Definition of Ism in Arabic - الاسم

According to the blog's name, namely learn Arabic step by step, I will explain the basic or step one of learning Arabic to you.

In the first stage of learning Arabic, especially Arabic grammar, I will show you the definition of a noun in Arabic.

Noun (الاِسْمُ) / al-ism

a. Definition of الاِسْمُ 

al-ism : مَا دَلَّ عَلَى مَعْنًى فِي نَفْسِهِ غَيْرُ مُرْتَبِطٍ بِزَمَنٍ

al-ism: a word that shows a meaning by itself, and it is not bound by time.

b. al-ism (noun) comprises living things and non-living things

b1. living things are: عَقْل (have a brain) and غَيْرُ عَقْل (have no brain)


Example of عقل :

 أَحْمَدُ (Ahmad), مُسْلِمٌ (Muslim person)


Example of غير عقل :

أَسَدٌ (lion), قِطٌّ (cat)


b2. non-living things are: concrete noun (اِسْمُ عَيْن/ذات) and abstract noun (اِسْمُ مَعْنىً)


Example of a concrete noun :

قَلَمٌ (pen), كِتَابٌ (book)


Example of an abstract noun :

مَنْفَعَةٌ (benefit), عِلْمٌ (knowledge)

c. ism is not bound by time.

Not like الفِعْل (fi'l), ism is not bound by time.

"not bound by time" means the change of time doesn't affect ism form.


First, look at the fi'il. Just see one fi'l for example.

write in Arabic is كَتَبَ (kataba)


Past : wrote -> كَتَبَ

Present: write -> يَكْتُبُ

We notice that the form of fi'il changes because of the time changes (كَتَبَ for past tense, change to يَكْتُبُ for present tense).


Now, we will look at al-ism.

Past time: Yesterday is the test -> أَمسِ إِخْتِبَارٌ

Present time: Today is the test -> اليَوْمَ إِخْتِبَارٌ

Future time: Tomorrow is the test -> غَدًا إِخْتِبَارٌ


إِخْتِبَارٌ is ism (noun) and the form is still the same (إِخْتِبَارٌ) although the time changes.

d. The characteristics of ism

 الاسم (al-ism) has the following characteristics:


1. al-ism (noun) usually has a nunnation (تَنْوِين) on it.


Examples:

بَيْتٌ (a house) , كُرْسِيٌّ (a chair)


2. al-ism (noun) can be added by prefix ال (al)


Examples:

البَيْتُ (the house), الْكُرْسِيُّ (the chair)


3. al-ism (noun) can be preceded by a preposition (حَرْفُ الجَرّ)


Examples:

فِي البَيْتِ (in the house), إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ (to the mosque).

Note :
 فِي (fii) and إِلَى (ilaa) are prepositions (حَرْفُ الجَرّ), so المسجد and البيت are a noun (ism).


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Bits of knowledge that are related to ism :


- definite & indefinite noun in Arabic

- noun cases in Arabic