Grammatical Themes Lesson 6 Flashcards
(11 cards)
What are the three main Arabic grammatical cases, their endings, and common uses? Include example words with their case endings.
Back (Answer):
Nominative (مرفوع)
Ending: Ḍammah (ـُ)
Use: Subject of a sentence or predicate in nominal sentences
Example: الرَّسُولُ (The messenger) — subject, ends with ḍammah
Accusative (منصوب)
Ending: Fatḥah (ـَ)
Use: Direct object or after particles like إنَّ
Example: رَسُولًا (a messenger) — direct object, ends with fatḥah
Genitive (مجرور)
Ending: Kasrah (ـِ)
Use: After prepositions or to show possession
Example: الرَّسُولِ (of the messenger) — genitive case, ends with kasrah
What are the three main grammatical cases in Arabic and their endings? Give a simple example for each.
✅ Arabic Grammatical Cases
Nominative مرفوع ـُ (ḍammah) الرَّجُلُ (the man) Subject (doer)
Accusative منصوب ـَ (fatḥah) الرَّجُلَ (the man) Direct object, after إنَّ
Genitive مجرور ـِ (kasrah) الرَّجُلِ (of the man) After a preposition
📝 Full Example Sentence:
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ فِي البَيْتِ يَكْتُبُ رِسَالَةً
Inna ar-rajula fī al-bayti yaktubu risālatan
➡ “Indeed, the man is in the house writing a letter.”
Case Uses in the Example:
الرَّجُلَ = accusative (after إنَّ)
البَيْتِ = genitive (after فِي)
رِسَالَةً = accusative (direct object of يَكْتُبُ)
What are the three main grammatical cases in Arabic?
Nominative (مرفوع) – for subjects
Accusative (منصوب) – for direct objects
Genitive (مجرور) – after prepositions or in possessives
What is the ending for a singular indefinite noun in the nominative case?
📚 Example?
Ending: ٌ (-un)
Example: كِتابٌ (kitābun) — a book (as a subject)
🔸 كِتابٌ جَميلٌ — A beautiful book
What is the ending for a singular indefinite noun in the accusative case?
📚 Example?
Ending: ً (-an) Fathah
Example: رأيتُ كِتابًا (ra’aytu kitāban) — I saw a book
What is the ending for a singular indefinite noun in the genitive case?
Ending: kesrah (-in)
Example: في كِتابٍ (fī kitābin) — in a book
How do endings change for definite nouns in all three cases?
📚 Use “الكتاب” (the book)
Nominative: الكِتابُ (al-kitābu)
Accusative: الكِتابَ (al-kitāba)
Genitive: الكِتابِ (al-kitābi)
The Object: Accusative Case Rule Number 38
🔤 What is the rule for identifying an object (المفعول به) in Arabic grammar?
🌙 Include examples in Arabic with explanation.
📘 Rule #38:
When a noun is the object of a verb, it takes the accusative case (مَنْصُوب) — shown by a fathah at the end.
📝 Memory Tip:
Objects get hit — they fall (take a fathah)!
🌟 Examples:
هَلْ أَكَلْتَ الطَّعَامَ؟
→ “Did you eat the food?”
الطَّعَامَ = object → ends with fathah ( َ )
نَعَم، أَكَلْتُ الطَّعَامَ وَشَرِبْتُ الْمَاءَ
→ “Yes, I ate the food and drank the water”
الطَّعَامَ، الْمَاءَ = objects → accusative case
قَتَلَ الأَبُ الْقَاتِلَ
→ “The father killed the killer”
الْقَاتِلَ = object → fathah
الْقَاتِلُ (later) = subject → dammah ( ُ )
غَسَلَتِ الْبِنْتُ غُرْفَةَ الطَّعَامِ
→ “The girl washed the dining room”
غُرْفَةَ = object and first of a construct phrase → accusative case
لَقِيتُ أَبَاكَ وَأَخَاكَ
→ “I met your father and brother”
أَبَاكَ، أَخَاكَ = objects → special nouns, still get fathah
جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلإِنسَانِ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ
→ “Allah made for mankind hearing, sight, and heart”
السَّمْعَ، الْبَصَرَ، الْفُؤَادَ = objects → all take fathah
📚 Grammar Hint:
The object (المفعول به) is what receives the action of the verb.
Always watch the ending vowel — fathah = accusative case.
How do you form the Active Participle (اسم الفاعل) and Passive Participle (اسم المفعول) from a regular triliteral perfect verb in Arabic? Include the patterns with Arabic letters.
Active Participle (اسم الفاعل):
• Pattern: فَاعِل
• Take the 3 root letters and put them in this pattern:
ف + ا + ع + kasra under ل
• Example:
• كَتَبَ → كَاتِب (writer, “one who writes”)
• دَرَسَ → دَارِس (one who studies)
——————————-
Passive Participle (اسم المفعول):
• Pattern: مَفْعُول
• Put the root letters in this form:
مَ + first root + sukun + second root + ḍamma + و + third root
• Example:
• كُتِبَ → مَكْتُوب (written, “that which is written”)
• دُرِسَ → مَدْرُوس (studied)
Tip:
Active participle = doer (subject)
Passive participle = receiver (object)
How do you form the Imperfect Indicative (الفعل المضارع المرفوع) in Arabic?
What’s the basic pattern, and what does it mean?
Imperfect Indicative = المضارع المرفوع
Used for:
✅ Ongoing, habitual, or future actions
🟢 Default present tense form
✅ Pattern:
Start with a prefix (ي / ت / أ / ن) depending on the subject, and use:
يَفْعَلُ
(verb stem with ḍamma on the last letter) = indicative mood
Examples
يَكْتُبُ = He writes \ He Pronoun
أَدْرُسُ = I study | I
تَفْهَمُ =She understands | She
نَقْرَأُ = We read | We
TIP:
“Imperfect” = Present or future
“Indicative” = the verb is in its normal, unmarked state
What is a mood marker in Arabic grammar, and how does it affect a present-tense verb?
A mood marker is the last short vowel on a present-tense verb in Arabic (الفعل المضارع).
It shows the grammatical mood of the verb — like whether it’s normal, negated, or part of a purpose clause.
There are 3 main moods in Arabic:
- Indicative (المرفوع):
Ending: ḍamma (ـُ)
Example: يَكْتُبُ الدرسَ — “He writes the lesson.” - Subjunctive (المنصوب):
Ending: fatḥa (ـَ)
Triggered by words like: أَنْ، لَنْ، كَيْ، حَتّى
Example: لَنْ يَكْتُبَ الدرسَ — “He will not write the lesson.” - Jussive (المجزوم):
Ending: sukūn (ـْ) or verb shortening
Triggered by: لَمْ، لَمّا، لِـ (command), إِنْ
Example: لَمْ يَكْتُبْ الدرسَ — “He did not write the lesson.”
Quick Tip:
To find the mood, check the last vowel on the verb!
More simpler explaination.
💡 “It shows the grammatical mood of the verb (normal, negated, purpose clause, etc.)” means:
The mood marker tells you how the verb is being used —
Is it just a regular statement?
Is it being negated (like “did not”)?
Is it part of a reason or goal (like “in order to…”)?
The little vowel at the end of the verb changes depending on the situation.
