Imagine you want to describe your friend. You might say, “My friend is kind.” Or describe a book: “It is a new book.” In English, the describing word (the adjective) comes before the thing it describes (the noun). But in Arabic, it’s the opposite!
I. Introduction: Meeting the Arabic Adjective (النَّعْتُ)
Welcome to your next step in learning Arabic! In this post, we will learn how to describe the world around us. Whether you want to say "a big house" or "a kind teacher," you need to use adjectives.
We will explore the fundamental rules of adjectives based on Durusul Lughah Book 1, Lesson 9. Before we start, let's meet two very important Arabic friends (terms) that you need to know:
1. The Adjective: In Arabic, we call this النَّعْتُ (al-na't).
2. The Qualified Noun: This is the word being described. We call it الْمَنْعُوتُ (al-man'ut).
II. The Basic Rule: Position of the Na't (النَّعْتُ)
The first thing you will notice is that Arabic does things a little differently than English.
A. English vs. Arabic Word Order
• In English: The adjective comes before the noun.
o Example: "A wealthy merchant."
• In Arabic: The adjective comes after the noun. The Na't follows the Man'ut.
o Example: تَاجِرٌ غَنِيٌّ (taajir ghaniyy) — which literally translates to "merchant wealthy."
Recap:
In Arabic, you say the thing first, then the description.
💡 Remember: The Na‘t (الَنْعْتُ) always comes after the Man‘ūt (الْمَنْعُوتُ).
Example: تَاجِرٌ غَنِيٌّ means a wealthy merchant.
B. Core Examples from Durusul Lughah 1 lesson 9
Let's look at some examples from the book to see this rule in action:
عَبَّاسٌ تَاجِرٌ غَنِيٌّ
‘Abbāsun tājirun ghanīyyun.
(Abbas is a wealthy merchant.)
حَامِدٌ مُدَرِّسٌ جَدِيْدٌ
Hāmidun mudarrisun jadīdun.
(Hamid is a new teacher.)
اَلْعُصْفُورُ طَائِرٌ صَغِيْرٌ
Al-‘uṣfūru ṭā’irun ṣaghīrun.
(The sparrow is a small bird.)
III. The Golden Rule: The Four Agreements
Now for the most important part. In Arabic, the adjective (النَّعْتُ) is like a loyal follower. It must copy or agree with the noun (الْمَنْعُوتُ) in four specific ways.
Illustration: The Mirror Effect
Imagine the noun looking into a mirror. The adjective is the reflection—it must look exactly the same!
Example case in the table: the noun is masculine, singular, definite, and nominative case.
Let's break these down:
A. Agreement in Gender (التَّذْكِيرُ وَ التَّأْنِيثُ)
• Masculine: If the noun is masculine, the adjective must be masculine11.
o Example: طَالِبٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ (a diligent student).
• Feminine: If the noun is feminine, the adjective must be feminine. We usually mark this by adding the round 't' called ة (tā marbūṭah) at the end.
o Example: لُغَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ (a beautiful language).
B. Agreement in Definiteness (المَعْرِفَةُ وَ النَّكِرَةُ)
This rule is about "The" vs. "A". They must match! They either both have الـ (al-) or neither have it.
• Indefinite (No الـ):
هَذَا طَالِبٌ جَدِيدٌ (This is a new student.)
• Definite (Both have الـ):
اَلطَّالِبُ الجَدِيدُ فِي الْفَصْلِ (The new student is in the classroom.)
C. Agreement in Case (الإِعْرَابُ)
The adjective must share the same grammatical "mood" or ending sound as the noun.
• Nominative (The -un ending):
كِتَابٌ جَدِيدٌ (a new book) — Both end in dammah.
• Accusative (The -an ending):
قَرَأْتُ كِتَابًا جَدِيدًا (I read a new book.) — Both end in fathah.
• Genitive (The -in ending):
إِلَى كِتَابٍ جَدِيدٍ (to a new book.) — Both end in kasrah.
D. Agreement in Number
Finally, they must match in number. Since Lesson 9 focuses on singular nouns, our adjectives here are also singular.
IV. Summary and Practice
A. Recap of the Relationship
To summarize, remember that the Adjective (النَّعْتُ) is a follower. It follows the Qualified Noun (الْمَنْعُوتُ) in position (it comes after) and in the Four Agreements (Gender, Definiteness, Case, and Number).
B. Challenge Yourself
Can you spot the correct pair?
1. Which is correct for "a big house"?
a) بَيْتٌ كَبِيرَةٌ
b) بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ
2. Which is correct for "the new teacher"?
a) اَلْمُدَرِّسُ جَدِيدٌ
b) اَلْمُدَرِّسُ الْجَدِيدُ
(Answers: 1b, 2b)
3. Can you apply the rule? What’s wrong with these phrases?
جَدِيْدٌ كِتَابٌ ( Jadīdun kitābun )
طَالِبَةٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ ( Ṭālibatun mujtahidun )
اَلْبَيْتُ كَبِيْرٌ ( Al-baytu kabīrun )
(Answers: 1. Order is wrong, noun must come first. 2. Gender mismatch, should be مُجْتَهِدَةٌ (mujtahidah) . 3. Definiteness mismatch, adjective needs الـ (al): اَلْكَبِيْرُ.)
C. What's Next?
You have mastered the basics of simple descriptions! In coming lessons, you’ll learn how to describe nouns with more than one adjective and how to use adjectives with dual and plural nouns. Keep practicing with the examples from Lesson 9, and you’ll be describing the world in Arabic in no time!
Happy Learning!
استمتع بتعلمك!
Astamti‘ bi-ta‘allumuk!
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