Core
Use front, behind, above, below and beside.
A
Why this matters
Precise locator phrases turn a vague description into usable directions and a clear picture of a room, town or journey.
Develop
Describe maps using between, opposite, near and far.
Stretch
Distinguish technical locator nouns from true particle prepositions.
Communication target: Give a stranger enough information to locate a building without seeing your map.
B
Diagnostic start
Identify the relationship before concentrating on endings.
🔎 Entry Check
0/61. The school is in front of the mosque.
أَمَامَ creates a relation between two places.
2. Choose “under the bed”.
تَحْتَ means below or under.
3. Choose “between the bank and the shop”.
Both coordinated nouns belong to the locator phrase.
4. Which is best for “during the lesson”?
أَثْنَاءَ places an action within an event.
5. Many words such as أَمَامَ and خَلْفَ are technically…
Cambridge groups them functionally with prepositions, but the following noun is a genitive complement.
6. Choose “beside the window”.
بِجَانِبِ means beside or next to.
1
The spatial locator system
Most spatial locators come before a noun that completes their meaning.
| Locator | Meaning | Model |
|---|---|---|
| أَمَامَ | in front of | السَّيَّارَةُ أَمَامَ الْبَيْتِ. |
| وَرَاءَ | behind / beyond | الْحَدِيقَةُ وَرَاءَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. |
| خَلْفَ | behind | الْمَوْقِفُ خَلْفَ الْمَتْجَرِ. |
| فَوْقَ | above / over | الصُّورَةُ فَوْقَ السَّرِيرِ. |
| تَحْتَ | under / below | الْحَقِيبَةُ تَحْتَ الْكُرْسِيِّ. |
| بِجَانِبِ | beside / next to | الْمَكْتَبَةُ بِجَانِبِ الْمَسْجِدِ. |
| مُقَابِلَ | opposite / facing | الْمَطْعَمُ مُقَابِلَ الْفُنْدُقِ. |
| قُرْبَ / بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْ | near | أَسْكُنُ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. |
| بَعِيدًا عَنْ | far from | الْمَطَارُ بَعِيدٌ عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ. |
| حَوْلَ | around | تُوجَدُ أَشْجَارٌ حَوْلَ الْبَيْتِ. |
| دَاخِلَ | inside | الطُّلَّابُ دَاخِلَ الْفَصْلِ. |
| خَارِجَ | outside | الْحَافِلَةُ خَارِجَ الْمَحَطَّةِ. |
Technical accuracy without overload: Words such as أَمَامَ، خَلْفَ، فَوْقَ are often analysed as locative nouns/adverbs rather than particle prepositions. Functionally, learn the complete pattern: locator + genitive noun.
Spatial Locator Check
0/41. The picture is above the sofa.
فَوْقَ expresses the higher position.
2. The garden is behind the house.
خَلْفَ expresses behind.
3. The pharmacy is opposite the hospital.
مُقَابِلَ expresses facing/opposite.
4. Which phrase means “near the station”?
بالقرب من means near.
2
Between, with and two-part relations
Some locators require attention to more than one noun.
الْمَكْتَبَةُ بَيْنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ.
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The library is between the school and the mosque.
جَلَسْتُ بَيْنَ صَدِيقَيْنِ.
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I sat between two friends.
ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ أَخِي وَأُخْتِي.
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I went with my brother and sister.
الْمَتْجَرُ عِنْدَ نِهَايَةِ الشَّارِعِ.
→
The shop is at the end of the street.
Between two places: In بَيْنَ الْبَنْكِ وَالْمَتْجَرِ, both nouns belong to the coordinated relationship. Do not change the second noun back to nominative merely because of وَ.
Two-Part Relation Check
0/41. Choose the accurate phrase.
Both coordinated nouns are in the locator phrase.
2. Choose “with two friends”.
The dual complement uses ـَيْنِ.
3. عِنْدَ can mean…
عند is a flexible high-frequency locator.
4. Which is “at the door”?
عند locates something at/by a point.
3
Locators of time
The same architecture can locate an action in relation to another time or event.
| Time locator | Meaning | Model |
|---|---|---|
| قَبْلَ | before | أَسْتَيْقِظُ قَبْلَ السَّابِعَةِ. |
| بَعْدَ | after | أَدْرُسُ بَعْدَ الْغَدَاءِ. |
| أَثْنَاءَ | during | لَا أَسْتَعْمِلُ هَاتِفِي أَثْنَاءَ الدَّرْسِ. |
| خِلَالَ | during / throughout | تَعَلَّمْتُ كَثِيرًا خِلَالَ الْعُطْلَةِ. |
| مُنْذُ | since / for from a starting point | أَسْكُنُ هُنَا مُنْذُ سَنَتَيْنِ. |
| حَتَّى | until | أَدْرُسُ حَتَّى السَّاعَةِ الثَّامِنَةِ. |
Boundary for later lessons: قَبْلَ أَنْ, بَعْدَ أَنْ and مُنْذُ أَنْ link clauses and appear again in Lesson 5.
Time Locator Check
0/41. I revise after dinner.
After in time is بَعْدَ.
2. Do not talk during the exam.
أثناء locates an action within an event.
3. I have lived here for two years / since two years ago.
منذ marks the starting point or elapsed period.
4. Choose “before eight o’clock”.
قبل + genitive time phrase.
4
From map to connected description
A good description combines a reference point, a precise relation and a route.
يَقَعُ الْبَنْكُ مُقَابِلَ الْمَكْتَبَةِ، وَالْمَقْهَى بِجَانِبِهِ.
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The bank is opposite the library, and the café is beside it.
سِرْ إِلَى نِهَايَةِ الشَّارِعِ، ثُمَّ اِنْعَطِفْ يَمِينًا عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ.
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Walk to the end of the street, then turn right at the mosque.
Reading strategy: Draw a quick sketch while reading directions. Spatial words often carry more information than unfamiliar descriptive vocabulary.
E
Misconception and proofreading clinic
Correct the relationship, not only the ending.
| Incorrect | Correct | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| الْمَطْعَمُ أَمَامُ الْفُنْدُقُ. | الْمَطْعَمُ أَمَامَ الْفُنْدُقِ. | locator form + genitive complement |
| الْبَنْكُ بَيْنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَالْمَتْجَرُ. | الْبَنْكُ بَيْنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَالْمَتْجَرِ. | second coordinated noun remains in the relation |
| أَدْرُسُ خَلْفَ الْغَدَاءِ. | أَدْرُسُ بَعْدَ الْغَدَاءِ. | use a temporal, not spatial, locator |
| الْمَطَارُ بِالْقُرْبِ عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ. | الْمَطَارُ بِالْقُرْبِ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ. | fixed phrase بالقرب من |
G
Grammar game
Read each clue and select the locator that represents the relationship.
Map Master
Choose the locator that makes each spatial or temporal relationship precise.
Press Start.
S
Skills workshop التَّطْبِيقُ الْعَمَلِيُّ
Use a plan, map and timetable to communicate location and sequence.
فِي غُرْفَتِي سَرِيرٌ بِجَانِبِ النَّافِذَةِ، وَمَكْتَبٌ مُقَابِلَ الْبَابِ.
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Room description model.
الْمَدْرَسَةُ بَيْنَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَالْمَكْتَبَةِ، وَمَوْقِفُ الْحَافِلَاتِ أَمَامَهَا.
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Town map model with an attached pronoun.
Describe a room or local map
Write 70–90 Arabic words describing the position of at least six objects or landmarks and explaining one short route.
Success checklist: Use six spatial locators; include one بَيْنَ phrase with two nouns; include one time locator; use a connector to sequence the route.
Paper route: Draw the room or map first. Label it in Arabic, then write a connected description beneath it.
M
Final mastery check
Check spatial meaning, genitive forms and time relationships.
🏁 Final Mastery
0/101. Choose “in front of the station”.
أمام = in front of.
2. Choose “opposite the school”.
مقابل = opposite.
3. Choose “between the two shops”.
Dual genitive complement uses ـَيْنِ.
4. Choose “beside my house”.
Beside = بجانب + genitive/possessive noun.
5. Choose “during the holiday”.
خلال expresses during/throughout.
6. Choose “after the lesson”.
بعد is temporal.
7. Correct: near the park.
The fixed phrase is بالقرب من.
8. Both nouns after بَيْنَ…وَ should…
The whole phrase identifies the two endpoints.
9. Cambridge groups these functionally as…
Functional use is the examination priority.
10. Best description practice?
Communication tests whether the spatial relationship is clear.
What you can now do
- Build locator + genitive noun phrases.
- Describe objects and landmarks with precise spatial relationships.
- Use بَيْنَ with two coordinated genitive nouns.
- Place actions in time with قَبْلَ، بَعْدَ، أَثْنَاءَ and خِلَالَ.
Spaced revisit: Return in two or three days and complete the final check again without looking at the tables.