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Here is the breakdown of these three expressions. Level 1 "What is this?" ما هذه؟ Mā hādhihi? Word by word: ما (mā) → what هذه (hādhihi) → this (feminine) ما is the simplest question word in Arabic. It asks about identity or nature. When you point to something and want to know what it is, this is your starting point. هذه is used for feminine nouns, and هذا for masculine. The language distinguishes gender even in pointing. Level 2 "This is an apple." هذه تفاحة Hādhihi tuffāḥah Word by word: هذه (hādhihi) → this (feminine) تفاحة (tuffāḥah) → apple In Arabic, you do not need a verb between the subject and the noun. You simply say: this apple. The verb "is" is understood. This is called a nominal sentence, or جملة اسمية. No extra words needed. The meaning is already complete. Level 3 "This is a grape." هذا عنب Hādhā 'inab Word by word: هذا (hādhā) → this (masculine) عنب ('inab) → grape / grapes عنب is used in singular form but can mean both one grape or grapes as a collective. Many fruit names in Arabic work this way. They are collective nouns by default. This is different from English, where we say "a grape" or "grapes." In Arabic, the same word covers both. Watch this video to learn how to get fluent in Arabic: https://youtu.be/djyY0QYIoNU
