prepositions
Prepositions are non-nouns that are always the head of a genitive structure.
Prepositions are known in Arabic as حروف جرّ (i.e. genitive particles). As their
name in Arabic suggests, they instantiate the genitive case. Because of this, pronouns that follow
prepositions are in their clitic form. Many prepositions have distinct host forms to hold clitics:
Prepositions are a semi-closed category; different regions may have alternatives for these terms. Prepositions
include the following terms & their variants:
Prepositions & Verbs
Generally speaking, Arabic is very literal in its use of prepositions. Sometimes, though, certain prepositions
are used — namely with verbs — in a way that doesn't translate very well into English. These usages may be
divided into three categories:
- Verbal Prepositions are prepositions used as verbs.
- Prepositional Verbs are combinations of verbs & prepositions that have idiomatic meanings.
- Prepositional Patient Markers are prepositions used to indicate the semantic patient of a verb.
Verbal Prepositions
See the copula & pseudo-verbs.
Some prepositions are used as verbs with idiomatic meanings; they are a subset of prepositional
verbs formed specifically by attaching prepositions to the null copula.
I have a friend in London
Prepositional Verbs
Some verbs convey distinct idiomatic meanings when paired with certain prepositions. Since these multi-term verbs
cannot be broken down into individual parts, a preposition in this case cannot be analyzed as a unit with its
own independent meaning.
ردّ على
to obey, to do as (someone) says
he replied to the message
Patient Markers
A handful of prepositions are used to indicate the semantic direct or indirect patient of an action. Each one
conveys a different relationship of the action & its patient; i.e. whether someone benefitted from it, suffered
from it, etc. Sometimes these prepositions build new idiomatic meanings.
على
Indicates the sufferer of an action over which the sufferer has no control or influence.
It is sometimes an exact
antonym of لـ (la-), which indicates the beneficiary of an action, although both may translate as
"for" in English.
clear a way for the ambulance
don't cut off the ambulance
لـ
Indicates the recipient or beneficiary of an action. This is usually understood as an indirect object marker, but
it should be noted that it may be used with practically any verb.
مع
indicates the recipient of an action; it refers to the person or thing that is affected by the occurrence of an
action that is deemed to have happened automatically or uncontrollably (usually an intransitive verb).
هاذا اللي طلع معك؟
In contrast, the referent of مع (maʕ “with”) carries out the action alongside the subject.
بـ
In addition to being an instrumental preposition, بـ (b-) indicates the semantic direct object of an
intransitive verb. While its use as an instrumental preposition indicates what is used to carry out the action,
this sense indicates the target or location of the action.
It focuses on the doer of the action over the object, giving the sense that the action is not instantaneous, but
rather is a continuous process for which the semantic object was used.
فكّر
(intransitive) to think
فكّر
(ditransitive) to consider (someone a certain way)
مسك
(intransitive) to hold on
1. (instrumental preposition; marks the thing used to carry out an action) by, using, by means of.
أنا بروح عالشغل كل يوم بالبسكليت
مش ضروريّ تسكّر الباب بالقفل
1. (mark ) with
صارلك ساعة وإنتا بتلعب بشواربك
