Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Indefinite-and-definite-articles

Egyptian Arabic: Indefinite and Definite Articles

In today's lesson, we will learn about indefinite and definite articles in Egyptian Arabic.

In Egyptian Arabic, articles are used to indicate the definiteness or indefiniteness of a noun. The definite article is used to refer to a specific noun, while the indefinite article is used to refer to a non-specific noun.

The Definite Article in Egyptian Arabic

The definite article in Egyptian Arabic is "ال" (al). It is used before the noun to indicate that the noun being referred to is specific and known to both the speaker and the listener.

The Indefinite Article in Egyptian Arabic

There is no indefinite article in Egyptian Arabic. Instead, the indefinite meaning is conveyed by the context or by using a word like "عدة" (3ada), which means "a few".

Examples of Using Articles in Egyptian Arabic

Here are some examples of using indefinite and definite articles in Egyptian Arabic:

• الطالب (al-taleb) means "the student"
• طالب (taleb) means "a student"
• عدة طلاب (3ada taleb) means "a few students"

Tips for Using Articles in Egyptian Arabic

Here are some tips to help you use indefinite and definite articles correctly in Egyptian Arabic:

• Alwaysculine nouns in Egyptian Arabic usually take the definite article "ال".
• Feminine nouns in Egyptian Arabic take the definite article "ال" with a vowel sound after it, such as "الكتاب" (al-kitab) for "the book".
• When a noun is preceded by an adjective, the definite article is placed before the adjective, not the noun. For example: الجميل الكتاب (al-jameel al-kitab) means "the beautiful book".
• The definite article is not used before proper nouns, such as names of people, places, and countries.

By learning about indefinite and definite articles in Egyptian Arabic, you will be able to accurately convey the meaning of the nouns you are referring to in your conversations.

Examples

INDEFINITE ARTICLES

صاحب واحد	قهوة وحدة
a friend	a  coffee

فندق واحد	مدينة وحدة
a hotel	a city

DEFINITE ARTICLES

Write  (ال)  before the substantive

Before the letters : ا ، ب ، ح ، خ ، ع ، غ ، ف ، ق ،  م ، ه ، و ، ي

The pronunciation of (ال) will be (il)

الفندق	المدينة
the hotel	the city

Before the letters : ت ، ج ، ر ، ز ، س ، ش ، ص ، ض ، ط ، ل ، ن، د ، ك

The pronunciation of (ال) will be the letter (i) + the first letter of the word repeated

الصاحب	الشارع
the  friend	the  street

Related Lessons

• Present continuous
• Genitive Case
• Use "بقدر" (can)
• Nouns
• Prepositions
• Pronouns
• Plurals
• Plural
• How to use the modal verb Must