There is translated to "هناك", both literally and in phrases you mentioned over here. One rule in Arabic that is not found in Latin-based languages is that; there is no "verb to be" to be used in sentences in the present form (when verb to be is the only verb in the English or Latin phrase) e.g. The boy is good >> الولد جيد I am fine >> أنا بخير So: 1- There are books >> هناك كتب (There are some books >> هناك بعض الكتب) 2- There are no books >> لا يوجد كتب (this is the more common phrase. For a more accurate translation it would be ليس هناك كتب) 3- There is a happy man >> ذلك رجل سعيد # Here is a happy man >> هذا رجل سعيد That's an expression. If you mean that "a happy man" is actually over there then it will translates to يوجد رجل سعيد هناك 4- There isn't a happy man >> لا يوجد رجل سعيد ... or ليس هناك رجل سعيد (same as in example no.2)