متى

When

Level 1

متى (matā) is the primary word for 'When?' in Arabic. It is used at the beginning of a sentence to ask about the time of an action in the past, present, or future.

How It Works

In Modern Standard Arabic, متى is an interrogative noun (اسم استفهام). Here are the key rules to become confident with its usage:

  • Sentence Position: Following the rule of question words coming first, متى appears at the start of the question.
  • Interrogative vs. Conditional: At this level, use متى for questions. For a simple 'when' in a statement (e.g., 'I saw him when he arrived'), use عندما. متى only links statements when it means 'whenever' (conditional).
  • Compound Questions: It can follow prepositions to ask specific time questions, such as منذ متى؟ (Since when?) or إلى متى؟ (Until when?).
  • Pronunciation: It ends in an alif maqṣūrah (ى), sounding like a long 'ā'. If the next word starts with the definite article, this final vowel is elided (dropped) in speech due to the meeting of two silent letters, though the spelling does not change.

Examples (4)

  1. متى ستبدأ المباراة؟

    When will the match start?

    Word by Word: When will-start the-match?

    A standard future question using the future prefix سـ.

  2. متى عدتَ من السفر؟

    When did you return from the trip?

    Word by Word: When you-returned from the-travel?

    Using متى with the past tense to ask about a completed event.

  3. منذ متى وأنت تسكن هنا؟

    Since when have you been living here?

    Word by Word: Since when and-you you-live here?

    Combining متى with the preposition منذ (since) to ask about duration.

  4. إلى متى ستنتظر؟

    Until when will you wait?

    Word by Word: To when you-will-wait?

    Using the preposition إلى to ask 'how long' or 'until when'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using متى as a plain 'when' in a statement.

    سأخرج متى تنتهي من العمل.
    سأخرج عندما تنتهي من العمل.

    متى in a statement means 'whenever' and is a conditional word, so the traditional form puts the verb in the jussive: متى تنتهِ من العمل أخرجْ. For a simple 'when', عندما with the verb is the usual choice.

  • Placing 'matā' at the end of the sentence.

    ستصل الطائرة متى؟
    متى ستصل الطائرة؟

    In Modern Standard Arabic, question words follow the rule of question words coming first and must be placed at the beginning of the sentence.

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متىLevel 1When

Learn This First

To use 'متى' (when) effectively, a learner needs to understand basic sentence structure (nominal and verbal) to form a complete thought. Additionally, familiarity with other basic question words helps contextualize 'متى' as part of the interrogative system in Arabic.

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متى