Grammar: Jaar–Majroor MCQs Quiz | Class 9
Test your knowledge of Arabic grammar with this quiz for Class: IX (2023-24), Subject: Arabic (Code 016), Unit: C. Grammar & Translation (20). This quiz focuses on Jaar–Majroor, covering topics like prepositions, governed nouns, and basic i’rab implications. Complete all questions, submit your answers to see your score, and then download the PDF answer sheet for your records.
Understanding Jaar–Majroor in Arabic Grammar
Jaar–Majroor is a fundamental concept in Arabic sentence structure. It refers to a combination of two grammatical components: a Harf al-Jar (حرف الجر), which is a preposition, and an Ism Majroor (اسم مجرور), which is the noun that follows the preposition. This combination forms a prepositional phrase, also known as a Shibh al-Jumlah (شبه الجملة).
Key Components
1. Harf al-Jar (The Preposition – الجار)
These are special particles or words that precede a noun and cause it to enter the “genitive” case. They connect parts of a sentence and provide context, such as location, time, or direction. Think of them like “in”, “on”, “from”, “to” in English.
2. Ism al-Majroor (The Governed Noun – المجرور)
This is the noun that is “governed” or affected by the Harf al-Jar that comes before it. Its defining characteristic is that it must be in the genitive grammatical case (حالة الجر).
3. I’rab (Grammatical Case) Implications
The most important rule of Jaar–Majroor is about the i’rab (case ending) of the noun. The Ism al-Majroor is always in the genitive case. For singular, definite nouns (nouns with ‘al-‘), the most common sign of the genitive case is a kasra ( ِ ) on the last letter. For example:
- The word for “the house” is al-baytu (nominative case, ending in dammah ‘u’).
- When preceded by the preposition fi (in), it becomes fi al-bayti (in the house). The ending changes from ‘u’ to ‘i’.
Common Prepositions (Huroof al-Jar)
Here is a table of some of the most frequently used prepositions in Arabic:
| Harf al-Jar (Transliteration) | Arabic | Meaning | Example (Transliterated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| min | مِنْ | from | min al-bayti (from the house) |
| ila | إِلَى | to | ila al-suqi (to the market) |
| ‘an | عَنْ | about, from | ‘an al-rajuli (about the man) |
| ‘ala | عَلَى | on, upon | ‘ala al-tawilati (on the table) |
| fi | فِي | in, at | fi al-masjidi (in the mosque) |
| bi | بِ | with, by, in | bi-l-qalami (with the pen) |
| li | لِ | for, to | li-l-waladi (for the boy) |
| ka | كَ | like, as | ka-l-asadi (like the lion) |
Quick Revision Points
- A preposition in Arabic is called a Harf al-Jar.
- The noun immediately following it is called an Ism Majroor.
- The Ism Majroor is always in the genitive case.
- The most common sign of the genitive case for singular nouns is a kasra (i-vowel sound) on the last letter.
- The combination of Harf al-Jar + Ism Majroor is called a Shibh al-Jumlah (a prepositional phrase).
Extra Practice Questions
- Identify the Harf al-Jar in the phrase “katabtu bi-l-qalami” (I wrote with the pen).
- What is the i’rab (case) of “al-sayyarati” in “nazaltu min al-sayyarati” (I got out of the car)?
- Correct the grammatical error in this sentence: “Dhahabtu ila al-maktabu”.
- What does the preposition ‘li’ generally mean in a phrase like “li-l-ustadhi” (for the teacher)?
- Form a correct Jaar-Majroor phrase using the preposition ‘ala’ and the noun ‘al-kursiyyu’ (the chair).
Answers: 1. The Harf al-Jar is ‘bi’. 2. The i’rab is Majroor (genitive). 3. The correct sentence is “Dhahabtu ila al-maktabi”. 4. ‘li’ means ‘for’ or ‘belonging to’. 5. The correct phrase is “‘ala al-kursiyyi”.
