Demonstrative Pronoun and Noun: Arabic Grammar | Vocabulary | Quiz

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Introduction: Type of Arabic words, Noun in Arabic, Demonstrative Pronoun in Arabic

1. Part of Speech in Arabic.

a. Word in Arabic is كَلِمَةٌ (kalimatun). 

كَلِمَةٌ is singular, the plural of كَلِمَةٌ is كَلِمَاتٌ (kalimaatun).

b. The type of Arabic words (part of speech).

There are three types of Arabic words, they are:

- اِسْمٌ (ismun): noun.

- فِعْلٌ (fi'lun): verb.

- حَرْفٌ (harfun): particle.

2. Noun in Arabic.

a. Noun in Arabic is اِسْمٌ (ismun).

اِسْمٌ is singular, the plural form of اِسْمٌ is أَسْمَاءٌ (asmaa-un).

b. Noun category based on gender:

- مُذَكَّرٌ (mudhakkar). Mudhakkar means masculine.

Example:  طَالِبٌ (taalibun). Taalibun means student.

- مُؤَنَّثٌ (mu-annath). Mu-annath means feminine.

Example:  طَالِبَةٌ (taalibatun). Taalibatun means female student.

c. Noun category based on number:

- مُفْرَدٌ (mufrad). Mufrad means singular.

Example: طَالِبٌ (taalibun). Taalibun means a student.

- مُثَنَّى (muthaanna). Muthaanna means dual.

Example: طَالِبَانِ (Taalibaani), Taalibaani means two students.

- جَمْعٌ (Jam'un). Jam'un means plural. 

Example: طُلاَّبٌ (Tullaabun). Tullaabun means students.

d. Noun category based on whether they have intellect or not:

- عَاقِلٌ ('aaqilun). عَاقِلٌ means intellect/human.

Example:   طَالِبٌ (a student).

- غَيْرُ عَاقِل (ghayru 'aaqil). Ghayru 'aaqil means non-intellect/non-human. 

Example:  كِتَابٌ (kitaabun). Kitaabun means a book.

Recap of Noun in Arabic

The following are examples of Arabic nouns in terms of the mentioned categories:

A. عَاقِل (intellect/human noun).

1. مفرد مذكّر (masculine singular): مُدَرِّسٌ (mudarrisun: a teacher).

2. Dual masculine: مُدَرِّسَانِ (mudarrisaani: two teachers).

3. Plural masculine: مُدَرِّسُوْنَ (mudarrisuuna: teachers).

4. Feminine singular: مُدَرِّسَةٌ (mudarrisatun: a female teacher).

5. Dual feminine: مُدَرِّسَتَانِ (mudarrisataani: two female teachers).

6. Plural feminine: مُدَرِّسَاتٌ (mudarrisaatun: female teachers).

B. غَيْرُ عَاقِل (non-intellect/non-human).

1.  Masculine singular: بَيْتٌ (baytun: a house).

2. Dual masculine: بَيْتَاتِ (baytaani: two houses).

3. Plural masculine: بُيُوتٌ (buyuutun: houses).

4. Feminine singular: سَيَّارَةٌ (sayyaaratun: a car).

5. Dual feminine: سَيَّارَتَانِ (sayyaarataani: two cars).

6. Plural feminine: سَيَّارَاتٌ (sayyaaraatun: cars).

Demonstrative pronoun in Arabic

a. Demonstrative pronoun in Arabic is اِسْمُ الإِشَارَةِ (ismul ishaarati).

b. Demonstrative pronoun is used to point or indicate to those possessing intellect (عَاقِل) such as human, and the things that do not possess intellect (غَيْرُ عَاقِلٌ) such as non-human, animal or thing. 

c. In Arabic, demonstrative pronouns are grouped into nouns. It means demonstrative pronouns must agree with the nouns they refer to in terms of gender and number.

d. There are two types of demonstrative pronoun in terms of far, they are: الْقَرِيْبُ (alqariibu: near) and  البَعِيدُ (alba'iidu: far).

Recap of Demonstrative Pronoun in Arabic

The following are Demonstrative Pronoun in Arabic nouns in terms of the mentioned categories:

A. Demonstrative Pronoun for near:

1. هَذَا (hadhaa): this.

هَذَا is for masculine singular.

2. هَذَانِ (hadhaani): these.

هَذَانِ is for dual masculine.

3. هَؤُلاَءِ (ha-ulaa-i): these.

هَؤُلاَءِ is for plural masculine and plural feminine.

4. هَذِهِ (hadhihi): this.

هَذِهِ is for feminine singular and plural non-intellect.

5. هَاتَانِ (hataani): these.

هَاتَانِ is for dual feminine.

6. هَؤُلاَءِ (ha-ulaa-i): these.

هَؤُلاَءِ is for plural masculine and plural feminine.

B. Demonstrative Pronoun for far:

1. ذَلِكَ (dhalika): that.

ذَلِكَ is for masculine singular.

2. ذَانِكَ (dhaanika): those.

ذَانِكَ is for dual masculine.

3. أُولَئِكَ (ulaa-ika): those.

هَؤُلاَءِ is for plural masculine and plural feminine.

4. تِلْكَ (tilka): that.

هَذِهِ is for feminine singular and plural non-intellect.

5. تَانِكَ (taanika): those.

تَانِكَ is for dual feminine.

6. أُولَئِكَ (ulaa-ika): those.

هَؤُلاَءِ is for plural masculine and plural feminine.

What will we learn in this chapter?

In this material, we learn هَذَا: اِسْمُ إِشَارَةٍ لِلْمُفْرَدِ المُذَكَّرِ الْقَرِيْبِ العَاقِلِ وَغَيْرُ الْعَاقِلِ 

(hadha: ismul isyaarah lilmufrad al-mudhakkar al-qariib al-aqiil waghayrul 'aaqil). It means hadha: demonstrative pronoun for near, masculine singular, intellect/human noun and non-intellect/non-human noun.

Let's move to our lesson today from Durusul Lughah al-Arabiyyah Volume 1 Lesson 1.

الدَّرْسُ الأّوَّلُ (ad-darsu al-awwalu: lesson 1)

Masculine singular noun and demonstrative pronoun for near and masculine singular.

1. هَذَا : this, بَيْتٌ (baytun): a house.

هَذَا بَيْتٌ (hadha baytun): This is a house.

2. هَذَا مَسْجِدٌ (hadha masjidun): This is a mosque.

3. هَذَا بَابٌ (hadha baabun): This is a door.

4. هَذَا كِتَابٌ (hadha kitaabun): This is a book.

5. هَذَا قَلَمٌ (hadha qalamun): This is a pen.

6. هَذَا مِفْتَاحٌ (hadha miftaahun): This is a key.

7. هَذَا مَكْتَبٌ (hadha maktabun): This is a desk.

8. هَذَا سَرِيْرٌ (hadha sariirun): This is a bed.

9. هَذَا كُرْسِيٌّ (hadha kursiyyun): This is a chair.

Additional notes:

1. In daily conversation, you can say بَيْتٌ bayt, but I will say complete with tanwin baytun during the lesson.

2. تَنْوِيْنٌ tanwiin (the n-sound at the end of Arabic noun) is Arabic indefinite article corresponding to the English "a" or "an". 

So بَيْتٌ means "a house".

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