Types of Noun in terms of gender | Arabic Grammar Concepts

 
I've introduced you about masculine and feminine in Arabic  and noun gender in Arabic.

Today, I'll explore again this subject as additional lesson for the former lesson types of noun in Arabic.

As you've known from here , noun (اسم/ismun) if it is seen from the gender, it is divided into two types, they are ismun mudhakkar (اسم مذكّر) and ismun muannath (اسم مؤنّث).

اسم مذكّر in English is masculine noun, whereas اسم مؤنّث is feminine noun.


Let's give more attention to masculine and feminine noun.

اسم مذكّر (masculine noun)

Basic concept of masculine noun in Arabic

1. Basically all the noun is masculine (mudhakkar) until there is an evidence showing that it is feminine (muannath).

2. Masculine noun is divided into two types, they are:

a. مذكّر حقيقي (mudhakkar haqiiqi)

mudhakkar haqiqi is noun which shows masculine human and masculine animal.

examples:

masculine human : مُحَمَّدٌ (muhammad), طَالِبٌ (male student), مُدَرِّسٌ (male teacher).

masculine animal : دِيْكٌ (rooster), جَمَلٌ (camel), حِصَانٌ (horse).


b. مذكّر مجازي (mudhakkar majaaziy)

mudhakkar majazi is noun which shows thing other than human and animal.

examples:

كِتَابٌ (book), قَلَمٌ (pen), بَيْتٌ (house).

اسم مؤنّث (feminine noun)

Basic concept of feminine noun in Arabic

 

1. Feminine noun (ism muannath) is noun which has an indication or evidence of feminine noun in it.

2. There are two types of feminine noun, they are:

a. مؤنّث حقيقي (mu-annath haqiiqi)

muannath haqiiqi is female human and animal.

examples:

female human : مَرْيَمُ (maryam), طَالِبَةٌ (female student), مُدَرِّسَةٌ (female teacher).

female animal : نَاقَةٌ (she-camel), هِرَّةٌ (she-cat), دَجَاجَةٌ (hen).


b. مؤنّث مجازي (mu-annath majaazii)

muannath majaziy is female thing other than human and animal.

examples: حَقِيْبَةٌ (bag), سَيَّارَةٌ (car), حَافِلَةٌ (bus).



3. There are several indications or signs which show that a noun is a feminine noun.

The indications of feminine noun are :


a. a woman name (feminine human)

examples : هِنْدٌ (hindun), مَرْيَمُ (maryam), زَيْنَبُ (zainab)


b. All noun whose last letter is ة (ta marbutah) except the name of male person.

examples : مَدْرَسَةٌ (school), مَكْتَبَةٌ (library), طَبِيْبَةٌ (female doctor).


c. All parts of human body which are in pairs (paired organs)

examples : عَيْنٌ (eye), يَدٌ (hand), رِجْلٌ (foot)


d. Attribute that is only for woman

examples : حَائِضٌ (menstruating), حَامِلٌ (pregnant), مُرْضِعٌ (breastfeeding mother).


e. Attribute that has the pattern فُعْلَى

examples :  صُغْرَى (smaller/smallest), كُبْرَى (larger/largest), حُسْنَى (better/the best)

notes:

mudhakkar form of صُغْرَى  is أَصْغَرُ

mudhakkar form of كُبْرَى  is أَكْبَرُ

mudhakkar form of حُسْنَى is أَحْسَنُ

f. Attribute that has the pattern فَعْلَى

examples : كَسْلَى (lazy), عَطْشَى (thirsty), جَوْعَى (hungry)

notes:

mudhakkar form of كَسْلَى  is  كَسْلاَنُ

mudhakkar form of عَطْشَى is عَطْشَانُ

mudhakkar form of جَوْعَى is 

جَوْعَانُ


g. Attribute that has the pattern فَعْلاَءُ

examples : بَيْضَاءُ (white), صَفْرَاءُ (yellow), سَوْدَاءُ (black)

notes :

mudhakkar (masculine) form of بَيْضَاءُ  is أَبْيَضُ

mudhakkar form of صَفْرَاءُ is أَصْفَرُ

mudhakkar or masculine form of سَوْدَاءُ  is أَسْوَدُ 

Read more detail color in masculine and feminine form here : color in masculine and feminine form

Additional notes regarding masculine noun (ism mudhakkar) and feminine noun (ism muannath)

1. There are several nouns which has no feminine indication, but they are feminine nouns.

It is called sama'i, it means you know them that they are feminine nouns from Arabic native speaker or read in Arabic dictionary.

Examples of feminine noun (ism mu-annath) of this point : شَمْسٌ (sun) , رِيحٌ (wind), أَرْضٌ (earth)


2. See point 3.b

There are some noun, even though their last letter are ة (ta marbutah), but they are masculine noun (ism mudhakkar).

examples:

حَمْزَةُ (Hamzah), طَلْحَةُ (Talhah), etc.


3. There are some nouns, they are in both masculine and feminine.

examples:

سِكِّينٌ (knife), نَارٌ (fire), etc.

Summary nouns in terms of gender - video version