Episode 35 · Murájaʿa: Questions round the quarter

Welcome back to the Book Quarter. It’s been a big week for Sam. He has learned how to build sentences without a verb, collected the essential question words, and most importantly...

...Ustadh Farid showed him the secret engine of Arabic: the root system. From three little letters, ك ت ب, an entire family of words grows.

Today, Sam is standing at the counter, staring at that same piece of paper, trying to let it sink in. The door swings open, and Yasmin breezes in, her headphones resting around her neck.

Sam wants to practice his greetings. He knows how to ask 'how are you' to a man, but Yasmin is a woman. He needs to get the ending just right.

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

Did you catch that ending? To a man, we say حالُكَ. But to a woman, the ending drops down to a short 'ee' sound: حالُكِ.

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

Let's put the whole thing together. كَيْفَ is how. حالُكِ is your state. اليَوم is today. Say it with me: كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

A little slower, making sure we get that crisp sound on the end. كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

أَنا بِخَيْر، شُكْرًا. وَأَنْتَ؟

She's impressed! Sam replies that he is fine too. Yasmin notices Sam looking at the root chart. She decides it's time for a pop quiz.

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

She's testing him! She asked, who is this writer? The word for who is مَن. And there is our first root word of the day: الكاتِب, the writer.

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

Listen to how the words flow together. Try it: مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

The long 'a' in the middle of الكاتِب is what makes him the *doer* of the action. The one who writes. One more time: مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

لا أَعْرِف.

'I don't know.' A perfectly honest answer! But Yasmin isn't going to let him off the hook that easily. She points to the notebook the man in the picture is holding.

Before she asks her next question, let's pause and lock in the phrases we've just practiced. Listen closely.

First, checking in on a female friend: كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ ... كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ ... How are you today?

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

And asking about a specific person: مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ ... مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ ... Who is this writer?

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

Back to the pop quiz. Yasmin is pointing at the notebook in the author's hands. She asks Sam the next logical question.

ماذا يَكْتُب؟

ماذا يَكْتُب؟ — What is he writing? · MAA-dhaa YAK-tub

She used ماذا for 'what', because it's followed by a verb. And listen to that verb: يَكْتُب. He writes. It's those same three bones, ك ت ب, forming an action.

ماذا يَكْتُب؟ — What is he writing? · MAA-dhaa YAK-tub

Say it with me: ماذا يَكْتُب؟

ماذا يَكْتُب؟ — What is he writing? · MAA-dhaa YAK-tub

Feel how the back of your throat closes slightly on the first sound of the verb. ماذا يَكْتُب؟

ماذا يَكْتُب؟ — What is he writing? · MAA-dhaa YAK-tub

يَكْتُب كِتابًا.

He writes a book! He is seeing it now. The writer, the writing, the book. Yasmin steps back and throws her arms out, gesturing to the entire dusty, beautiful shop around them.

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ — Where is the library? · AY-nal-MAK-ta-ba

Where is the library? Or bookstore. أَيْنَ is where. And المَكْتَبة is the place where all the writing happens, or where the books live. Notice the same root!

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ — Where is the library? · AY-nal-MAK-ta-ba

Try asking it. Say: أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ — Where is the library? · AY-nal-MAK-ta-ba

Smooth it out. The two words link together cleanly. أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ — Where is the library? · AY-nal-MAK-ta-ba

المَكْتَبة... هُنا.

The library is here. Sam just navigated a whole string of questions, and every single answer was built from the same three bones. Ustadh Farid looks incredibly proud.

But then Yasmin sighs, picking up her phone again. Yes, Sam knows the words. But she reminds him gently that knowing what a bookstore is doesn't change the fact that the shop is empty. The books aren't moving.

Before we figure out what to do about the shop, let's review the questions we mastered today. Listen one last time.

Asking a woman how she is: كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ ... كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ ... How are you today?

كَيْفَ حالُكِ اليَوم؟ — How are you today? (to a woman) · KAY-fa ḤAA-lu-ki al-YAWM

Asking about the author: مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ ... مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ ... Who is this writer?

مَن هٰذا الكاتِب؟ — Who is this writer? · man HAA-dhal-KAA-tib

Asking about his action: ماذا يَكْتُب؟ ... ماذا يَكْتُب؟ ... What is he writing?

ماذا يَكْتُب؟ — What is he writing? · MAA-dhaa YAK-tub

And finally, the place: أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ ... أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ ... Where is the library?

أَيْنَ المَكْتَبة؟ — Where is the library? · AY-nal-MAK-ta-ba

You are seeing the roots everywhere now! Join us next time to see if Sam can use his new words out in the bustling souk. We upload new lessons every Tuesday and Friday. I'll see you in the Book Quarter!