Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Definite-and-indefinite-articles

Standard Arabic Grammar → Nouns and gender in Arabic → Definite and indefinite articles

As a Standard Arabic language teacher, I think the topic of definite and indefinite articles is important for beginners to understand. In this lesson, you will learn the usage of the definite and indefinite articles in Arabic. Specific to Arabic language, it is important to understand the gender of the noun to choose the correct article.

Understanding Articles in Standard Arabic

Arabic has two types of articles for every noun: definite (al) and indefinite (un/una). As similar to English language, the 'the' corresponds to the definite article in Arabic Language. Whereas, the indefinite articles such as 'a' and 'an' in English language correspond to the indefinite articles 'un' and 'una' in Arabic language.

The main difference to remember while using articles in standard Arabic is that the gender of the noun defines the choice of the article. So, it is essential for beginners to identify the gender of the noun correctly.

Arabic nouns can be singular or plural, masculine or feminine, and sometimes dual. Once the gender has been identified, the definite article 'al' and the indefinite article 'un/una' will change depending on the noun's gender.

The general rules for articles usage in Arabic:

• If the noun is feminine and singular, use 'un' for indefinite article, and 'al' for definite article; e.g., كتاب جديد [Kitābun Jadīd] - "a new book," الكتاب الجديد [Alkitābu Aljadīdu] - "the new book."
• If the noun is masculine and singular, use 'un' for indefinite article, and 'al' for definite article; e.g., قلم جديد [Qalamun Jadīd] - "a new pen," القلم الجديد [Alqalamu Aljadīdu] - "the new pen."
• If the noun is feminine and plural, use 'un' for indefinite article, and 'al' for definite article; e.g., كتب جديدة Kitābun Jadīdatun - "new books," الكتب الجديدة Al-Kitabu Al-Jadidatu - "the new books."
• If the noun is masculine and plural, use 'un' for indefinite article, and 'al' for definite article; e.g., أقلام جديدة Aqlāmun Jadīdatun - "new pens," الأقلام الجديدة Al-Aqlāmu Al-Jadīdatu - "the new pens."
• The vowel 'a' in the indefinite article can be replaced with 'i' in case of 'rizq' (مصدر) the source of income or 'harf' (حرف) the alphabet letter; e.g., رزق هانئ [Rizqin Hāni'un] - "a blessed income," or حرف ياء [Harfin Yā'in] - "a letter yā."

Here is a table of examples to help understand the usage of articles in different cases:

Arabic	Pronunciation	English
كتاب جديد	[Kitābun Jadīd]	a new book
الكتاب الجديد	[Alkitābu Aljadīdu]	the new book
قلم جديد	[Qalamun Jadīd]	a new pen
القلم الجديد	[Alqalamu Aljadīdu]	the new pen
كتب جديدة	Kitābun Jadīdatun	new books
الكتب الجديدة	Al-Kitabu Al-Jadidatu	the new books
أقلام جديدة	Aqlāmun Jadīdatun	new pens
الأقلام الجديدة	Al-Aqlāmu Al-Jadīdatu	the new pens

Recap

In this lesson, you learned about the usage of the definite and indefinite articles in Arabic. One can not use an article in Arabic language without recognizing the gender of the noun. Knowing the gender of the noun is the first step while transcribing words, phrases, and sentences in Standard Arabic.

Remember these basics of articles usage in Arabic:

• Use 'un/una' for indefinite articles.
• Use 'al' for definite articles.
• The vowel 'a' in the indefinite article can be replaced with 'i.'

Sources

• Arabic language
• Arabic grammar

Table of Contents - Standard Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Arabic script

• Arabic vowels
• Arabic consonants
• Basic Arabic phrases

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Nouns and gender in Arabic

• Definite and indefinite articles
• Masculine and feminine nouns

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Verbs and conjugation in Arabic

• Present tense conjugation
• Past tense conjugation
• Future tense conjugation

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Numbers and counting in Arabic

• Cardinal numbers 1-100
• Ordinal numbers

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Everyday Arabic vocabulary

• Greetings and farewells
• Colors
• Days of the week
• Months of the year

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Food and drink vocabulary

• Basic food vocabulary
• Drinks

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Arabic customs and traditions

• Islam and Arabic culture
• Arabic hospitality

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Arabic music and entertainment

• Arabic music genres
• Arabic dance

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Adjectives in Arabic

• Adjective agreement and placement
• Comparative and superlative

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Pronouns in Arabic

• Personal pronouns
• Possessive pronouns

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Prepositions in Arabic

• Basic prepositions
• Prepositions of time and place

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Interrogatives in Arabic

• Question words
• Question formation

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Adverbs in Arabic

• Formation and placement
• Negation

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Transportation vocabulary

• Public transportation
• Asking for directions

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Shopping and money vocabulary

• Money vocabulary
• Shopping vocabulary

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Arabic literature and poetry

• Classical Arabic literature
• Arabic poetry

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Arabic calligraphy and art

• History of Arabic calligraphy
• Arabic art and architecture

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Weather vocabulary

• Basic weather vocabulary
• Talking about the weather

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Conditional sentences in Arabic

• First and second conditional
• Third conditional and mixed conditionals

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Passive voice in Arabic

• Formation and usage
• Differences from the active voice

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Relative clauses in Arabic

• Formation and usage
• Differences from English relative clauses

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Arabic adjectives and nouns

• Common Arabic adjectives
• Compound nouns in Arabic

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Arabic cinema and TV

• Arabic cinema
• Arabic TV

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Arabic fashion and beauty

• Traditional Arabic dress
• Arabic beauty and cosmetics

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Sports and leisure vocabulary

• Popular Arabic sports
• Leisure activities

Related Lessons

• Formation and placement
• Negation
• First and second conditional
• Plural
• Prepositions of time and place
• Formation and usage
• How to Use Have
• Differences from the active voice
• Negations