التعبيرات الزمنية
Essential time words: اليوم (today), غداً (tomorrow), أمس (yesterday), الآن (now), days of the week
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
أنا مشغول اليوم.
I am busy today.
سأسافرُ غداً.
I will travel tomorrow.
ذهبتُ إلى السوق أمس.
I went to the market yesterday.
يوم الجمعة عطلة.
Friday is a holiday.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
التعبيرات الزمنية — Time Expressions
Key time words for daily conversation:
| Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| اليوم | today |
| غداً | tomorrow |
| أمس | yesterday |
| الآن | now |
| صباحاً | in the morning |
| مساءً | in the evening |
Days: الأحد (Sun), الاثنين (Mon), الثلاثاء (Tue), الأربعاء (Wed), الخميس (Thu), الجمعة (Fri), السبت (Sat). Note: the Arabic week starts on Sunday. غداً and أمس are adverbs in the accusative (tanween fatha).
أنا مشغول اليوم.
I am busy today.
اليوم (al-yawm) = today. It functions as a time adverb placed at the end of the sentence.
سأسافرُ غداً.
I will travel tomorrow.
غداً (ghadan) = tomorrow. The tanween fatha (اً) marks it as an adverb in the accusative case.
ذهبتُ إلى السوق أمس.
I went to the market yesterday.
أمس (ams) = yesterday. Unlike غداً, أمس is often used without tanween. السوق = the market.
يوم الجمعة عطلة.
Friday is a holiday.
الجمعة (al-jum'a) = Friday (from جَمَعَ 'to gather' — the day of congregational prayer). Arabic weekends are typically Friday-Saturday.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises