Pronouns, Question Words & "I Have"

Quick answer Egyptian Arabic has eight personal pronouns: ana (I), enta / enti (you m/f), huwwa (he), hiyya (she), ehna (we), entu (you pl.), humma (they). "I have" is ʿandi (عندي), literally "at me". The seven question words are eh (what), fein (where), imta (when), leh (why), min (who), izzay (how) and kam / bikam (how many / how much), and they usually come at the end of the sentence.

What are the personal pronouns in Egyptian Arabic?

Eight pronouns cover everything. Egyptian Arabic distinguishes "you" for a man and for a woman, but has no dual and no feminine plural: entu and humma are used for every group. Standard Arabic has thirteen pronouns; you will not need the extra five in Cairo.

How do you say "I have" in Egyptian Arabic?

Arabic has no verb "to have". Instead you say "at me": ʿandi, literally "at my place", does the job of "I have". ʿandi ʿarabiyya, I have a car; ʿandak waʾt?, do you have time? The same endings turn any noun into "my, your, his": kitabi (my book), kitabak (your book, to a man), kitabik (to a woman), kitabu (his), kitabha (her), kitabna (our), kitabku (your, plural), kitabhum (their). Feminine nouns ending in -a insert a -t- first: ʿarabiyyiti, my car. The negative wraps ʿand in ma… sh: maʿandish filus, I have no money.

For "there is" you need fi and its negative mafish: fi mayya? is there water? mafish mushkila, no problem. These two words carry an astonishing share of daily Egyptian conversation.

What are the question words in Egyptian Arabic?

Seven question words, and unlike English they usually go at the end of the sentence: ismak eh? is literally "your name what?". Egyptian question words differ sharply from Standard Arabic (ma, ayna, mata, limadha), so if you learned MSA, this table is the one to relearn.

Yes/no questions need no question word at all: raise your voice at the end. enta masri? are you Egyptian? fi wifi? is there wifi? The worksheet turns all of this into a partner interview (exercise 5) where students ask each other name, origin, siblings and possessions, which is why teachers use it as a first-week speaking activity. If you need the greetings that come before these questions, start with worksheet 2; to put verbs after your pronouns, continue with worksheet 5.

What's inside the PDF

• The eight personal pronouns (ana, enta, enti, huwwa, hiyya, ehna, entu, humma) with Arabic script and an example sentence each
• Possessive endings on a masculine and a feminine noun (kitabi, kitabak, kitabik … / ʿarabiyyiti, ʿarabiyyitak …), with the -a to -it rule
• "I have" with ʿandi and its negation maʿandish, plus fi / mafish for "there is" and "there isn't"
• The seven question words (eh, fein, imta, leh, min, izzay, kam/bikam) with natural example questions and a note on word order
• Four exercises with points: pick the pronoun, attach the ending, build the question, negate the sentence
• A partner interview with eight questions and answer lines for both partners, a writing task in the third person, and a speaking check
• Answer key and teacher notes on a separate page you can remove before handing out

How to use it on your own

Read sections A to D out loud, one table at a time, and tick a row only when you can produce it from the English alone. Do the four exercises without looking back, then check the key. For the interview, answer every question about yourself out loud, then answer it again about a friend or family member so you get to use huwwa, hiyya and the -u / -ha endings. Finish with Ex. 5 and say your four sentences three times without reading.

How to use it in class

Fits a 45-minute lesson: sections A to C with Ex. 1 and 2 (20 min), the question words with Ex. 3 and 4 (10 min), the partner interview with Ex. 5 (15 min). The interview is the centrepiece: pairs ask and note answers, then report to the class in the third person, which forces huwwa / hiyya and the possessive endings. Ex. 4 is the key exercise, because the ma…sh negation (maʿandish, mafish) is the pattern students use most and get wrong longest. Points fields on every exercise, answer key on the last page.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the question words in Arabic (Egyptian)?

eh (what), fein (where), minein (from where), imta (when), leh (why), min (who), izzay (how), kam (how many) and bikam (how much). They usually come at the end of the sentence: ismak eh? literally "your name what?". Standard Arabic uses different words (ma, ayna, mata, limadha), so MSA learners have to relearn this set.

How do you say "I have" in Egyptian Arabic?

ʿandi (عندي), literally "at me". ʿandi ʿarabiyya is I have a car, ʿandak waʾt? is do you have time (to a man), ʿandik to a woman. The negative is maʿandish: maʿandish filus, I have no money. There is no verb "to have" in Arabic.

Does Egyptian Arabic have different pronouns for men and women?

Only for "you": enta to a man, enti to a woman. The difference carries into the endings: ismak / ismik (your name), ʿandak / ʿandik (you have), izzayyak / izzayyik (how are you). He is huwwa, she is hiyya, and the plural forms entu and humma are the same for everyone.

What is the difference between fi and ʿandi?

fi means "there is" and is impersonal: fi mayya? is there water? mafish mushkila, there is no problem. ʿandi means "I have" and takes a person ending: ʿandi mayya, I have water. Beginners mix them up; exercise 3 on the sheet drills the choice.

Is this worksheet free?

Yes. Download the PDF, print it and copy it as often as you like for personal use and in class. Please keep the Yallah Speak credit in the footer.