Arabic grammar
Schema
w
and to separate.
Articles
- no indefinite articles a/an, but do have definite articles
al-
albyt
the house.
Nouns
- all n and adj are either m or f.
- f usually ends with the letter
h'
short a only found in the end of words --am
[-aum] mother,-aH't
[-auH';t], sister,bnt
[bin;t] daughter or girl
Collective Plural
djaj
[dajaaj] chicken: collective plural, a singular, referring to an entire group or category.
Adjectives
- follows the nouns, agree on genders with the nouns
mdynh' grbyh'
an Arab city f.jamgh' jdydh'
a new university f.mtrjmh' d'kyh'
a smart translator f.mtrjm d'ky
a smart translator m.bld grby
an Arab country m.byt jdyd
a new house m.-astad'h' -amrykyh
an American professor f.-astad' -amryky
an American professor m
- color
byt -azrq
[bay;t -aaz;raq] a blue house mmdynh' zrqa-
[madynh' zar;qa-] a blue city f
- nationality m, just add the letter y to the end of the country
Adverbs
-aHb a--yTalya *-ayS'a==a
also.
Personal Pronouns
pronouns | feminine | masculine | |
---|---|---|---|
you | -ant [-an;ti]. |
-ant [-an;ta]. |
|
she, he | hy [hiyya]. |
hw [huwwa]. |
Possessive pronouns
- family members
- my - if the words don't end in
h'
ة
.- add
y
at the of the noun, it means something of mine -amy
[-aummy] my mother
- add
- your
- Your m -ak
a--bnk
[a--bnak] m your son
- Your f -ik
a--bnk
[a--bnik] your son
- Your m -ak
- all words endings in ة sound [at]
madyna
,madynaty
my city,madynatak
your city m,madynatik
your city f
Verb roots
- am, is, are not expressed in Arabic
trilateral root, mostly 9 forms
- form-1 general meaning
- form-7 prefix
in-
to form-1 verbs - reflexive and/or passive version - form-8 prefix
i-
to form-1 verbs and add a?=o
Sukuun on 1st radical - reflexive, or specially derived meaning relative. - form-10 prefix
ista-
to the form-1 verbs, insert t - considerative version, to consider someone to have the quality of form-1 verb; often a requestive version request or seak sth for oneself - form-9 rare prefix
i-
to form-1 verbs, add a?=o
on 1st radical, add a?=w
Shadda to the last radical - related to colors turning
- form-7 prefix
- form-2
?=w
2nd - causative, insensitive version- form-5 prefix
ta-
to form-2 verbs - reflexive version, usually intransitive; sometimes an intensive version of form 1
- form-5 prefix
- form-3 add
a
between 1st and 2nd - associative meaning: to or with- form-6 prefix ta- to form-3 verbs - reflexive version, usually intransitive
- form-4 prefix
a-
and?=o
to 1st - usually causative
Verb conjugations
- Egyptian verbs conjugations are easier than
algrbyh' alfSHI
[algrbyh' alfuSHa] Modern Standard Arabic.
Possession
- at + sub + obj -
gnd jwdy jaakyt jamyl
at Judy jacket pretty -> Judy has a pretty jacketgndy byt
I have a house.gndk byt
[gin;dak bay;t] you m have a house.gndk byt
[gin;dik bay;t] you f have a house.gnd jwdy byt
[gin;d jwdy bay;t] Judy has a house.lys gnd jwdy byt
[lay;sa gin;d jwdy bay;t] Judy doesn't have a house.
Preposition
mg
[maga] with Tamer.gn alqra-h'
[gan al;qira-h'] about reading.
Question
- Yes or No Questions begins with the word
hl
[hal] without literal translation but a signifier.