Nouns: definiteness (a/the) and noun phrases

Learn noun phrases you can actually reuse (not isolated dictionary forms).

Noun phrases

Learn noun phrases as chunks you can reuse in conversation.

Definite article: الـ (al-). Indefinite is often just the noun (sometimes tanwīn in formal writing).
Idāfa (X of Y) is very common: بيت الطالب (the student's house).
Articles are high frequency — learn nouns together with their article (or marker).
Treat common phrases as single chunks.

الكتاب

al-kitab

the book

كتاب

kitab

a book / book

بيت الطالب

bayt at-talib

the student's house

أنا هنا.

ana huna

I am here.

أريد ماء.

urid ma'

I want water.

لا أفهم.

la afham

I don't understand.

هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟

hal tatakallam al-ingliziyya

Do you speak English?

أين الحمام؟

ayna al-hammam

Where is the bathroom?

هذا صديقي.

hatha sadiqi

This is my friend.

Mini-quiz

1/8 • Score: 0

Which sentence matches “the book”?