Grammar
<<Return to
Dictionary & Arabic Index
1 - Definite & Indefinite:
BaytuN = A
House.
(taNween - a letter Nuun at the end of the word)
[Indefinite i.e. not a specific house.]
AL BaytU = THE House
(No taNween - Nuun
at the end of the word).
[Definite i.e. The (specific)
house.]
2 - Adjectives come After Nouns:
In Arabic: Adjectives/Description words come AFTER the Noun/object [in English it is the opposite].
INDEFINITE (no AL [=not a specific object]);
a - Put the english word 'A' before it.
I.e. - BaytuSagheeru = A Small House.
b - put the english word
'Is / Are' before it.
I.e. AL Baytu -Sagheeru = THE House - IS
small.
DEFINITE:
AL = THE (Specific object.);
a - i.e. AL Baytu- sagheer = THE House is small.
b - baytu AL Sagheer = the SMALL
house.
c - AL baytu AL sagheeru = THE SMALL HOUSE.
d - AL baytu Sagheeru wa qaSeeru
= THE house is Small and Short.
3 - Proper Nouns
Proper Nouns (i.e. Names for Humans or 'official names to other beings') don't
apply to Rule 1.
Differentiating between Male and Female Names?
a - Male
Proper Nouns are maRfu' [Damma/peysh on last root letter] andtaNween (letter Nuun at
the end).
I.e. HaaMiDUN.
(a male called HaaMiD.) ShaahidUN etc.
b - FemaleProper Nouns do NOT have taNween
(letter Nuun at the end) But they have a Ta marboota
attached at the end and are in maRfu'
state [= ةُ ].
I.e. AaminatU
(a female called Aaminah), Aa'ishatU etc..
c - Male Names (Proper Nouns) with a Tamarboota [= ةُ ] at the
end are similar to rule 3b.
I.e. HamzaTU,UsaamaTU,Mu'aawiyaTU.
[NOTE: You might wonder how you can
differentiate these Male names if they are in the female form?
The simple answer is that you will have to find out if they are Masculine
words through asking or looking in dictionaries.]
d - Non Arabic Proper Nouns have no taNween.
(i.e. LundunU
(London), or even non-arab Prophet names; Isma'eelU, IbraheemU
etc.)
Exception: If a non Arabic Proper Noun is; Masculine& consists of 3 letters, it has
a taNween.
i.e. Nuwh - NuwhuN (Noah).
4 - See and memorize the maRfu' / maNsub
/ maJrur useages:
In the I'rab index page.
5 - Na't (نَعت) [Adjective/Description
word] & maN'oot (منعُوت) [the Noun/object
Described].
In a sentence, the Na't and maN'oot will be the same in;
a - Definite or Indefinite form (AL or no AL.)
b - Gender.
c - Case (maRfu'/maNsub/maJrur.)
i.e. ayna
- AL-baytU AL-kabeerU = where is THE Big House?
[Both the Noun & Description are: Definite [AL], Masculine, and in
the Case of maRfu' (Damma/peysh on 3rd root letter)]
Exception: Adjectives ending in ___AAN
(اَن__) have no taNween.
I.e. Jaw'AANu
[جَوآن]
(Hungry), aTshAANu [اطشآن]
(Thirsty), malAANu [مَلآن] (Full) etc.
6 - MuDaf (Possessed i.e.
Owned), and MuDaf ilayh (Possessed to him =
Possessor).
MuDaf (Possessed i.e. owned).
i.e. baytUllahi
= House of Allah.
[baytU is the
House (the Subject being discussed)
so it is in maRfu' form]
Mudaf ilayh (Possessor)
I.e. baytuUllahI =
House of Allah.
(Ullahi is Allah with a kasra/zeyr on the last letter/Jarr form
= shows that Allah possesses it i.e. it is
Allah's house.)
Examples:
a - BaytU-aL imaamI = A House (of) the Imam
(leader).
b - BaytU-aL imaamI - KabeerU = A House (of) the Imam - is Big.
c - trick question:
BaytU-aL imaamI kabeerI = A house (of) the Big Imam.
(Adjective [Na't]
and Noun [maN'oot]
is in same form because - see rule 5).
<<Return to
Dictionary & Arabic Index