Interrogative pronouns (أسْماءُ الإسْتِفْهامِ ) are used to form questions. They do not vary according to gender, number, or case, with the exception of أَيُّ (which). The following is a list of common interrogative pronouns:
مَنْ who, for persons:
مَنْ أَنْت؟َ Who are you?
ماذا ما what, for things:
ماذا مَعَكَ؟ What do you have?
ما هَذا؟ What is this?
مَتى when, used with past and present tenses:
مَتى أَتَيْتَ؟ When did you come?
مَتى يَذْهَبُ؟ When does he go?
أَيْنَ where:
أَيْنَ الرَّجُلُ؟ Where is the man?
كَيْفَ how:
كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟ How are you? (literally, "How is your condition?")
كَمْ how many:
كَمْ كِتابًا قَرَأْتَ؟ How many books did you read?
The only interrogative pronoun that changes with gender and case is أَيُّ who, which:
أَيُّ رَجُلٍ جاءَ؟ Which man came?
See also: