Arabic prepositions: meaning first, then jarr

01Four small words, four relationships

These examples use formal written Arabic. You only need to recognise Arabic letters and short vowels; each new noun is translated. Read the phrase for its meaning before worrying about the ending.

02Why does the noun end in ـِ?

A preposition puts the noun it governs into the genitive case, called jarr. In the ordinary singular nouns with الْـ used here, the visible sign is kasra: the small stroke below the last letter, read “i”.

The dictionary idea of “house” has not changed. The ending tells you how that noun fits into the phrase. Compare the house as the topic of a sentence with the same house after a preposition.

03A quick way to check yourself

First choose the relationship: inside, on, starting from, or going toward. Then read the noun with it as one phrase. Finally check its ending. For these examples, look for kasra after the last consonant.

Do not change every vowel in the word. In الْبَيْتِ, the vowels inside the word still belong to “house”; only the final case ending is the focus of this exercise.

Jarr does not always look like kasra: other noun patterns have other signs. The present lesson deliberately stays with ordinary singular nouns using الْـ. These are grammatical endings in fully vocalised writing; a final short vowel is often left unpronounced when pausing.

04Avoid the one-word translation trap

These four spatial meanings are a starting point, not a universal translation table. A preposition can have other meanings in context, and verbs can require particular prepositions. Learn a new expression as a phrase.

Try this before the questions: picture a route from the house to the school. Say which phrase gives the starting point and which gives the destination. Then check that both nouns end in kasra.