هل هذه هي الحافلة الصحيحة؟

Register

This is a Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) phrase. It is universally understood by drivers and station staff, though in casual street speech, locals often use the loanword "باص" (bas) instead of "حافلة" (hafila).

Feminine Agreement

The noun "حافلة" (bus) is feminine, indicated by the final taa marbuta (ة). Therefore, all associated words must match its gender. You must use the feminine "هذه هي" (hadhihi hiya) rather than the masculine "هذا هو" (hadha huwa).

Word by word

The question uses a standard nominal sentence structure with an interrogative particle. The separating pronoun "هي" is inserted to clearly link the subject and predicate.

• هل (hal): question marker for yes/no
• هذه (hadhihi): this (feminine demonstrative)
• هي (hiya): she/it (separating pronoun used for clarity)
• الحافلة (al-hafila): the bus (feminine noun)
• الصحيحة (as-sahiha): the correct (feminine adjective)

Emphatic and throat sounds

The letter "ح" (ḥ) in "hafila" and "sahiha" is a crisp, breathy sound produced deep in the throat. The "ص" (ṣ) in "sahiha" is an emphatic consonant, requiring the back of the tongue to be raised to give it a deeper, heavier sound than a regular English "s".

Notes

Use this Modern Standard Arabic question at a station to confirm you are boarding the correct vehicle before departure.