقول (yaqūlu) says الخبراء (al-khubarāʾ) the-experts
27.20b li-narā (li-na-raa) let-us-see mā (maa) what yaqūlu (ya-qoo-lu) says al-khubarāʾ (al-khu-ba-raa) the-experts
27.21a ماذا (mādhā) what عن (ʿan) about الاقتصاد (al-iqtiṣād) the-economy العالمي (al-ʿālamī) the-global
27.21b mādhā (maa-dhaa) what ʿan (ʿan) about al-iqtiṣād (al-iq-ti-ṣaad) the-economy al-ʿālamī (al-ʿaa-la-mee) the-global
27.22a المحلل (al-muḥallil) the-analyst شرح (sharaḥa) explained ما (mā) what حدث (ḥadatha) happened بالضبط (bi-ḍ-ḍabṭ) exactly
27.22b al-muḥallil (al-mu-ḥal-lil) the-analyst sharaḥa (sha-ra-ḥa) explained mā (maa) what ḥadatha (ḥa-da-tha) happened bi-ḍ-ḍabṭ (biḍ-ḍabṭ) exactly
27.23a ما (mā) what أهمية (ahammiyyat) importance هذا (hādhā) this الحدث (al-ḥadath) the-event للمنطقة (li-l-minṭaqah) for-the-region
27.23b mā (maa) what ahammiyyat (a-ham-miy-yat) importance hādhā (haa-dhaa) this al-ḥadath (al-ḥa-dath) the-event li-l-minṭaqah (lil-min-ṭa-qah) for-the-region
27.24a نتساءل (natasāʾalu) we-wonder ما (mā) what الخطوة (al-khuṭwah) the-step التالية (at-tāliyah) the-next
27.24b natasāʾalu (na-ta-saa-a-lu) we-wonder mā (maa) what al-khuṭwah (al-khuṭ-wah) the-step at-tāliyah (at-taa-li-yah) the-next
27.25a أعلنت (aʿlanat) announced الحكومة (al-ḥukūmah) the-government ما (mā) what ستفعله (sa-tafʿaluhu) will-do-it
27.25b aʿlanat (aʿ-la-nat) announced al-ḥukūmah (al-ḥu-koo-mah) the-government mā (maa) what sa-tafʿaluhu (sa-taf-ʿa-lu-hu) will-do-it
27.26a بماذا (bi-mādhā) with-what علق (ʿallaqa) commented الرئيس (ar-raʾīs) the-president على (ʿalā) on الأزمة (al-azmah) the-crisis
27.26b bi-mādhā (bi-maa-dhaa) with-what ʿallaqa (ʿal-la-qa) commented ar-raʾīs (ar-ra-ees) the-president ʿalā (ʿa-laa) on al-azmah (al-az-mah) the-crisis
27.27a الصحفيون (aṣ-ṣaḥafiyyūn) the-journalists يسألون (yasʾalūn) ask ما (mā) what السبب (as-sabab) the-reason الحقيقي (al-ḥaqīqī) the-real
27.27b aṣ-ṣaḥafiyyūn (aṣ-ṣa-ḥa-fiy-yoon) the-journalists yasʾalūn (yas-a-loon) ask mā (maa) what as-sabab (as-sa-bab) the-reason al-ḥaqīqī (al-ḥa-qee-qee) the-real
27.28a ما (mā) what توقعات (tawaqqaʿāt) expectations الخبراء (al-khubarāʾ) the-experts للمستقبل (li-l-mustaqbal) for-the-future
27.28b mā (maa) what tawaqqaʿāt (ta-waq-qa-ʿaat) expectations al-khubarāʾ (al-khu-ba-raa) the-experts li-l-mustaqbal (lil-mus-taq-bal) for-the-future
27.29a وضح (waḍḍaḥa) became-clear ما (mā) what كان (kāna) was غامضاً (ghāmiḍan) ambiguous أمس (ams) yesterday
27.29b waḍḍaḥa (waḍ-ḍa-ḥa) became-clear mā (maa) what kāna (kaa-na) was ghāmiḍan (ghaa-mi-ḍan) ambiguous ams (ams) yesterday
27.30a ما (mā) what أكده (akkadahu) confirmed-it المسؤول (al-masʾūl) the-official مهم (muhimm) important جداً (jiddan) very
27.30b mā (maa) what akkadahu (ak-ka-da-hu) confirmed-it al-masʾūl (al-mas-ool) the-official muhimm (mu-himm) important jiddan (jid-dan) very
Part B (Natural Arabic with English Translation)
27.16 ما الأخبار الجديدة من العاصمة؟ - What is the new news from the capital?
27.17 سأل المراسل ما تأثير القرار - The correspondent asked what the impact of the decision was
27.18 الوزير أوضح ما سيحدث غداً - The minister clarified what will happen tomorrow
27.19 ما زال الناس ينتظرون النتائج - The people are still waiting for the results
27.20 لنرى ما يقول الخبراء - Let's see what the experts say
27.21 ماذا عن الاقتصاد العالمي؟ - What about the global economy?
27.22 المحلل شرح ما حدث بالضبط - The analyst explained what happened exactly
27.23 ما أهمية هذا الحدث للمنطقة؟ - What is the importance of this event for the region?
27.24 نتساءل ما الخطوة التالية - We wonder what the next step is
27.25 أعلنت الحكومة ما ستفعله - The government announced what it will do
27.26 بماذا علق الرئيس على الأزمة؟ - What did the president comment on the crisis?
27.27 الصحفيون يسألون ما السبب الحقيقي - The journalists are asking what the real reason is
27.28 ما توقعات الخبراء للمستقبل؟ - What are the experts' expectations for the future?
27.29 وضح ما كان غامضاً أمس - What was ambiguous yesterday became clear
27.30 ما أكده المسؤول مهم جداً - What the official confirmed is very important
Part C (Arabic Text Only)
27.16 ما الأخبار الجديدة من العاصمة؟
27.17 سأل المراسل ما تأثير القرار
27.18 الوزير أوضح ما سيحدث غداً
27.19 ما زال الناس ينتظرون النتائج
27.20 لنرى ما يقول الخبراء
27.21 ماذا عن الاقتصاد العالمي؟
27.22 المحلل شرح ما حدث بالضبط
27.23 ما أهمية هذا الحدث للمنطقة؟
27.24 نتساءل ما الخطوة التالية
27.25 أعلنت الحكومة ما ستفعله
27.26 بماذا علق الرئيس على الأزمة؟
27.27 الصحفيون يسألون ما السبب الحقيقي
27.28 ما توقعات الخبراء للمستقبل؟
27.29 وضح ما كان غامضاً أمس
27.30 ما أكده المسؤول مهم جداً
Part D (Grammar Notes for News Context)
In news reporting, ما serves crucial functions for journalists gathering and presenting information. The interrogative form dominates headlines and interview questions, while the relative pronoun usage appears in reported speech and analysis. News Arabic often uses ماذا عن (mādhā ʿan - "what about") to transition between topics or seek updates on ongoing stories.
The phrase ما زال (mā zāla - "still/continues to") deserves special attention. Here, ما functions as a negative particle that, paradoxically, creates a positive meaning when combined with زال. This construction frequently appears in news to describe ongoing situations.
Journalists employ ما in indirect questions when reporting sources: "سأل ما السبب" (he asked what the reason was). This embedded question structure maintains the interrogative force while fitting into reported speech patterns. The formal register of news Arabic preserves classical structures that might sound archaic in casual conversation.
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The letter م (mīm) in ما is pronounced like English "m" - a bilabial nasal consonant. The ا (alif) represents a long "ā" sound, similar to the "a" in "father" but held longer. Together, ما (mā) rhymes with "pa" in "grandpa" but with an "m" sound.
When ما combines with ذا to form ماذا (mādhā), the ذ (dhāl) creates the "th" sound in English "this" (voiced dental fricative). The final ا again represents a long "ā," making the full pronunciation "maa-thaa" with emphasis on the first syllable.
In connected speech, ما often blends with following words. Before words beginning with ال (the definite article), there's typically a slight pause. When followed by verbs, the transition is smooth. The exclamatory ما receives stronger stress and often a rising-falling intonation pattern.
Regional variations exist: Egyptian Arabic sometimes shortens the vowel, while Gulf dialects may emphasize it more. In rapid speech across all dialects, ماذا often reduces to إيش (ēsh) or شو (shū) in Levantine Arabic, though ما remains standard in formal contexts.
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