Maneno na misemo inaweza kufikisha maana kwa njia mbili: kwa muundo wake wa wazi, au kwa maana iliyofichika. Maana inayotokana na upande wa wazi wa maneno au misemo huitwa *mantooq*, na ile inayotokana na maana zake zilizofichika huitwa *mafhoom*.

Words and expressions may convey ideas either by their explicit constructions or by implication. Meaning derived from the explicit aspect of words or expressions are referred to as mantooq, while those derived from their implications are called mafhoom.

Maana ya wazi (mantooq) inaweza kupatikana kwa njia tano tofauti, kutegemea aina ya muundo wa sarufi ya Kiarabu unaotumika.

Mantooq (explicit) meanings may be derived in five different ways, depending on the type of Arabic grammatical construction used.