Al-Kitaab® Online Language Lab

Grammar Worksheet Series

Worksheet 7.1 :: Using Laam to Indicate Possession

Grammar Explanation:

In English we demonstrate possession with the verb “have/has”. If someone possesses a car we
say, “He has a car.” In Arabic we don’t have a verb like “have/has”. Rather we use a prepositional
phrase. For example, in Arabic, we would say “To him is a car,” rather than “He has a car.” Notice
how the laam, meaning to/for, is used in the table below to demonstrate possession in Arabic.

English Arabic Sentence Type

He has a car.
.ٌ‫لَـهََسيَّارة‬ Statement
Literally: To him is a car.

Does he have a car?

‫ه ْلَلَهََسيَّارةٌ؟‬ Question
Literally: Is to him is a car.

He does not have a car.

.ٌ‫ل ْـيسَلَـهََسيَّارة‬ Negation
Literally: There is not to him a car?

Dialog

Directions: Read the following dialog and play close attention to the possessive use of the laam.

Khalid: Welcome. .ً‫َم ْرحبا‬:‫خال َد‬

Yusuf: Welcome. (double welcome) .‫َم ْرحْبـت ْْي‬:‫يوسف‬
Khalid: Do you have a car? ‫َه ْلَلكََسيَّارةٌ؟‬:‫خال َد‬
.‫بَفقي ٌـر‬ ِ
ٌ ‫َأانَطال‬،‫َال‬:‫يوسف‬
Ahmad: No, I am a poor student.

Khalid: Me too, I don’t have a car. َ .ٌ‫َليسَلـيَسيَّارة‬،‫َوأانَكذلك‬:‫خالد‬

Yusuf: But, my father has a car… َ ... ٌ‫َلِوالِديَسيَّارَة‬،‫َلكن‬:‫يوسف‬
Khalid: Excellent! َ !‫َم ْـمتاز‬:‫خال َد‬

7.2 Possession with Laam :: Page 1

Drill 1

Directions: Notice in the table below how each subject pronoun matches with a corresponding
possessive pronoun. In the drill below that follows, connect the laam with the appropriate
possessive pronoun. Write out the complete sentence in the spaces provided. The abbreviation
“per.” is short for “person”, “sing.” is short for “singular”, “masc.” is short “masculine”, and “fem.” is
short for “feminine”. (Important: the laam that shows possession is voweled with a kasra for the
1st person sing. but is voweled with a fatha for all of the other pronouns.) Look in the glossary on
page 4 if any words are unfamiliar to you. Also check your answers on page 5 when you are
finished.

Possessive
َ laam َ Subject Pronoun Description
َ Pronoun
‫ـي‬ َ ‫لِـ‬ ‫أان‬ 1st per. sing.

‫ـنا‬ َ ‫لـ‬ ‫حنن‬ 1st per. pl.

َ‫ـك‬ َ ‫لـ‬ َ ْ‫أن‬

‫ت‬ 2nd per. masc. sing.

َ‫ـك‬ َ ‫لـ‬ َِ ْ‫أن‬

‫ت‬ 2nd per. fem. sing.

َ‫ـ ُكم‬ َ ‫لـ‬ ‫أنْـتم‬ 2nd per. masc. pl.

ُ‫َـه‬ َ ‫لـ‬ َ ‫هو‬ 3rd per. masc. sing.

‫ـها‬ َ ‫لـ‬ َ ‫هي‬ 3rd per. fem. sing.

َ‫ُـهم‬ َ ‫لـ‬ َ َ‫ه ْم‬ 3rd per. masc. pl.

َ َََََََََ.ٌ‫يوتَكثرية‬
ٌ ‫لك ْمَب‬ .‫وتَكبرية‬
ٌ ‫لـَ(أنْـتم)َبـي‬ .1
_َ ___________________________ .‫لـَ(هو)َسيَّارةَجديدة‬ .2
_َ ___________________________ .‫لـَ(هي)َسيَّارةَسريعة‬ .3
_َ ___________________________ ‫ه ْلَلـَ(هم)َفـ ْرصةَلِلعمل؟‬ .4
_َ ___________________________ .‫ليسَلـَ(أان)َالواجبَاليوم‬ .5
_َ ___________________________ .‫ص ِدقاءَكثريون‬ ْ ‫لـَ(حنن)َأ‬ .6
_َ ___________________________ ‫ ه ْلَلـَ(أنت)َوقْت؟‬.7

7.2 Possession with Laam :: Page 2

 _َ ___________________________ ‫نت)َالو ِاجب؟‬
ِ ‫ هلَلـَ(أ‬.8
ْ

Drill 2

Directions: In the drill below you will use each sentence in the right hand column to create a
question and then produce the negative form of that sentence. (Note: The negative word ‫ ليس‬does
not have to be made feminine when added to a possessive sentence.) Look in the glossary on page
4 if any words are unfamiliar to you. Also check your answers on page 5 when you are finished.

Negative Form Question Sentence

.ٌ‫غري‬
َ ‫لْيسَلـهاَول ٌدَص‬ ‫هلَلـهاَول ٌدَصغريٌ؟‬ .ٌ‫لـهاَول ٌدَصغري‬ .1
________________________ ________________________ .ٌ‫تَكبري‬ٌ ‫لناَبـْي‬ .2
.ٌ‫تَصغرية‬ ِ
________________________ ________________________ ٌ ‫لـيَأ ْخ‬ .3
________________________ ________________________ .ٌ‫لكَس ْـمعةٌَجيِدة‬ .4
________________________ ________________________ .ٌ‫لك ْمَعائِلةٌَكبرية‬ .5
َ .ٌ‫باتَكثرية‬ ِ
________________________ ________________________ ٌ ‫لهَواج‬ .6

Drill 3

Directions: Translate the following sentences from English into Arabic. Look in the glossary on
page 4 if any words are unfamiliar to you. Also check your answers on page 5 when you are
finished.

1. I have many friends.

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Sarah, do you have a new car!?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. They do not have a lot of homework.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. We do not have friends.

7.2 Possession with Laam :: Page 3

________________________________________________________________________________

Glossary

English Arabic
car َ ‫سيَّارة‬
poor ‫فقري‬
fast ‫سري َع‬
opportunity ‫فـ ْرصة‬
work ‫العمل‬
reputation ‫س ْـمعة‬
homework ‫َو ِاجبات‬.‫و ِاجبَج‬
time َ ‫وقْت‬
good َ ‫جيِد‬

7.2 Possession with Laam :: Page 4