Hadha or hadhihi? Say “this” in Arabic

Both words mean “this”. The choice follows the Arabic noun’s gender—even when you are pointing at an object. Start with two forms, then use them in a whole sentence.

01One nearby thing, two forms

This lesson covers singular things nearby in formal Arabic. You should be able to read Arabic letters and short vowels. Dual, plural and distant forms belong to later lessons.

Use هَذَا (hādhā) with a masculine singular noun and هَذِهِ (hādhihi) with a feminine singular noun. The first vowel in each word is a long ā; the small alif that can mark it is often omitted in writing. Choose by the noun, not by the speaker’s gender.

هَذَا قَلَمٌ

This is a pen.

قَلَمٌ = a pen, masculine. The pointing word is هَذَا.

هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ

This is a bag.

حَقِيبَةٌ = a bag, feminine. The pointing word is هَذِهِ.

02Look at the Arabic noun

An object can have grammatical gender. The final ة is a useful clue in حَقِيبَةٌ (bag) and سَيَّارَةٌ (car), but it is not a complete test: some feminine nouns have no ة. Learn each noun with its gender.

Do not add a separate word for “is” in these simple present-time statements. The noun endings ـٌ help show the grammar; they are often not pronounced when pausing.

هَذَا بَابٌ

This is a door.

بَابٌ = a door, masculine.

هَذِهِ سَيَّارَةٌ

This is a car.

سَيَّارَةٌ = a car, feminine.

03“This is a bag” and “this bag”

The article الْـ, roughly “the”, changes how you build the expression. In the pattern below, هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ identifies the object. هَذِهِ الْحَقِيبَةُ names “this bag”; add information after it to make the statement we are practising.

These are beginner patterns in a clear context. Do not treat every demonstrative followed by a definite noun as incapable of being a sentence in other contexts.

هَذِهِ حَقِيبَةٌ

This is a bag.

A complete statement identifying the nearby object.

هَذِهِ الْحَقِيبَةُ جَدِيدَةٌ

This bag is new.

هَذِهِ الْحَقِيبَةُ = this bag; جَدِيدَةٌ = new. Both the demonstrative and the adjective suit the feminine noun.

هَذَا الْقَلَمُ جَدِيدٌ

This pen is new.

هَذَا الْقَلَمُ = this pen; جَدِيدٌ = new, masculine.

04Try it before looking at the answers

Cover the translations. Read the two sentences about new objects and identify what is new in each one. Then point to a nearby door or bag and say the matching sentence from the first examples.

If the sentence structure is unfamiliar, use the nominal-sentence lesson linked below. The adjective-agreement lesson explains why جَدِيدٌ becomes جَدِيدَةٌ.