How to use prepositions in Arabic?

Just as in English, prepositions in Arabic can indicate location or direction, or apply to concepts of space and time. They may also be used in abstract or figurative ways, and are often combined with verbs to convey specific meanings.

This is a crucial topic in Arabic, since the preposition paired with a verb can significantly change its meaning.

A general rule of thumb is that the object of a preposition, whether a noun, noun phrase, or adjective, appears in the genitive case. If the object is a personal pronoun, it attaches as a suffix to the preposition.

The main prepositions, usually called the “true prepositions” in Arabic, are ten in number: بِـ (bi-), لِـ (li-), كَـ (ka-), في (fi), من (min), عن (‘an), على (‘ala), حتى (hatta), and منذ (mundhu). Their Arabic forms consist of one, two, or three letters.

Let’s go through each group with examples, starting with بِـ (bi-)