Grammar Flashcards
What is the concept of ‘Indefiniteness’ in arabic?
It refers to a noun that is non-specific and general
- ie. ‘a’ book rather than ‘the’ (specific) book
What are the indefinite articles?
- There are no indefinite articles in arabic
- In the absenceof an “ال” (al-) - ‘The’ -it is assumed that the ‘a/an’ is before the indefinite noun
What indicates an indefinite noun in arabic?
- The absence of an “ال” (al-) - ‘The’
- The presence of a tanween at the end of the noun
What is the concept of ‘definiteness’ in arabic?
It refers to a noun that is specific and ‘known’ to the listener
What are the definite articles?
- “ال” (al-) is the definite article which is added to a noun
What is the relationship between pronouns and nouns?
- Pronouns referring to the noun must match the noun in :
- Gender
- Plurality
What is the typical word order of a sentance?
A typical Arabic sentence consists of a subject (S), verb (V), and object (O) in that order
“I study Arabic” where “أنا” (Ana) is the subject, “أدرس” (adrus) is the verb, and “اللغة العربية” (al-lughah al-ʿarabiyyah) is the object
Translate
‘a beautiful car’
“سيارة جميلة” (sayyāra jamīla)
o “سيارة” (sayyāra) (Indefinite noun) : A Car (F)
o جميل (jamil(m)) (adjective) : جميلة (jamila) } match feminine noun (sayyāra)
What are ‘Demonstrative pronouns’?
o Demonstratives are words like “this” or “that.”
o In Arabic, they act like definite articles (making the noun specific).
What are the demonstrative pronouns for ‘This is’ singular masculine and femenine nouns?
- ** هذه (hadha)**
* This (is)..(referring to male noun) - **”هذه” (haḏhi) **
* This (is)..(referring to feminine noun)
What are the demonstrative pronouns for ‘That is’ singular masculine and femenine nouns?
(ḏālik) : That (is)..M
تلك (til.ka) : That (is)..F
How do demonstrative pronouns interact with definite nouns?
- When you combine a demonstrative with a definite noun you get a specific phrase.
e.g. (hā.dhā Al-wa.lad) : This is THE boy
How do demonstrative pronouns interact with indefinite nouns?
o When you combine a demonstrative with an indefinite noun, it makes a general non specific phrase
e.g. (hādhā walad) means “This is a boy.”
How is possession shown in arabic?
Possessor/Posessession
* Order of words?
* Definiteness?
- Order of Words:
o The thing owned comes first.
o The owner comes second. - Definiteness:
o The second word (the owner) decides if the whole phrase is definite or indefinite.
o The first word (the thing owned) is usually without “the” unless it’s already definite.
“The man’s house”
“The house of the man” : bayt ar-rajul
- بيت (bayt) means “house” (thing owned).
- الرجل (ar-rajul) is definite and means “the man” (owner).
“A man’s house”
“bayt rajul” means :
* “a house of a man” or “a man’s house”
How do you indicate the “possession” of a noun and what is it determined by?
o Suffixes are attached to the end of the possessed noun to indicate possession
* The suffix is determined by the gender of the possessor
Possessive suffix
where is the possessive pronoun placed relative to the noun it modifies?
- The possessive pronoun always comes after the possessed noun
- whether it is a suffix or a person’s name
What is the possessive suffix for “my”?
The possessive suffix for “my” is -ي “ee”
(masculine singular)
How do you say “your” using a possessive suffix?
The possessive suffix for “your “ is -كَ (“ka”)
(feminine singular)
What is the Arabic possessive suffix for “your”?
The possessive suffix for “your is -كِ (“ki”)
How do you form the possessive for “his”?
The possessive suffix for “his” is -هُ (“hu”)
