What Are You Going to Do?” in Arabic

How to Say “What Are You Going to Do?” in Arabic | Easy Arabic for Beginners

When you are learning everyday Arabic, it is useful to know how to talk about your plans. In this lesson, you will learn how to say “What are you going to do?” and “I am going to…” in Arabic. We will start with an essential phrase, build simple sentences, practice a useful word list, and finish with a short conversation between Salman and Hassan.

1. Essential Phrase

مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ؟

Mādhā satafʿalu?

What are you going to do? / What will you do? (to a male)

For a female, say:

مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلِينَ؟

Mādhā satafʿalīna?

What are you going to do? (to a female)

The important word here is:

مَاذَا

Mādhā

What?

And:

سَتَفْعَلُ

Satafʿalu

You will do / You are going to do. (male)

The prefix سَـ is used with the present-tense verb to indicate the future.

2. Simple Sentence

Now let’s learn how to say what you are going to do.

سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ.

Saʾadhhabu ilā al-ʿamali.

I am going to work.

Here is another example:

سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَطْعَمِ.

Saʾadhhabu ilā al-maṭʿami.

I am going to the restaurant.

You can also say:

سَأَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.

Saʾadrusu al-ʿarabiyyata.

I am going to study Arabic.

Notice the pattern:

سَأَ + VERB

This gives the meaning “I will…” or “I am going to…”

For example:

سَأَذْهَبُ — I am going to go.
سَأَدْرُسُ — I am going to study.
سَأَكْتُبُ — I am going to write.
سَأَقْرَأُ — I am going to read.

3. How to Use the Word List

The easiest way to practice this lesson is to keep the beginning of the sentence and change the verb.

Useful Words

Now add سَـ to the beginning:

سَأَقْرَأُ الْكِتَابَ.

Saʾaqraʾu al-kitāba.

I am going to read the book.

سَأَكْتُبُ رِسَالَةً.

Saʾaktubu risālatan.

I am going to write a message.

سَأَتَعَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.

Saʾataʿallamu al-ʿarabiyyata.

I am going to learn Arabic.

سَأَزُورُ صَدِيقِي.

Saʾazūru ṣadīqī.

I am going to visit my friend.

4. Say What You Are Going to Do

Now let’s practice telling someone about your plans.

سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ.

Saʾadhhabu ilā as-sūqi.

I am going to the market.

سَأَشْتَرِي الطَّعَامَ.

Saʾashtarī aṭ-ṭaʿāma.

I am going to buy food.

سَأَلْتَقِي بِصَدِيقِي.

Saʾaltaqī biṣadīqī.

I am going to meet my friend.

سَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ مَسَاءً.

Saʾarjiʿu ilā al-bayti masāʾan.

I am going to return home in the evening.

You can also connect two activities:

سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، ثُمَّ سَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.

Saʾadhhabu ilā as-sūqi, thumma saʾarjiʿu ilā al-bayti.

I am going to the market, then I am going to return home.

This gives you a very useful everyday Arabic pattern:

سَأَ + VERB + المكان / الشيء

I am going to + action + place / thing

5. Conversation Between Daniel and Hassan

Now let’s put everything together in a natural conversation.

Daniel:

مَرْحَبًا يَا حَسَنُ! مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ الْيَوْمَ؟

Marḥaban yā Ḥasanu! Mādhā satafʿalu al-yawma?

Hello, Hassan! What are you going to do today?

Hassan:

مَرْحَبًا! سَأَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ.

Marḥaban Saʾadhhabu ilā as-sūqi.

Hello, I am going to the market.

Daniel:

مَاذَا سَتَشْتَرِي؟

Mādhā satashtrī?

What are you going to buy?

Hassan:

سَأَشْتَرِي بَعْضَ الطَّعَامِ.

Saʾashtarī baʿḍa aṭ-ṭaʿāmi.

I am going to buy some food.

Daniel:

وَمَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ؟

Wa-mādhā satafʿalu baʿda dhālika?

And what are you going to do after that?

Hassan:

سَأَزُورُ صَدِيقِي، ثُمَّ سَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ.

Saʾazūru ṣadīqī, thumma saʾarjiʿu ilā al-bayti.

I am going to visit my friend, then I am going to return home.

Daniel:

خُطَّةٌ جَيِّدَةٌ!

Khuṭṭatun jayyidatun!

Good plan!

Hassan:

وَأَنْتَ؟ مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ؟

Wa-anta? Mādhā satafʿalu?

And you? What are you going to do?

Daniel:

سَأَدْرُسُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ هَذَا الْمَسَاءَ.

Saʾadrusu al-ʿarabiyyata hādhā al-masāʾa.

I am going to study Arabic this evening.

Remember This Pattern

مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ؟
What are you going to do?

سَأَفْعَلُ…
I am going to do…

Once you learn this question-and-answer pattern, you can replace the verb and talk about many different plans in everyday Arabic.