Lesson 4 Grammatical Theme Flashcards
What is الإِضَافَة (iḍāfah) in Arabic grammar, and how is it used?
الإِضَافَة (iḍāfah) is the Arabic way to say “of” between two nouns — no need for an extra word!
It’s a possessive structure, like:
• بَابُ الْبَيْتِ = the door of the house
• كِتَابُ الطَّالِبِ = the student’s book
Rule:
• 1st noun (المُضاف) = what is possessed (no “al”, no tanwīn)
• 2nd noun (المُضاف إِلَيْهِ) = the possessor (always genitive مجرور)
Just join them together — Arabic makes “of” invisible!
What is الإِضَافَة (iḍāfah) in Arabic grammar, and how is it used?
الإِضَافَة (iḍāfah) is the Arabic way to say “of” between two nouns — no need for an extra word!
It’s a possessive structure, like:
• بَابُ الْبَيْتِ = the door of the house
• كِتَابُ الطَّالِبِ = the student’s book
Rule:
• 1st noun (المُضاف) = what is possessed (no “al”, no tanwīn)
• 2nd noun (المُضاف إِلَيْهِ) = the possessor (always genitive مجرور)
Just join them together — Arabic makes “of” invisible!
UNIT 16
The ‘Construct Phrase’ الْإٍضَافَةُ
Rule No. 30
What is an Idāfah (الإِضَافَةُ) construction in Arabic grammar?
An Idāfah (الإِضَافَةُ) is when two nouns are joined together to show a close relationship — usually possession.
- The first noun (مُضَافٌ) is the thing being possessed.
- The second noun (مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ) is the possessor.
Rules:
🔹 Second noun (possessor):
Always in genitive case (مجرور - kasrah or kasrah tanween).
Can be definite, indefinite, or a pronoun.
🔹 First noun (possessed):
Indefinite in pronunciation (has a harakah - vowel).
Changes case: nominative (ضمة), accusative (فتحة), or genitive (كسرة), depending on sentence role.
Matches the definiteness of the second noun in meaning.
Examples:
كِتَابُ اللَّهِ — The Book of Allah (Allah’s Book).
عَالِمُ بَلَدٍ — A scholar of a town.
كِتَابُهُ — His book. (“هُ” is the possessive pronoun for “his.”)
Rule No. 31 Unit 17 Rule No. 31
Rule No. 31
🌟 How does Idāfah (الإِضَافَةُ) behave when preceded by a preposition (بِ) or vocative (يَا)?
🔹Preposition (بِ) + Idāfah:
First noun (مُضَافٌ) becomes genitive (Kasrah ـِ).
Second noun (مُضَافٌ إِلَيْهِ) stays genitive (Kasrah ـِ).
📝 Example:
كَتَبْتُ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ
(I wrote in the name of Allah) ✍️
بِ = preposition “in”
اسْمِ = first noun, genitive with Kasrah
اللَّهِ = second noun, definite and genitive
🔹Vocative (يَا) + Idāfah:
First noun becomes accusative (Fathah ـَ).
Second noun stays genitive (Kasrah ـِ).
📝 Example:
يَاعَبْدَ اللَّهِ
(O Abdallah!) 🙌
يَا = calling (vocative)
عَبْدَ = first noun, accusative with Fathah
اللَّهِ = second noun, genitive
Quick Tip:
بِ = makes 1st noun genitive
يَا = makes 1st noun accusative
Unit 17 Rule No. 31
📚 What happens to Idāfah after بِ or يَا?
✅ بِ + Idāfah → 1st noun = Genitive (Kasrah ـِ)
✅ يَا + Idāfah → 1st noun = Accusative (Fathah ـَ)
Second noun always = Genitive (Kasrah ـِ)
📝 Examples:
بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ (In the name of Allah)
يَاعَبْدَ اللَّهِ (O Abdallah)
Rule No.32
How do the 5 special nouns change when a pronoun is attached in Arabic?
Q: 🌟 How do the 5 special nouns change when a pronoun is attached in Arabic?
Flashcard (Back):
The 5 special nouns:
أَبٌ (father) — أَخٌ (brother) — حَمٌ (father-in-law) — ذُو (possessor of) — فَمٌ (mouth)
🔹 With pronoun suffixes, they need a linking letter:
Case Rule Example
Nominative (مرفوع) Add و (Waw) أَبُوهُ (his father)
Genitive (مجرور) Add ي (Ya) لِأَبِيهِ (for his father)
Accusative (منصوب) Add ا (Alif) is added between the noun and the possessive pronoun.
📝 Example Sentences:
هَذَا أَبُوهُ وَهَذَا أَخُوهُ
This is his father and this is his brother.
هَذَا الْكِتَابُ لِأَبِيهِ وَهَذَا الْكِتَابُ لِأَخِيهِ
This book is for his father and for his brother.
Alif (ا) acts like a little “bridge” 🔗 to connect the noun to the pronoun when it’s منصوب (accusative).
This only happens with these 5 nouns!
Rule No.32
Alif (ا) acts like a little “bridge” 🔗 to connect the noun to the pronoun when it’s منصوب (accusative).
This only happens with these 5 nouns!
Without pronoun: رَأَيْتُ أَبًا
(I saw a father.)
Attach pronoun (his) → Add Alif:
رَأَيْتُ أَبَاهُ
(I saw his father.)
➡️ See the Alif (ا) between أَبَ and هُ? That’s the rule!
UNIT 18
🌟 What are Hollow Verbs (الفعل الأجوف) in Arabic?
الفعل الأجوف = Hollow verbs 💨
▶️ Definition:
A verb whose middle root letter (ع) is a vowel (و, ا, or ى).
Example vowels: و, ا, ى
▶️ Why special?
They have phonological changes (spelling/sound shifts) when conjugated.
▶️ Root letters:
ف (1st radical)
ع (2nd radical — vowel in hollow verbs)
ل (3rd radical)
▶️ Note:
Other tricky roots involve hamzah (ء) or repeated letters — they also cause changes!
A1 Conjugations: قَالَ
قَالَ (1 Third Person Masculine
2) قَالَتْ Third Person Feminine - qālat
3) قُلْتَ Second Person Masculine - qulta
4) قُلْتِ Second Person Feminine - qulti
5) قُلْتُ First Person - qultu
1) He said
2) She saId
3) you (masculine) said
4) you (feminine) said
5) I said
A1 Conjugations:
1) صَامَ - ṣāma Third Person Masculine
2) صَامَتْ - ṣāmat Third Person Feminine
3) صُمْتَ - ṣumta Second Person Masculine
4) صُمْتِ -ṣumti
5) صُمْتُ - ṣumtu
1) he fasted
2) she fasted
3) you (masculine) fasted
4) you (feminine) fasted
5) I fasted
A2 Conjugations جَاءَ
1) جَاءَ jāʾa
2) جَاءَتْ jāʾat
3) جِئْتَ jiʾta
4) جِئْتِ jiʾti
5) جِئْتُ jiʾtu
1) he came
2) she came
3) you (masculine) came
4) you (feminine) came
5) I came
A1 Conjugations:
1) كَانَ - kāna
2) كَانَتْ - kānat
3) كُنْتَ - kunta
4) كُنْتِ - kunti
5) كُنْتُ - kuntu
1) he was
2) she was
3) you (masculine) were
4) you (feminine) were
5) I was
A2 Conjugations نَامَ Sleep
1) نَامَ - nāma
2) نَامَتْ
3) نِمْتَ
4) نِمْتِ
5) نِمْتُ
Root: نَوَمَ
1) he slept 111m1
2) she slept 111f1
3) you (masculine) slept 11m1
4) you (feminine) slept iif1
5) I slept iM1+F1
Rule No. 33
How does the particle قَدْ (qad) affect the meaning of a perfect tense verb?
قَدْ + perfect tense brings the action closer to the present — it’s something that has just happened or is almost happening.
Example:
قَدْ قَامَتِ الصَّلَاةُ
(The prayer has just begun.)
Tip: قَدْ makes the past feel near and fresh.
Rule No 34
What effect does كَانَ (kāna) have when used with a verb?
كَانَ and its forms talk about something in the remote past — something that was long ago.
Example:
كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِلَّهِ فَكَانَ اللَّهُ لَهُ
(Ibrahim was for Allah, so Allah was for him.)
Tip: كَانَ means the action happened way back.
Rule No. 33 and 34
What is the normal meaning of a perfect verb in Arabic without قَدْ or كَانَ?
A perfect verb by itself simply means an action in the past (māḍī mutlaq — unrestricted past).
No special closeness or remoteness unless قَدْ or كَانَ tells you otherwise!
What does the particle فَ (fa) show in Arabic sentences?
فَ means “then,” “so,” or “and” — it shows a quick sequence or cause-and-effect between two actions.
Example:
كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لِلَّهِ فَكَانَ اللَّهُ لَهُ
(Ibrahim was for Allah, so Allah was for him.)
Tip:
Think of فَ as the “fast link” — action happens, then immediately another follows!
