What does "back" mean in Arabic?
English "back" is a small word with many jobs. It names a place ("sit at the back"), a direction ("take a step back"), a return ("come back") and a repetition ("call me back"). Arabic shares these jobs among several words. For the first two, place and direction, the everyday word is خَلْف (khalf), "the back, the rear; behind." For a return, Arabic uses verbs: عاد (ʿāda) and رجع (rajaʿa), "to come back, to go back." The back of the body is another word again, ظَهْر (ẓahr). This lesson teaches خَلْف, the word for the rear of anything: a room, a bus, a car, a line of people.
خَلْف is a noun, and it works in two ways. Used with a preposition and the article, it is "the back": في الخلف (fī al-khalf), "in the back, at the back"; إلى الخلف (ilā al-khalf), "back, backwards" (literally "to the back"); من الخلف (min al-khalf), "from the back." Used alone, in the accusative, it is an adverb of place and "behind" is its meaning: خلفَ البيت (khalfa al-bayt), "behind the house"; خلفَنا (khalfanā), "behind us." Grammarians call it a ظرف مكان (ẓarf makān), an "adverb of place." Its opposite is الأمام (al-amām), "the front," and in speech قُدّام (quddām).
Unvowelled, خلف can also be read khalafa, "he succeeded, he followed." The vowels (or the context) tell the two apart. The accusative adverb خَلْفَ (khalfa) belongs to this lesson; the verb does not.
Because English "back" is so varied, the main task of this lesson is choosing the right Arabic word. Section D sets out which sense takes which word, and Common Mistakes shows what goes wrong when English is translated word for word.
- خَلْف (khalf) = "the back, the rear; behind": the opposite of الأمام (al-amām), "the front" - في الخلف (fī al-khalf) = "in the back": a position - إلى الخلف (ilā al-khalf) = "back, backwards": a direction (a step back, to reverse, to fall back) - من الخلف (min al-khalf) = "from the back, from behind" - خلفَ + a noun or suffix = "behind": خلفَ السيارة (khalfa as-sayyāra), "behind the car"; خلفَنا (khalfanā), "behind us" - "Come back, return" is a verb (عاد، رجع); the body's back is ظهر; "back seat" is المقعد الخلفي (al-maqʿad al-khalfī) - Related words: وراء (warāʾ), "behind"; الوراء (al-warāʾ), "the rear, backwards"
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55.1a ارجع go-back إلى to الخلف the-back
55.1b irjiʿ (ir-JI') go-back-IMP.M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.2a أنا I في in الخلف the-back
55.2b anā (A-naa) I fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.3a اجلس sit في in الخلف the-back
55.3b ijlis (ij-LIS) sit-IMP.M.SG fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.4a خطوة step إلى to الخلف the-back
55.4b khuṭwa (KHUT-wa) step-F.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.5a الباب the-door في in الخلف the-back
55.5b al-bāb (al-BAAB) the-door-NOM fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.6a نظر looked إلى to الخلف the-back ولم and-not ير he-sees أحداً anyone
55.6b naẓara (NA-ẓa-ra) looked-PAST.3M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN wa-lam (wa-LAM) and-NEG.PAST yara (ya-RA) he-sees-JUSS.3M.SG aḥadan (A-ha-dan) anyone-ACC
55.7a تراجع withdrew الجنود the-soldiers إلى to الخلف the-back
55.7b tarājaʿa (ta-RAA-ja-'a) withdrew-PAST.3M.SG al-junūd (al-ju-NOOD) the-soldiers-PL.NOM ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.8a جلس sat الطلاب the-students الجدد the-new في in الخلف the-back
55.8b jalasa (JA-la-sa) sat-PAST.3M.SG aṭ-ṭullāb (aṭ-ṭul-LAAB) the-students-PL.NOM al-judud (al-JU-dud) the-new-PL.NOM fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.9a لا not تنظر you-look إلى to الخلف the-back انظر look إلى to الأمام the-front
55.9b lā (laa) not tanẓur (tan-ZUR) you-look-JUSS.2M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN unẓur (un-ZUR) look-IMP.M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-amām (al-a-MAAM) the-front-GEN
55.10a فتح opened السائق the-driver الباب the-door من from الخلف the-back
55.10b fataḥa (FA-ta-ha) opened-PAST.3M.SG as-sāʾiq (as-SAA-'iq) the-driver-NOM al-bāb (al-BAAB) the-door-ACC min (min) from al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.11a سمعت I-heard صوتاً a-voice من from الخلف the-back فالتفت so-I-turned
55.11b samiʿtu (sa-MI'-tu) I-heard-PAST.1SG ṣawtan (SAW-tan) voice-ACC min (min) from al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN fa-ltafattu (fal-ta-FAT-tu) so-I-turned-PAST.1SG
55.12a كان was الأطفال the-children يضحكون laughing في in الخلف the-back والكبار and-the-adults يتكلمون talking في in الأمام the-front
55.12b kāna (KAA-na) was-PAST.3M.SG al-aṭfāl (al-aṭ-FAAL) the-children-PL.NOM yaḍḥakūna (yaḍ-ha-KOO-na) laugh-PRES.3M.PL fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN wa-l-kibār (wal-ki-BAAR) and-the-adults-PL.NOM yatakallamūna (ya-ta-kal-la-MOO-na) talk-PRES.3M.PL fī (fee) in al-amām (al-a-MAAM) the-front-GEN
55.13a إذا if نظرت you-look إلى to الخلف the-back رأيت you-see الطريق the-road الذي which سرنا we-travelled فيه in-it
55.13b idhā (I-dhaa) if naẓarta (NA-ẓar-ta) you-look-PAST.2M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN raʾayta (RA-ay-ta) you-see-PAST.2M.SG aṭ-ṭarīq (aṭ-ṭa-REEQ) the-road-ACC alladhī (al-LA-dhee) which-M.SG sirnā (SIR-naa) we-travelled-PAST.1PL fī-hi (FEE-hi) in-it-M
55.14a ركبنا we-got-into السيارة the-car من from الخلف the-back لأن because الباب the-door الأمامي the-front كان was مغلقاً closed
55.14b rakibnā (ra-KIB-naa) we-got-into-PAST.1PL as-sayyāra (as-say-YAA-ra) the-car-F.ACC min (min) from al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN li-anna (li-AN-na) because al-bāb (al-BAAB) the-door-ACC al-amāmī (al-a-MAA-mee) the-front-ADJ.M.ACC kāna (KAA-na) was-PAST.3M.SG mughlaqan (mugh-LA-qan) closed-ACC
55.15a من whoever ينظر looks إلى to الخلف the-back دائماً always لا not يتقدم advances
55.15b man (man) whoever yanẓuru (YAN-ẓu-ru) looks-PRES.3M.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN dāʾiman (DAA-'i-man) always-ACC.ADV lā (laa) not yataqaddamu (ya-ta-QAD-da-mu) advances-PRES.3M.SG
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55.1 ارجع إلى الخلف — irjiʿ ilā al-khalf — "Go back." (move back, to a man)
55.2 أنا في الخلف — anā fī al-khalf — "I am in the back."
55.3 اجلس في الخلف — ijlis fī al-khalf — "Sit in the back." (to a man)
55.4 خطوة إلى الخلف — khuṭwa ilā al-khalf — "A step back."
55.5 الباب في الخلف — al-bāb fī al-khalf — "The door is at the back."
55.6 نظر إلى الخلف ولم ير أحداً — naẓara ilā al-khalf wa-lam yara aḥadan — "He looked back and saw no one."
55.7 تراجع الجنود إلى الخلف — tarājaʿa al-junūd ilā al-khalf — "The soldiers fell back."
55.8 جلس الطلاب الجدد في الخلف — jalasa aṭ-ṭullāb al-judud fī al-khalf — "The new students sat at the back."
55.9 لا تنظر إلى الخلف، انظر إلى الأمام — lā tanẓur ilā al-khalf, unẓur ilā al-amām — "Don't look back; look ahead." (to a man)
55.10 فتح السائق الباب من الخلف — fataḥa as-sāʾiq al-bāb min al-khalf — "The driver opened the door from the back."
55.11 سمعت صوتاً من الخلف فالتفت — samiʿtu ṣawtan min al-khalf fa-ltafattu — "I heard a voice behind me and turned round."
55.12 كان الأطفال يضحكون في الخلف، والكبار يتكلمون في الأمام — kāna al-aṭfāl yaḍḥakūna fī al-khalf, wa-l-kibār yatakallamūna fī al-amām — "The children were laughing in the back, and the adults were talking in the front."
55.13 إذا نظرت إلى الخلف رأيت الطريق الذي سرنا فيه — idhā naẓarta ilā al-khalf raʾayta aṭ-ṭarīq alladhī sirnā fīhi — "If you look back, you will see the road we travelled along."
55.14 ركبنا السيارة من الخلف لأن الباب الأمامي كان مغلقاً — rakibnā as-sayyāra min al-khalf li-anna al-bāb al-amāmī kāna mughlaqan — "We got into the car from the back because the front door was closed."
55.15 من ينظر إلى الخلف دائماً لا يتقدم — man yanẓuru ilā al-khalf dāʾiman lā yataqaddamu — "Whoever is always looking back does not move forward." (a constructed saying, not a quotation)
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55.1 ارجع إلى الخلف
55.2 أنا في الخلف
55.3 اجلس في الخلف
55.4 خطوة إلى الخلف
55.5 الباب في الخلف
55.6 نظر إلى الخلف ولم ير أحداً
55.7 تراجع الجنود إلى الخلف
55.8 جلس الطلاب الجدد في الخلف
55.9 لا تنظر إلى الخلف، انظر إلى الأمام
55.10 فتح السائق الباب من الخلف
55.11 سمعت صوتاً من الخلف فالتفت
55.12 كان الأطفال يضحكون في الخلف، والكبار يتكلمون في الأمام
55.13 إذا نظرت إلى الخلف رأيت الطريق الذي سرنا فيه
55.14 ركبنا السيارة من الخلف لأن الباب الأمامي كان مغلقاً
55.15 من ينظر إلى الخلف دائماً لا يتقدم
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1. What kind of word it is. خَلْف is a noun meaning "the back, the rear." Its dictionary definition is "the opposite of قُدّام (quddām), the front." It has two uses. With a preposition it is an ordinary noun in the genitive: في الخلف (fī al-khalf, 55.2), إلى الخلف (ilā al-khalf, 55.1), من الخلف (min al-khalf, 55.10). Without one, in the accusative, it is a ظرف مكان (ẓarf makān), an adverb of place, and "behind" is its meaning: خلفَ السيارة (khalfa as-sayyāra), "behind the car." In the Qur'an's phrase وما خلفهم (wa-mā khalfahum), the Quranic Arabic Corpus labels خلفهم exactly so: an accusative adverb of place with the pronoun -hum attached (Section F).
2. Three prepositions, three ideas. English "back" covers all three, so choose by what you mean:
- في الخلف (fī al-khalf), "at the back": position. Nothing moves: أنا في الخلف (55.2), اجلس في الخلف (55.3), الباب في الخلف (55.5). - إلى الخلف (ilā al-khalf), "back, backwards": direction. Something moves, or turns, or reaches: ارجع إلى الخلف (55.1), خطوة إلى الخلف (55.4), نظر إلى الخلف (55.6), تراجع الجنود إلى الخلف (55.7). With a car, سار إلى الخلف means "it went backwards, it reversed" (55.29, in the story). - من الخلف (min al-khalf), "from the back, from behind": source. فتح الباب من الخلف (55.10), سمعت صوتاً من الخلف (55.11).
3. "Behind" something: no article. To say "behind X," put خلفَ directly before X, without الـ and without a preposition: خلفَ السيارة (khalfa as-sayyāra), "behind the car" (55.22). X is in the genitive, because خلف is the first word of an idāfa. A pronoun attaches to it as a suffix: خلفي (khalfī), "behind me"; خلفَك (khalfaka), "behind you"; خلفَه (khalfahu), "behind him"; خلفَنا (khalfanā), "behind us" (55.23); خلفَهم (khalfahum), "behind them." The near synonym is وراء (warāʾ); here "behind" is only a first look.
4. The opposite: الأمام (al-amām). The front is الأمام, and the pair is used in the same ways: في الأمام (55.12), إلى الأمام (55.9), "ahead, forward." Learn the two as a couple: "front and back" is الأمام والخلف.
5. The adjective خَلْفِيّ (khalfī). Add the ending -ī (the nisba) to get "back, rear" as an adjective: المقعد الخلفي (al-maqʿad al-khalfī), "the back seat"; الباب الخلفي (al-bāb al-khalfī), "the back door." It agrees with its noun like any adjective: الغرفة الخلفية (al-ghurfa al-khalfiyya), "the back room." Its opposite is أمامِيّ (amāmī), as in 55.14: الباب الأمامي, "the front door."
6. Other English "back"s, and their Arabic.
- To return, to come back: a verb, عاد (ʿāda) or رجع (rajaʿa): عاد كريم إلى البيت (ʿāda Karīm ilā al-bayt), "Karim came back home." The direction here is the place you return to, not "the back." - The back of the body: ظهر (ẓahr): ظهري يؤلمني (ẓahrī yuʾlimunī), "my back hurts." - To fall back, to retreat: تراجع (tarājaʿa, 55.7), a verb from the same root as رجع. - To give back, to return something: أعاد (aʿāda) or ردّ (radda). - "Ago" (back in time): منذ (mundhu) + a time word: منذ سنتين (mundhu sanatayn), "two years back, two years ago." - "Behind, at the rear" of something: خلف or وراء.
7. Purpose with li- + subjunctive. Several sentences say why someone moves to the back: ليأخذ اللعبة (li-yaʾkhudha al-luʿba), "to take the toy"; ليساعده (li-yusāʿidahu), "to help him"; لنخرج (li-nakhruja), "so that we get out." The verb after لـ (li-) goes into the subjunctive: يأخذ becomes يأخذَ, نخرج becomes نخرجَ.
- Using إلى الخلف for "come back, return." English "he came back" is عاد or رجع, not *جاء إلى الخلف. إلى الخلف means "towards the rear," a movement in space, and does not mean "return to a place." - Using خلف for the back of the body. Say ظهري, "my back"; خلف is the back of a place, a car, a room, a queue. - Using في الخلف for a movement. "Take a step back" is خطوة إلى الخلف, not *خطوة في الخلف. في says where something is; إلى says where it is going. - Putting the article on "behind." "Behind the car" is خلف السيارة, never *الخلف السيارة. - Using الخلف to say "again." "Call me back" is اتصل بي مرة أخرى (ittaṣil bī marratan ukhrā), "call me another time," or اتصل بي لاحقاً (ittaṣil bī lāḥiqan), "call me later." The word for "the back" does not carry that meaning. - Mixing up two readings of unvowelled خلف. خَلْف (khalf) is "the back"; خَلَف (khalaf) is "a successor"; خَلَفَ (khalafa) is "he succeeded." Read the whole sentence before you decide.
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خلف is common in speech and writing: in giving directions (الباب في الخلف), in the car (المقعد الخلفي، الصندوق الخلفي), in the classroom and on the bus (اجلس في الخلف), and in the news, where "a step back" can be used figuratively for a setback or a retreat from a position: خطوة إلى الخلف. Its opposite, "forward," is the usual image for progress: إلى الأمام. Together they give Arabic its everyday language for moving ahead or falling behind.
In many colloquials the everyday word for "behind" and "back" comes from وراء (warāʾ), and not from خلف. In Egyptian Arabic, ورا (wara) means "behind," and لورا (li-wara) is "backwards": ارجع لورا, "go back, back up." Levantine Arabic also says ورا. Educated speakers move easily between خلف in careful speech and وراء or ورا in conversation. A learner will hear all of them, and each is correct in its place.
A well-known pair of scholarly terms plays on the two readings noted above: السلف والخلف (as-salaf wa-l-khalaf), "the predecessors and the successors," the earlier and the later generations. Here the word is khalaf, "successor," with a fatḥa on the lām, where khalf, "the back," has a sukūn. The two words are written alike and share the three root letters خ ل ف.
- خطوة إلى الخلف (khuṭwa ilā al-khalf) — "a step back, a setback" - لا تنظر إلى الخلف (lā tanẓur ilā al-khalf) — "don't look back" - المقعد الخلفي (al-maqʿad al-khalfī) — "the back seat" - الباب الخلفي (al-bāb al-khalfī) — "the back door" - من بين يديه ومن خلفه (min bayni yadayhi wa-min khalfihi) — "from between his hands and from behind him," a Qur'anic phrase for "on every side" (13:11); see Section F for a close relative of it
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The citation is from the Qur'an, Sūrat al-Baqara (2), verse 255, the verse known as Āyat al-Kursī, "the Throne Verse." Our passage is its middle: three clauses, the second of which contains the word of this lesson, in the phrase وما خلفهم (wa-mā khalfahum), "and what is behind them." The wording and the vowels follow the text on quran.com, checked against the word-by-word text of the Quranic Arabic Corpus. Both give the same words. The vowelling below is in the simplified spelling of the rest of this course, not in the Uthmani spelling of the muṣḥaf. The English is the Latinum Institute's own, kept close to the Arabic.
F.1a مَنْ who ذَا this الَّذِي who يَشْفَعُ he-intercedes عِنْدَهُ with-Him إِلَّا except بِإِذْنِهِ by-His-permission
F.1b man (man) who dhā (DHAA) this alladhī (al-LA-dhee) who-M.SG yashfaʿu (YASH-fa-ʿu) intercedes-PRES.3M.SG ʿinda-hu (ʿIN-da-hu) with-Him illā (il-LAA) except bi-idhni-hi (bi-idh-NI-hi) by-permission-GEN-His
F.2a يَعْلَمُ He-knows مَا what بَيْنَ between أَيْدِيهِمْ their-hands وَمَا and-what خَلْفَهُمْ behind-them
F.2b yaʿlamu (YA'-la-mu) knows-PRES.3M.SG mā (maa) what bayna (BAY-na) between-ACC aydī-him (ay-DEE-him) hands-PL.GEN-their wa-mā (wa-MAA) and-what khalfa-hum (KHAL-fa-hum) behind-ACC-them-M.PL
F.3a وَلَا and-not يُحِيطُونَ they-encompass بِشَيْءٍ anything مِنْ of عِلْمِهِ His-knowledge إِلَّا except بِمَا with-what شَاءَ He-willed
F.3b wa-lā (wa-LAA) and-not yuḥīṭūna (yu-hee-TOO-na) encompass-PRES.3M.PL bi-shayʾin (bi-SHAY-'in) with-thing-GEN min (min) of ʿilmi-hi (ʿIL-mi-hi) knowledge-GEN-His illā (il-LAA) except bi-mā (bi-MAA) with-what shāʾa (SHAA-'a) willed-PAST.3M.SG
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ؟ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ، وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ.
man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnihi? yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum, wa-lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shayʾin min ʿilmihi illā bi-mā shāʾa.
"Who is there who can intercede with Him, except by His permission? He knows what is between their hands and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills."
— Qur'an 2:255 (Āyat al-Kursī), middle section (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Arabic)
مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ؟ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ، وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ.
- مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي (man dhā alladhī). A fixed way of asking a rhetorical question: "who is it that…?" It is not a real question; it means "no one can." The three words are man ("who"), dhā ("this"), and alladhī ("who, which"), the relative pronoun that introduces the verb يشفع. - عِنْدَهُ (ʿindahu). "With him, in his presence"; ʿinda is a preposition-like word of place, and the suffix -hu is "him." - إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ (illā bi-idhnihi). "Except by his permission." The exception is made with إلا followed by بـ and a noun in the genitive. - مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ (mā bayna aydīhim wa-mā khalfahum). The lesson's word. The relative مَا (mā), "what," is followed by two places: بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ (bayna aydīhim), "between their hands," that is, in front of them, and خَلْفَهُمْ (khalfahum), "behind them." The first is a group (bayna + a noun in the genitive), the second is خلف alone, in the accusative as an adverb of place with a pronoun suffix: Section D, rule 1 and rule 3. The two places, front and back, are the pair الأمام / الخلف of this lesson, in a more formal dress. Commentators explain what they stand for in several ways (for example, what comes before and after, or the present and the past or future). The lesson takes up only the grammar. - يُحِيطُونَ بِ (yuḥīṭūna bi-). "They encompass, they comprehend," a Form IV verb (أحاط, aḥāṭa) which takes بِ (bi-) before its object. - مِنْ عِلْمِهِ (min ʿilmihi). "Of his knowledge": min here means "any part of." - بِمَا شَاءَ (bi-mā shāʾa). "By what he wished": the relative مَا (mā) is followed by a verb in the past tense, and no pronoun is needed to refer back to it.
Āyat al-Kursī is among the best-known verses of the Qur'an and is much recited and learnt by heart. The passage chosen here is not its opening but its middle. It is chosen because the verse names the front and the back, "between the hands" and "behind," in one breath: the pair that this lesson has taught as a couple. The phrase "between his hands and behind him," with the same two words, appears in other verses, for example in 13:11 (من بين يديه ومن خلفه), where the verse speaks of what is on every side of a person.
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55.16a في in الصباح the-morning الباكر the-early ركبت got-into العائلة the-family السيارة the-car وجلس and-sat الأطفال the-children في in الخلف the-back
55.16b fī (fee) in aṣ-ṣabāḥ (as-sa-BAAH) the-morning-GEN al-bākir (al-BAA-kir) the-early-M.GEN rakibat (RA-ki-bat) got-into-PAST.3F.SG al-ʿāʾila (al-'AA-'i-la) the-family-F.NOM as-sayyāra (as-say-YAA-ra) the-car-F.ACC wa-jalasa (wa-JA-la-sa) and-sat-PAST.3M.SG al-aṭfāl (al-aṭ-FAAL) the-children-PL.NOM fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.17a قالت said الأم the-mother لليلى to-Layla ضعي put الحقيبة the-bag في in الخلف the-back
55.17b qālat (QAA-lat) said-PAST.3F.SG al-umm (al-UMM) the-mother-NOM li-Laylā (li-LAY-laa) to-Layla ḍaʿī (DA-'ee) put-IMP.F.SG al-ḥaqība (al-ha-QEE-ba) the-bag-F.ACC fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.18a سقطت fell لعبة toy كريم Karim إلى to الخلف the-back تحت under المقعد the-seat
55.18b saqaṭat (SA-qa-tat) fell-PAST.3F.SG luʿbat (LU'-bat) toy-F.NOM.CONSTRUCT Karīm (ka-REEM) Karim-GEN ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN taḥta (TAH-ta) under-ACC al-maqʿad (al-MAQ-'ad) the-seat-GEN
55.19a مد stretched الأب the-father يده his-hand إلى to الخلف the-back ليأخذ to-take اللعبة the-toy لكنه but-he لم not يصل he-reaches
55.19b madda (MAD-da) stretched-PAST.3M.SG al-ab (al-AB) the-father-NOM yada-hu (YA-da-hu) hand-ACC-his ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN li-yaʾkhudha (li-YA'-khu-dha) to-he-takes-SUBJ.3M.SG al-luʿba (al-LU'-ba) the-toy-F.ACC lākinna-hu (LAA-kin-na-hu) but-he lam (lam) NEG.PAST yaṣil (ya-SIL) he-reaches-JUSS.3M.SG
55.20a قالت said ليلى Layla أنا I في in الخلف the-back أنا I آخذها I-take-it
55.20b qālat (QAA-lat) said-PAST.3F.SG Laylā (LAY-laa) Layla anā (A-naa) I fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN anā (A-naa) I ākhudhu-hā (AA-khu-dhu-haa) I-take-PRES.1SG-it-F
55.21a بحثت searched ليلى Layla في in الخلف the-back تحت under المقعد the-seat فوجدت so-found اللعبة the-toy
55.21b baḥathat (BA-ha-that) searched-PAST.3F.SG Laylā (LAY-laa) Layla fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN taḥta (TAH-ta) under-ACC al-maqʿad (al-MAQ-'ad) the-seat-GEN fa-wajadat (fa-WA-ja-dat) so-found-PAST.3F.SG al-luʿba (al-LU'-ba) the-toy-F.ACC
55.22a نظر looked الأب the-father في in المرآة the-mirror فرأى so-saw شاحنة a-truck كبيرة big خلف behind السيارة the-car
55.22b naẓara (NA-ẓa-ra) looked-PAST.3M.SG al-ab (al-AB) the-father-NOM fī (fee) in al-mirʾāh (al-mir-'AAH) the-mirror-F.GEN fa-raʾā (fa-RA-aa) so-saw-PAST.3M.SG shāḥinatan (shaa-HI-na-tan) truck-F.ACC kabīratan (ka-BEE-ra-tan) big-F.ACC khalfa (KHAL-fa) behind-ACC as-sayyāra (as-say-YAA-ra) the-car-F.GEN
55.23a ثم then أبطأ slowed الأب the-father وبقيت and-stayed الشاحنة the-truck خلفنا behind-us
55.23b thumma (THUM-ma) then abṭaʾa (ab-TA-'a) slowed-PAST.3M.SG al-ab (al-AB) the-father-NOM wa-baqiyat (wa-BA-qi-yat) and-stayed-PAST.3F.SG ash-shāḥina (ash-SHAA-hi-na) the-truck-F.NOM khalfa-nā (KHAL-fa-naa) behind-ACC-us
55.24a سأل asked كريم Karim لماذا why ينظر looks أبي my-father إلى to الخلف the-back كثيراً much
55.24b saʾala (SA-'a-la) asked-PAST.3M.SG Karīm (ka-REEM) Karim-NOM li-mādhā (li-MAA-dhaa) why yanẓuru (YAN-ẓu-ru) looks-PRES.3M.SG abī (A-bee) father-NOM-my ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN kathīran (ka-THEE-ran) much-ACC.ADV
55.25a أجابت answered ليلى Layla لأنه because-he يريد wants أن that يعرف he-knows ما what يحدث happens في in الخلف the-back
55.25b ajābat (a-JAA-bat) answered-PAST.3F.SG Laylā (LAY-laa) Layla li-anna-hu (li-AN-na-hu) because-he yurīdu (yu-REE-du) wants-PRES.3M.SG an (an) that yaʿrifa (YA'-ri-fa) he-knows-SUBJ.3M.SG mā (maa) what yaḥduthu (YAH-du-thu) happens-PRES.3M.SG fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.26a توقفت stopped السيارة the-car عند at محطة station وقود fuel فنزل so-got-out الأب the-father وفتح and-opened الصندوق the-trunk في in الخلف the-back
55.26b tawaqqafat (ta-wa-QAF-fat) stopped-PAST.3F.SG as-sayyāra (as-say-YAA-ra) the-car-F.NOM ʿinda (ʿIN-da) at maḥaṭṭat (ma-HAT-tat) station-F.GEN.CONSTRUCT wuqūd (wu-QOOD) fuel-GEN fa-nazala (fa-NA-za-la) so-got-out-PAST.3M.SG al-ab (al-AB) the-father-NOM wa-fataḥa (wa-FA-ta-ha) and-opened-PAST.3M.SG aṣ-ṣundūq (aṣ-sun-DOOQ) the-trunk-ACC fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN
55.27a ركض ran كريم Karim إلى to الخلف the-back ليساعده to-help-him
55.27b rakaḍa (RA-ka-da) ran-PAST.3M.SG Karīm (ka-REEM) Karim-NOM ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN li-yusāʿida-hu (li-yu-SAA-ʿi-da-hu) to-he-helps-SUBJ.3M.SG-him
55.28a عاد returned كريم Karim إلى to مقعده his-seat في in الخلف the-back وهو while-he يحمل carries زجاجة a-bottle ماء water
55.28b ʿāda (ʿAA-da) returned-PAST.3M.SG Karīm (ka-REEM) Karim-NOM ilā (I-laa) to maqʿadi-hi (maq-ʿa-DI-hi) seat-GEN-his fī (fee) in al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN wa-huwa (wa-HU-wa) while-he yaḥmilu (YAH-mi-lu) carries-PRES.3M.SG zujājata (zu-JAA-ja-ta) bottle-F.ACC.CONSTRUCT māʾ (maa') water-GEN
55.29a قبل before أن that يتحرك he-moves الأب the-father قال said انتبهوا be-careful سنسير we-will-go إلى to الخلف the-back قليلاً a-little لنخرج so-that-we-exit من from هنا here
55.29b qabla (QAB-la) before-ACC an (an) that yataḥarraka (ya-ta-HAR-ra-ka) he-moves-SUBJ.3M.SG al-ab (al-AB) the-father-NOM qāla (QAA-la) said-PAST.3M.SG intabihū (in-ta-bi-HOO) be-careful-IMP.PL sa-nasīru (sa-na-SEE-ru) will-go-FUT.1PL ilā (I-laa) to al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN qalīlan (qa-LEE-lan) a-little-ACC.ADV li-nakhruja (li-NAKH-ru-ja) so-that-we-exit-SUBJ.1PL min (min) from hunā (hu-NAA) here
55.30a ومن and-from الخلف the-back صاح shouted الطفلان the-two-children إلى to الأمام the-front الآن now
55.30b wa-min (wa-MIN) and-from al-khalf (al-KHALF) the-back-GEN ṣāḥa (SAA-ha) shouted-PAST.3M.SG aṭ-ṭiflān (aṭ-tif-LAAN) the-two-children-DUAL.NOM ilā (I-laa) to al-amām (al-a-MAAM) the-front-GEN al-ān (al-AAN) the-now
55.16 في الصباح الباكر ركبت العائلة السيارة وجلس الأطفال في الخلف — fī aṣ-ṣabāḥ al-bākir rakibat al-ʿāʾila as-sayyāra wa-jalasa al-aṭfāl fī al-khalf — "Early in the morning the family got into the car, and the children sat in the back."
55.17 قالت الأم لليلى: ضعي الحقيبة في الخلف — qālat al-umm li-Laylā: ḍaʿī al-ḥaqība fī al-khalf — "Their mother said to Layla: Put the bag in the back."
55.18 سقطت لعبة كريم إلى الخلف تحت المقعد — saqaṭat luʿbat Karīm ilā al-khalf taḥta al-maqʿad — "Karim's toy fell back under the seat."
55.19 مد الأب يده إلى الخلف ليأخذ اللعبة لكنه لم يصل — madda al-ab yadahu ilā al-khalf li-yaʾkhudha al-luʿba lākinnahu lam yaṣil — "Father stretched his hand back to take the toy, but he could not reach it."
55.20 قالت ليلى: أنا في الخلف، أنا آخذها — qālat Laylā: anā fī al-khalf, anā ākhudhuhā — "Layla said: I'm in the back, I'll get it."
55.21 بحثت ليلى في الخلف تحت المقعد فوجدت اللعبة — baḥathat Laylā fī al-khalf taḥta al-maqʿad fa-wajadat al-luʿba — "Layla searched in the back, under the seat, and found the toy."
55.22 نظر الأب في المرآة فرأى شاحنة كبيرة خلف السيارة — naẓara al-ab fī al-mirʾāh fa-raʾā shāḥinatan kabīratan khalfa as-sayyāra — "Father looked in the mirror and saw a big truck behind the car."
55.23 ثم أبطأ الأب وبقيت الشاحنة خلفنا — thumma abṭaʾa al-ab wa-baqiyat ash-shāḥina khalfanā — "Then Father slowed down, and the truck stayed behind us."
55.24 سأل كريم: لماذا ينظر أبي إلى الخلف كثيراً؟ — saʾala Karīm: li-mādhā yanẓuru abī ilā al-khalf kathīran? — "Karim asked: Why does Dad look back so much?"
55.25 أجابت ليلى: لأنه يريد أن يعرف ما يحدث في الخلف — ajābat Laylā: li-annahu yurīdu an yaʿrifa mā yaḥduthu fī al-khalf — "Layla answered: Because he wants to know what is happening at the rear."
55.26 توقفت السيارة عند محطة وقود فنزل الأب وفتح الصندوق في الخلف — tawaqqafat as-sayyāra ʿinda maḥaṭṭat wuqūd fa-nazala al-ab wa-fataḥa aṣ-ṣundūq fī al-khalf — "The car stopped at a petrol station, and Father got out and opened the trunk at the back."
55.27 ركض كريم إلى الخلف ليساعده — rakaḍa Karīm ilā al-khalf li-yusāʿidahu — "Karim ran round to the back to help him."
55.28 عاد كريم إلى مقعده في الخلف وهو يحمل زجاجة ماء — ʿāda Karīm ilā maqʿadihi fī al-khalf wa-huwa yaḥmilu zujājata māʾ — "Karim went back to his seat in the back, carrying a bottle of water."
55.29 قبل أن يتحرك الأب قال: انتبهوا، سنسير إلى الخلف قليلاً لنخرج من هنا — qabla an yataḥarraka al-ab qāla: intabihū, sa-nasīru ilā al-khalf qalīlan li-nakhruja min hunā — "Before Father moved off, he said: Careful, we'll go back a little to get out of here."
55.30 ومن الخلف صاح الطفلان: إلى الأمام الآن! — wa-min al-khalf ṣāḥa aṭ-ṭiflān: ilā al-amām al-ān! — "And from the back the two children shouted: Forward now!"
55.16 في الصباح الباكر ركبت العائلة السيارة وجلس الأطفال في الخلف
55.17 قالت الأم لليلى: ضعي الحقيبة في الخلف
55.18 سقطت لعبة كريم إلى الخلف تحت المقعد
55.19 مد الأب يده إلى الخلف ليأخذ اللعبة لكنه لم يصل
55.20 قالت ليلى: أنا في الخلف، أنا آخذها
55.21 بحثت ليلى في الخلف تحت المقعد فوجدت اللعبة
55.22 نظر الأب في المرآة فرأى شاحنة كبيرة خلف السيارة
55.23 ثم أبطأ الأب وبقيت الشاحنة خلفنا
55.24 سأل كريم: لماذا ينظر أبي إلى الخلف كثيراً؟
55.25 أجابت ليلى: لأنه يريد أن يعرف ما يحدث في الخلف
55.26 توقفت السيارة عند محطة وقود فنزل الأب وفتح الصندوق في الخلف
55.27 ركض كريم إلى الخلف ليساعده
55.28 عاد كريم إلى مقعده في الخلف وهو يحمل زجاجة ماء
55.29 قبل أن يتحرك الأب قال: انتبهوا، سنسير إلى الخلف قليلاً لنخرج من هنا
55.30 ومن الخلف صاح الطفلان: إلى الأمام الآن!
- Three prepositions in one story. Position, direction and source are kept apart: في الخلف, "in the back" (55.16, 55.17, 55.20, 55.21, 55.25, 55.26, 55.28); إلى الخلف, "back, towards the back" (55.18, 55.19, 55.27, 55.29); من الخلف, "from the back" (55.30). - "Behind" without the article. In 55.22 the truck is خلف السيارة, "behind the car," and in 55.23 خلفنا, "behind us": no الـ and no preposition (Section D, rule 3). The second is the only place where the pronoun is suffixed to خلف. - سنسير إلى الخلف (55.29). With a vehicle, "to go to the back" means "to reverse." Note also the future with سـ (sa-): سنسير, "we will go." - Name and verb agreement. In 55.17 the verb قالت is feminine because the mother is: قالت الأم. In 55.24 سأل is masculine because Karim is. In 55.30 صاح is masculine singular although the subject is a dual (الطفلان): the verb is singular when it comes first. - ليلى and لليلى. The preposition لـ + ليلى is written with two lāms: لليلى (li-Laylā, 55.17). The name ends in alif maqṣūra and does not change for case. - Feminine imperative. ضعي (ḍaʿī, 55.17) is the imperative of وضع (waḍaʿa, "to put") addressed to a woman or girl: the first letter و drops out, and the ending -ī marks the feminine. To a man it is ضَعْ (ḍaʿ). - Purpose clauses (li- + subjunctive). ليأخذ (55.19), ليساعده (55.27), لنخرج (55.29): see Section D, rule 7. In 55.29 قبل أن (qabla an) "before" also takes the subjunctive: قبل أن يتحرك. - عاد (55.28). Here "back" is a return, and so the verb عاد, "he went back, he returned," is used with إلى + the place (إلى مقعده). Compare this with the other uses of "back" in the story, which all take خلف.
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- IPA: /xalf/ - خ (khāʾ) = /x/, the rough sound of Scottish loch or German Bach, made at the back of the mouth. It is not an English k and not an h. - َ (fatḥa) = /a/, a short open vowel, as in a clipped cat. - ل (lām) = /l/. ف (fāʾ) = /f/. The syllable ends in two consonants, -lf, with no vowel between them: say khalf in one beat, and do not insert a vowel (not "kha-luf"). - Stress: KHALF; it is one syllable. With the article, al-KHALF; with "behind" and a suffix, KHAL-fa-nā.
- خ /x/ in خلف (khalf) vs ح /ħ/ in حلف (ḥalf, "taking an oath"): the first is rough and scraping, the second is a soft whispered breath from the throat. - ظ /ðˤ/ in ينظر (yanẓuru) vs ز /z/ in زجاجة (zujāja): ẓ is emphatic and has a "th" quality; z is plain. - أمامي (amāmī, "front") vs خلفي (khalfī, "back"): the nisba ending -ī is long.
- ع (ʿayn) /ʕ/ in ارجع, سمعت, مقعد: the voiced constriction in the throat. Written ' in the respellings. - ح (ḥāʾ) /ħ/ in صباح, يحمل, بحثت, شاحنة: the whispered h from the throat. - ق (qāf) /q/ in قليلاً, مقعد, طريق: a k made at the uvula. - The emphatics ص ط ض ظ in صوت, طريق, ضعي, نظر: tongue raised at the back, darkening the vowels. - غ (ghayn) /ɣ/ in مغلقاً: a gargled r-like sound, like the French r.
Before sun letters the l of the article assimilates: الطلاب → aṭ-ṭullāb, السيارة → as-sayyāra, الطريق → aṭ-ṭarīq, الشاحنة → ash-shāḥina, الصباح → aṣ-ṣabāḥ. Before moon letters it does not: الخلف → al-khalf, الباب → al-bāb, الأمام → al-amām. Both are pronounced in the same phrase: في الخلف, fī al-khalf, runs together as "fil-khalf."
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