Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'لماذا' (li-matha) at the start of a sentence to ask 'why' in Arabic.
- Place لماذا at the very beginning of your question: لماذا تدرس؟ (Why do you study?)
- It does not change based on gender or number: لماذا هي تدرس؟ (Why does she study?)
- You can follow it with a verb or a noun phrase: لماذا أنت هنا؟ (Why are you here?)
Overview
why is fundamental for expressing curiosity and seeking explanations. In Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the primary interrogative particle for why is لماذا (li-mādhā). This isn't a single root word but a composite structure, literally translating to for what. Its compound nature provides insight into its function: it directly inquires about the purpose or reason behind an action or state.لماذا is a cornerstone of formal Arabic discourse, consistently appearing in academic texts, news broadcasts, official communications, and literature. Mastery of لماذا at the A2 level equips you to move beyond simple factual questions, enabling you to explore causality and motivation with precision.How This Grammar Works
لماذا (li-mādhā) functions as an interrogative adverb, always probing for the reason or cause. Its construction reveals its meaning: it comprises two distinct components. The first is the preposition لِـ (li-), which means for, to, or because of. This prefix is commonly attached to nouns and pronouns to indicate purpose or possession.ماذا (mādhā), an interrogative pronoun meaning what, specifically used when referring to actions or objects associated with a verb. When لِـ and ماذا combine, they coalesce into لماذا, effectively transforming the question what into for what, or why. The fusion signifies an inquiry into the *motivation* or *purpose* rather than merely identifying an object. For instance, while ماذا تفعل؟ (mādhā tafʿal?) asks What are you doing?,
لماذا تفعل ذلك؟ (li-mādhā tafʿal dhālika?) asks Why are you doing that?– a crucial distinction that shifts focus from action to intention.
Formation Pattern
لماذا is consistently at the very beginning of the sentence, immediately followed by the verb or the nominal component it queries. This initial position is non-negotiable in formal Arabic interrogative structures. It establishes the sentence's interrogative nature and focus from the outset, directing the listener or reader to anticipate a causal explanation. The structure generally follows two main patterns, depending on whether the sentence is verbal (begins with a verb) or nominal (begins with a noun/pronoun).
لماذا (li-mādhā) | Interrogative adverb Why | لماذا | li-mādhā | Why |
ذهبتَ | dhahabta | did you go |
إلى الجامعة؟ | ilā al-jāmiʿah? | to the university? |
لماذا تَعلَّمتَ اللغة العربية؟ (li-mādhā taʿallamta al-lughah al-ʿarabīyah?) - Why did you learn the Arabic language?
لماذا تَقرأ هذا الكتاب؟ (li-mādhā taqraʾu hādhā al-kitāb?) - Why are you reading this book?
لماذا is followed by the subject (often a pronoun) and then the predicate (adjective or noun).
لماذا (li-mādhā) | Interrogative adverb Why | لماذا | li-mādhā | Why |
أنتَ | anta | are you |
حزينٌ؟ | ḥazīn? | sad? |
لماذا أنتَ غاضبٌ اليوم؟ (li-mādhā anta ghāḍibun al-yawm?) - Why are you angry today?
لماذا هي مُتعبَةٌ؟ (li-mādhā hiya mutʿabātun?) - Why is she tired?
لماذا does not trigger any specific mood changes (like jussive or subjunctive) on the subsequent verb at this A2 level of understanding. The verb conjugation remains standard based on its tense and subject.
When To Use It
لماذا is your go-to word for all formal and semi-formal contexts where clarity and precision are paramount. It is the accepted standard in written Arabic, whether for academic papers, official reports, journalistic articles, or professional emails. In spoken contexts, its usage signals a serious or important inquiry, suitable for discussions in a classroom, a professional meeting, or a public address.- Academic Settings: When discussing research, analyzing literary texts, or questioning concepts in a university lecture.
لماذا تَبدو هذه النظرية مُقنعةً؟(li-mādhā tabdū hādhihi an-naẓarīyah muqniʿah?) -Why does this theory seem convincing?
- Journalism and Media: Used extensively in news reports, interviews, and documentaries to probe motivations, policies, and events.
لماذا تأخر القرار الحكومي؟(li-mādhā taʾakhkhara al-qarār al-ḥukūmī?) -Why was the government decision delayed?
- Official Communication: In formal letters, emails, or administrative inquiries, where directness and a professional tone are required.
لماذا لم يتم الرد على طلبي؟(li-mādhā lam yatammu ar-radd ʿalā ṭalabī?) -Why has my request not been answered?
- Deep Personal Reflection: Even in personal journals or inner monologues,
لماذاallows for a structured exploration of one's own reasons or feelings.لماذا أشعر بهذا القلق؟(li-mādhā ashʿuru bi-hādhā al-qalaq?) -Why do I feel this anxiety?
لماذا is the appropriate choice. It carries a gravitas that its dialectal counterparts often lack, making it indispensable for any learner aspiring to engage with sophisticated Arabic content or communicate in formal registers.
When Not To Use It
لماذا outside of its appropriate register can lead to awkward or overly dramatic communication. While universally understood, its formality can create a sense of detachment or even unintended confrontation in casual settings. It is generally avoided in everyday, informal spoken Arabic. Native speakers naturally switch to dialectal equivalents for casual conversations, texting, and social media interactions.- Casual Conversations with Friends/Family: Asking your friend
لماذا أنتَ هنا؟(li-mādhā anta hunā?) -Why are you here?
might sound like an interrogation rather than a friendly inquiry. Instead, a Levantine speaker might useليش أنتَ هون؟(laysh anta hūn?), an Egyptian might useليه أنتَ هنا؟(leh anta hina?), or a Gulf speakerليش أنتَ هني؟(laysh anta hinī?). - Texting and Social Media: The brevity and informal nature of these platforms naturally lean towards dialectal forms. Using
لماذاin a casual text message would be akin to sending a formal legal document instead of a quick chat message. - Situations Requiring Lightness or Familiarity: When the context demands a softer, more familiar tone,
لماذاfeels out of place. It lacks the colloquial warmth often desired in informal interactions.
لماذا:ليش | laysh | Widely used in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine. |ليه | leh | Dominant in Egyptian Arabic. |علاش | ʿalāsh | Common in Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian dialects. |ليش | laysh | Also prevalent in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait. |لماذا ensures you're always understood, opting for a dialectal equivalent in casual settings demonstrates a higher level of linguistic integration and cultural awareness.
Common Mistakes
لماذا. Recognizing these common errors and understanding *why* they occur is key to developing accurate and natural Arabic expression.- 1Incorrect Placement: The most frequent error is placing
لماذاanywhere but the beginning of the sentence. Influenced by English sentence structures likeYou went home, why?
, learners might be tempted to sayأنتَ ذهبتَ إلى البيت لماذا؟(anta dhahabta ilā al-bayt li-mādhā?). This is grammatically incorrect and highly unnatural in MSA. Always remember:لماذاcommands the opening position of the interrogative sentence.
- Incorrect:
تَأَخَّرْتَ لماذا؟(taʾakhkharta li-mādhā?) - You were late, why? - Correct:
لماذا تَأَخَّرْتَ؟(li-mādhā taʾakhkharta?) - Why were you late?
- 1Incomplete Answers: A common mistake is providing a simple verb or noun as an answer to
لماذاwithout a causal connector.لماذا تدرس العربية؟(li-mādhā tadrusu al-ʿarabīyah?) -Why are you studying Arabic?
Answering merelyأَدْرُسُ(adrusu) -I studyis insufficient. Arabic requires a clear causal link. The expected response almost always begins withلِأنَّ(li-anna), meaningbecause,orبِغَرَضِ(bi-gharaḍi), meaningfor the purpose of.
لِأنَّني أحبها.(li-annanī uḥibbuhā.) -Because I love it.
- 1Confusing
لماذاwithماذا: While structurally similar, the presence ofلِـdramatically changes the question.ماذاaskswhat(for a thing or action), whileلماذاaskswhy(for a reason). Failing to include theلِـprefix when asking for a reason fundamentally alters the query.
ماذا كتبتَ؟(mādhā katabta?) - What did you write?لماذا كتبتَ؟(li-mādhā katabta?) - Why did you write?
- 1Misusing
بسبب(bi-sabab) as an Interrogative:بسببtranslates tobecause ofordue toand is always followed by a noun or nominal phrase. It explains a *reason* but is not used to *ask* for one. It functions as part of the answer, not the question. For example, you would sayتأخرتُ بسبب الزحام.(taʾakhkhartu bi-sabab az-ziḥām.) -I was late because of the traffic,
but neverبسبب الزحام؟as a question forWhy the traffic?.
- 1Lack of Tashkeel Awareness: Although not strictly a grammatical error, ignoring tashkeel (diacritical marks) can obscure the meaning, especially for
لِـ. The *kasra* (ـِ) beneath theلis crucial for distinguishing the prepositionfor(لِـ) from the conjunctiontoorin order to(لِـalso, but context dependent on what follows) or other uses of the letterل.
Real Conversations
While لماذا is formal, it frequently appears in contexts mimicking real-life discussions where formality is expected. These scenarios include academic debates, professional inquiries, or serious discussions among acquaintances.
Scenario 1: University Discussion (Formal)
A student asks a professor about a historical event:
Student
أستاذي، لماذا قررت الدولة نقل العاصمة في ذلك الوقت؟ (Ustādhī, li-mādhā qarrarat ad-dawlah naqla al-ʿāṣimah fī dhālika al-waqt?)*Translation:
My professor, why did the state decide to move the capital at that time?*
Professor
لِأنَّ الظروف السياسية والاقتصادية فرضت ذلك. (li-anna aẓ-ẓurūf as-siyāsīyah wa al-iqtiṣādīyah faraḍat dhālika.)*Translation:
Because the political and economic conditions necessitated that.
Scenario 2: Professional Email (Semi-Formal)
A manager writes to an employee:
Subject
استفسار حول المشروع (Istifsār ḥawla al-mashrūʿ) - Inquiry Regarding the Projectالسيد أحمد، (As-sayyid Aḥmad,)
نود أن نفهم لماذا لم يتم تسليم التقرير في الموعد المحدد. (Nawaddu an nafham li-mādhā lam yatammu taslīm at-taqrīr fī al-mawʿid al-muḥaddad.)
*Translation:
Mr. Ahmed, we would like to understand why the report was not submitted on the agreed deadline.*
Scenario 3: Social Media Comment (Formal Opinion Piece)
On an opinion piece discussing societal issues:
Commenter
لماذا يتجاهل البعض هذه القضية الهامة؟ (li-mādhā yatajāhalu al-baʿḍu hādhihi al-qaḍīyah al-hāmma?)*Translation:
Why do some people ignore this important issue?*
These examples illustrate that while لماذا signals formality, it is not reserved solely for archaic texts. It's a living part of modern formal Arabic, used whenever precision and a serious tone are required, reflecting the intellectual and professional discourse within the Arab world. The expected answer is almost always a causal clause beginning with لِأنَّ (because).
Progressive Practice
Mastering لماذا involves not only understanding its structure but also actively applying it in varied contexts. Begin with simple transformation exercises and gradually move to more complex sentence construction and responses.
Level 1: Basic Question Formation
Transform declarative sentences into why questions using لماذا. Focus on correct initial placement.
هو سعيدٌ. (huwa saʿīd.) - He is happy. → لماذا هو سعيدٌ؟ (li-mādhā huwa saʿīd?) - Why is he happy?
هي تدرس العربية. (hiya tadrusu al-ʿarabīyah.) - She studies Arabic. → لماذا هي تدرس العربية؟ (li-mādhā hiya tadrusu al-ʿarabīyah?) - Why does she study Arabic?
أكلتَ التفاح. (akalta at-tuffāḥ.) - You ate the apple. → لماذا أكلتَ التفاح؟ (li-mādhā akalta at-tuffāḥ?) - Why did you eat the apple?
Level 2: Responding with لِأنَّ (li-anna)
Practice answering لماذا questions with لِأنَّ followed by a complete clause. Remember لِأنَّ is one of the
sisters of إنَّ (inna), meaning it takes a noun or pronoun in the accusative case. When followed by a pronoun, it attaches directly (e.g., لِأنَّني, لِأنَّهُ).
- Question: لماذا تذهب إلى المكتبة؟ (li-mādhā tadhhabu ilā al-maktabah?) - Why do you go to the library?
- Answer: أذهب لِأنَّني أريد أن أقرأ كتاباً جديداً. (adhhabu li-annanī urīdu an aqraʾa kitāban jadīdan.) - I go because I want to read a new book.
- Question: لماذا هو حزينٌ؟ (li-mādhā huwa ḥazīn?) - Why is he sad?
- Answer: هو حزينٌ لِأنَّهُ فقد محفظته. (huwa ḥazīn li-annahu faqada miḥfaẓatahu.) - He is sad because he lost his wallet.
Level 3: Distinguishing لماذا from ماذا
Choose the correct interrogative (لماذا or ماذا) based on whether you are asking for a *reason* or *information about an action/object*.
_____ تَشربُ الماء؟ (Tashrabu al-māʾ?) - Are you drinking water? (Asking for reason or what you are drinking?)
- If reason: لماذا تَشربُ الماء؟ (li-mādhā tashrabu al-māʾ?) - Why are you drinking water?
- If action/object: ماذا تَشربُ؟ (mādhā tashrabu?) - What are you drinking?
_____ فعلتَ أمس؟ (Faʿalta ams?) - Did you do yesterday? (Asking for reason or what you did?)
- If reason: لماذا فعلتَ ذلك أمس؟ (li-mādhā faʿalta dhālika ams?) - Why did you do that yesterday?
- If action/object: ماذا فعلتَ أمس؟ (mādhā faʿalta ams?) - What did you do yesterday?
This structured practice will solidify your understanding and ensure accurate application of لماذا in various sentence constructions.
Quick FAQ
لماذا and لِمَ interchangeably?For A2 learners in most modern contexts, yes. لِمَ (li-ma) is a shorter, slightly more classical or poetic form of لماذا. While لماذا is dominant in contemporary MSA, you might encounter لِمَ in older texts, poetry, or very formal, succinct expressions. Both mean why and function identically in terms of placement and grammatical impact.
Why not in Arabic?The most common and idiomatic way to say why not is لِمَ لا؟ (li-ma lā?). Notice it uses the shorter form لِمَ. This phrase is extremely common and functions similarly to its English counterpart, often implying a suggestion or expressing mild surprise/encouragement. لماذا لا؟ (li-mādhā lā?) is also grammatically correct but less common and can sound slightly more formal/direct. لِمَ لا تَذهب؟ (li-ma lā tadhhab?) - "Why don't you go?"
لماذا affect the mood of the verb that follows it?No, for the A2 level, لماذا does not govern the mood of the subsequent verb. The verb maintains its standard indicative form (e.g., present tense verb will have a *ḍamma* on its final radical for singular forms) unless another grammatical particle (like a jussive or subjunctive particle) is also present. So, لماذا تذهبُ؟ (li-mādhā tadhhabu?) -
Why are you going?(with *ḍamma*).
لماذا be used in nominal sentences (sentences without a main verb)?Yes, absolutely. لماذا can directly precede a nominal sentence (which typically consists of a subject and a predicate, often a noun or adjective, with an implied is or are). For example, لماذا أنتَ مُتأخرٌ؟ (li-mādhā anta mutaʾakhkhir?) -
Why are you late?Here,
أنتَ (you) is the subject and مُتأخرٌ (late) is the predicate.
لماذا and لِمَ?While لماذا and لِمَ are the primary interrogative particles, you can also use phrases like ما سبب؟ (mā sabab?) -
What is the reason?or
ما الغرض من؟ (mā al-gharaḍ min?) - What is the purpose of?These are more descriptive ways to ask for a reason and are typically followed by a noun, functioning as nominal sentences. For instance,
ما سبب غيابك؟ (mā sababu ghiyābika?) - What is the reason for your absence?These are slightly more advanced constructions but useful to be aware of.
3. Structure of 'Why' Questions
| Particle | Subject | Verb/Predicate | Question Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
|
لماذا
|
أنت
|
تدرس
|
?
|
|
لماذا
|
هي
|
غائبة
|
?
|
|
لماذا
|
نحن
|
ننتظر
|
?
|
|
لماذا
|
هم
|
سافروا
|
?
|
|
لماذا
|
لا
|
تأكل
|
?
|
|
لماذا
|
لم
|
تتصل
|
?
|
Dialectal Alternatives
| MSA | Egyptian | Levantine | Gulf |
|---|---|---|---|
|
لماذا
|
ليه
|
ليش
|
ليش
|
Meanings
An interrogative particle used to inquire about the cause, reason, or purpose of an action or state.
Inquiry of Cause
Asking for the reason behind an event.
“لماذا تبكي؟”
“لماذا ذهبت إلى هناك؟”
Reference Table
| 疑问短语 | 常用回答 | 例子 | 语境 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
لِماذا (为什么)
|
لِأنَّ (因为 + 句子)
|
لِماذا تَدرُس؟ (你为什么学习？)
|
通用标准语
|
|
لِماذا (为什么)
|
لِـ (为了 + 动词)
|
لِماذا ذَهَبْتَ؟ (你为什么去？)
|
询问动机
|
|
لِمَ (为什么)
|
لِأنَّ (因为)
|
لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هذا؟ (你为何这么做？)
|
文学/正式
|
|
لِمَ لا (为什么不)
|
无
|
هَيّا نَذهَب! لِمَ لا؟ (走吧！为什么不呢？)
|
表示赞同
|
|
ليش / ليه (为什么)
|
عشان (因为)
|
ليش تأخرت؟ (你咋迟到了？)
|
口语方言
|
|
لِماذا (为什么)
|
بِسَبَب (由于 + 名词)
|
لِماذا المَطار مُغلَق؟ (机场为什么关闭？)
|
事实/新闻
|
正式程度
لماذا تأخرت عن الموعد؟ (Being late for an appointment)
لماذا تأخرت؟ (Being late for an appointment)
ليه اتأخرت؟ (Being late for an appointment)
ليه اتأخرت يا مان؟ (Being late for an appointment)
لِماذا 的构造拆解
前缀
- لِـ (li) 为了 / 给
基础词
- ماذا (maatha) 什么
لِماذا vs ماذا
如何回答 لِماذا
你是用一个完整的句子回答吗？
你是用一个动作/动词回答吗？
与 لِماذا 相关的词汇
回答词
- • لِأنَّ (因为)
- • بِسَبَب (由于)
- • لِـ (为了)
变体
- • لِمَ (为什么 - 简写)
- • لِمَ لا (为什么不)
- • ليش (为什么 - 方言)
按水平分级的例句
لماذا أنت هنا؟
Why are you here?
لماذا هو حزين؟
Why is he sad?
لماذا هذا؟
Why this?
لماذا لا؟
Why not?
لماذا تدرس العربية؟
Why do you study Arabic?
لماذا تأخرت عن العمل؟
Why were you late for work?
لماذا لا تذهب معنا؟
Why don't you go with us?
لماذا اشتريت هذا؟
Why did you buy this?
لماذا تعتقد أن هذا القرار صحيح؟
Why do you think this decision is correct?
لماذا لم يخبرني أحد بالحقيقة؟
Why did no one tell me the truth?
لماذا يفضل الناس العيش في المدينة؟
Why do people prefer living in the city?
لماذا تصر على رأيك؟
Why do you insist on your opinion?
لماذا يجب علينا تغيير سياستنا الحالية؟
Why must we change our current policy?
لماذا تزايدت معدلات التضخم في الآونة الأخيرة؟
Why have inflation rates increased recently?
لماذا يرفض البعض قبول التكنولوجيا الحديثة؟
Why do some refuse to accept modern technology?
لماذا تعتبر هذه الرواية علامة فارقة في الأدب؟
Why is this novel considered a milestone in literature?
لماذا يظل التساؤل حول الهوية قائماً في عصر العولمة؟
Why does the question of identity remain in the era of globalization?
لماذا نجد أنفسنا دائماً في مواجهة مع الماضي؟
Why do we always find ourselves in confrontation with the past?
لماذا لم يتم اتخاذ إجراءات حاسمة حتى الآن؟
Why haven't decisive measures been taken yet?
لماذا يصر الكاتب على استخدام هذا الأسلوب المعقد؟
Why does the author insist on using this complex style?
لماذا يغدو الفرد غريباً في مجتمعه رغم كل وسائل التواصل؟
Why does the individual become a stranger in their society despite all means of communication?
لماذا تتسم هذه الحقبة التاريخية بهذا القدر من الغموض؟
Why is this historical era characterized by such ambiguity?
لماذا لا تزال الفجوة بين النظرية والتطبيق قائمة؟
Why does the gap between theory and practice still persist?
لماذا يختار البعض العزلة في عالم يضج بالضجيج؟
Why do some choose isolation in a world full of noise?
容易混淆
Both start with 'ma', leading to confusion.
Both are interrogatives.
Both are question starters.
常见错误
أنت تدرس لماذا؟
لماذا تدرس؟
لماذا أنت تدرسين؟ (for male)
لماذا تدرس؟
ماذا أنت تدرس؟
لماذا تدرس؟
لماذا لا تدرس؟ (missing negation)
لماذا لا تدرس؟
لماذا هو ذهب؟
لماذا ذهب؟
لماذا تذهبين؟ (to a male)
لماذا تذهب؟
لماذا سوف تذهب؟
لماذا ستذهب؟
لماذا أنت تكون هنا؟
لماذا أنت هنا؟
لماذا لست تذهب؟
لماذا لا تذهب؟
لماذا هو يكون حزين؟
لماذا هو حزين؟
لماذا لم تكن ذهبت؟
لماذا لم تذهب؟
لماذا تذهب؟ (in a context requiring past)
لماذا ذهبت؟
لماذا لستُ أذهب؟
لماذا لا أذهب؟
句型
لماذا ___ تدرس؟
لماذا لا ___؟
لماذا ___ هذا الكتاب؟
لماذا ___ أن هذا الحل هو الأفضل؟
Real World Usage
لماذا لم ترد؟
لماذا تريد العمل معنا؟
لماذا هذا القطار متأخر؟
لماذا طلبي لم يصل؟
لماذا الجميع يتحدث عن هذا؟
لماذا تعتبر هذه النظرية صحيحة؟
位置决定一切
新闻 vs 街头
别把“因为”和“为什么”搞混
“为什么不”小妙招
Smart Tips
Always start with 'لماذا'.
Add 'لا' or 'لم' right after 'لماذا'.
Use 'ليه' or 'ليش' instead of 'لماذا'.
Stick to 'لماذا'.
发音
Emphasis
The 'li' is short, 'ma' is long, 'tha' is short.
Rising intonation
لماذا تدرس؟ ↗
Standard question intonation.
记住它
记忆技巧
Think of 'li-matha' as 'For-What'. If you need the reason, reach for the 'For-What'!
视觉联想
Imagine a detective holding a magnifying glass, pointing it at a mystery. The detective is shouting 'Li-matha!' to find the reason.
Rhyme
For the reason, don't be shy, start with Li-matha to ask why.
Story
Ahmed was confused why the store was closed. He walked up to the door and asked, 'Li-matha?' The shopkeeper smiled and explained it was a holiday. Ahmed now uses 'Li-matha' every time he needs a reason.
Word Web
挑战
Write down 5 questions you have about your day using 'لماذا' and try to answer them in Arabic.
文化笔记
Egyptians almost exclusively use 'ليه' (leh) in daily speech. 'لماذا' is reserved for news or formal writing.
In Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, 'ليش' (leesh) is the standard. It sounds very natural and friendly.
Similar to Levantine, 'ليش' is common, but 'لماذا' is used in formal media and government announcements.
Derived from the preposition 'li' (for) and the interrogative 'matha' (what).
对话开场白
لماذا تدرس اللغة العربية؟
لماذا اخترت هذا التخصص؟
لماذا تعتقد أن السفر مهم؟
لماذا يواجه العالم هذه التحديات؟
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
Score: /3
练习题
8 exercises___ تدرس العربية؟
Find and fix the mistake:
أنت تدرس لماذا؟
Choose the correct question.
تذهب / لماذا / أنت / ؟
Why are you late?
A: أنا لا أحب القهوة. B: ___؟
Use 'لماذا' and 'تذهب'.
لماذا تدرس؟
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesلِمَ ___؟ (为什么不？)
لِماذا تَأكُل؟ - ___ أَشْعُرُ بِالجوع. (你为什么吃东西？- 因为我饿了。)
تُحِبُّ القِراءَة لِماذا؟ (你为什么喜欢阅读？)
لِأنَّ لَم تَتَّصِل بي؟ (你为什么没给我打电话？)
أنتَ / لِماذا / تَدرُس / ？
مَفْتوح / الباب / لِماذا / ？
你为什么睡觉？
我们为什么在这里？
选择带有“为什么”缩写形式的句子。
“لِماذا”字面上可以拆解为什么？
连连看：
将疑问词与其典型的回答开头匹配：
Score: /12
常见问题 (8)
No, it is an invariant particle.
Yes, but 'ليه' or 'ليش' are more common.
No, 'لماذا' is 'why' and 'ماذا' is 'what'.
Always at the start of the sentence.
Yes, add 'لا' or 'لم' after it.
It is standard and appropriate for all registers.
That is a dialectal variant common in the Levant and Gulf.
Yes, it is perfectly professional.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Por qué
Spanish separates the words, Arabic combines them.
Pourquoi
French is a single word, Arabic is a single word.
Warum
German is not a compound word.
Naze
Japanese doesn't use the 'for what' logic.
为什么 (Weishenme)
Chinese word order is flexible, Arabic is not.
Why
English is a single word, Arabic is a compound.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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