Understanding Accusative Case (النّصب) in Arabic Grammar: Signs and Examples

We've thus far explored the nominative case in detail. 

Now, it's time to unlock another case, namely accusative case or an-nasb (النّصب).

In this lesson, you'll learn the indications/signs of  the nasb condition or mansuub (منصوب) or accusative case, and how it is practically manifested in sentence structures.

What is accusative (النّصب)?

النَّصْبُ: تَغْيِيرٌ مَخْصُوصٌ وَعَلَامَتُهُ الْفَتْحَةُ وَمَا نَابَ عَنْهَا
The meaning:
an-nasb is special changes that are indicated by fathah and anything that represents fathah.

What are the indications of nasb (علامات النصب)?

There are two indications/signs of nasb, they are:

1. Ultimate sign (علامات أصليّة).

The ultimate sign of nasb is al-fat-hah (الفتحة).

2. Secondary signs that are represent to fat-hah (علامات فرعيّة).

The secondary signs are:

a. الألف (al-alif).

b. الكسرة (al-kasrah).

c. الياء (al-yaa').

Let's delve the signs/indications one by one.

The ultimate indication of nasb (علامات أصليّة): fat-hah

Types of noun who have this indication are:

1. اسم مفرد (ism mufrad/singular noun).

Example of singular noun: مُحَمَّدٌ

Sentence example:

رَأَيْتُ مُحَمَّدًا (ra-aitu muhammadan).
The meaning: I was Muhammad.

- رَأَيْتُ : fi'l madi and "ت" as a fa'il.

- مُحَمَّدًا: maf'ul bih (مفعول به) mansub, the indication of the nasb is fat-hah "a".


2. جمع تكسير (jama' taksiir/broken plural).

Example of broken plural: كُتُبٌ (kutubun). The meaning is "books".

Sentence example:

أَقْرَأُ الكُتُبَ (aqra-u al-kutuba).
The meaning: I read books.

- أَقْرَأُ: fi'l mudari' with damir mustatir "أنا" as a fa'il.

- الكُتُبَ: maf'ul bih mansub, the indication of the nasb is fathah "a".

The secondary indication of nasb (علامات فرعيّة)

1. الألف (al-alif)

 Types of noun who have this indication is الأسماء الخمسة (al-asmaa' al-khamsah/five nouns).

Example of asmaaul khamsah: أَبُوكَ (abuuka). The meaning is your father.

Sentence example:

رَأَيْتُ أَبَاكَ (ra-aytu abaaka).
The meaning: I saw your father.

- رَأَيْتُ: fi'l madi with "ت" as a fa'il.

- أَبَا: maf'ul bih mansub, the indication of nasb is "alif" because it is asmaaul khamsah.
أَبَا is also as mudaf.
كَ is mudaf ilaih.

2. الكسرة (al-kasrah)

Types of noun who have this indication is جمع مؤنّث سالم (jam' mu-annath saalim/sound feminine plural).

Example of jama' muannath saalim: مُوَظَّفَاتٌ (muwazzafaatun). The meaning: female employees.

Sentence example:

-  سَاعَدْتُ المُوَظَّفَاتِ (saa'ad-tu al-muwazzafaati).
The meaning: I helped the female employees.

3. اليَاء (al-yaa')

Types of nouns who have this indication are المثنّى (al-muthannaa/dual) and جمع المذكّر السّالم (jama' mudhakkar saalim/sound masculine plural).

Example of dual noun: طَالِبَانِ (taalibaani). The meaning is two students.

Sentence example:

دَعَوْتُ الطَّالِبَيْنِ إِلَى الفَصْلِ (da'awtu at-taalibayni ilaa al-fasli).
The meaning: I called two students to the class.

- دَعَوْتُ: Fi'l madi with damir muttasil "ت" as a fa'il.

- الطَّالِبَيْنِ: maf'ul bih mansub, the indication of the nasb is al-yaa "ي" because it is dual noun.

- إلى: harf jar

- الفَصْلِ : ism majrur because of har jar "إلى", the indication of the jar is kasrah "i".

Example of sound masculine plural: مُهَنْدِسُوْنَ (muhandisuuna) which means engineers.

Sentence example:

إِنَّ المُهَنْدِسِيْنَ مُجْنَهِدُوْنَ (inna al-muhandisiina mujtahiduuna).
The meaning: Indeed, the engineers are hardworking.

- إِنَّ: harf nasb (make ism inna becomes mansuub), it is called harf tawkiid.

- المُهَنْدِسِيْنَ: ism inna mansuub, the indication of the nasb is al-yaa' "ي" because it is sound masculine plural.

- مُجْنَهِدُوْنَ: khabar inna marfuu', the indication of the nasb is al-waw "و" because it is sound masculine plural.

Summary

1. You've learned the signs of accusative cause in nouns.

2. The ultimate sign of accusative case is fat-hah.

3.The secondary signs that represent fa-thah are: al-alif, al-kasrah, al-yaa'.

4. The accusative case sign/indication of singular noun and broken plural noun is fat-hah.

Examples:
- singular noun in mansuub (nasb condition) or in accusative case: الكِتَابَ (al-kitaaba).

- broken plural in mansuub (nasb condition or in accusative case:
الكُتُبَ (al-kutuba).

5. Asmaa-ul khamsah (five nouns) have al-alif signs/indication when they are in accusative case.

Example: أَبَاكَ (abaaka) which means your father.

6. Sound feminine plural (jam' mu-annath saalim) has al-kasrah indication when it is in accusative case.

Example: المُدَرِّسَاتِ (al-mudarrisaati) which means female teachers.

7. Dual noun (al-muthannaa) has al-yaa' indication when it is in accusative case.

Example: كِتَابَيْنِ (kitaabayni) which means two books.

8. Sound masculine plural (jam' mudhakkar saalim) has al-yaa' indication when it is in accusative case.

Example: المُسْلِمِيْنَ (al-muslimiina) which means muslims.

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