Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Gender

Standard Arabic Grammar - Gender

Hi Standard Arabic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about gender in Arabic grammar. Gender is an important aspect of Arabic grammar as it affects the formation of words and their conjugation. Understanding gender is crucial for effective communication in Standard Arabic. So, let's get started!

What is Gender in Arabic?

In Arabic grammar, every noun is either masculine or feminine. Unlike English, there is no neutral gender in Arabic. The gender of a noun is not necessarily determined by the actual gender of the object it describes. For example, the word "car" is feminine in Arabic, while the word "moon" is masculine.

In addition to nouns, pronouns, verbs and adjectives can also take on gender in Arabic grammar. To determine the gender of such words, it is necessary to identify the gender of the noun they are modifying.

Noun Gender Markers

Arabic has several grammatical markers that indicate the gender of a noun. Here are a few common ones:

Marker	Example	Gender
ـة	كرسيّة (kursiyya)	Feminine
ـِيّ	دُبَيّ (dubayy)	Masculine
ـاء	شَبَكاء (shabakā’)	Feminine

As you can see, generally, feminine nouns end in the letter "-ة," while masculine nouns often end in "-يّ." There are, however, some exceptions to these rules.

It is important to know the gender of a noun in order to use the correct form of adjectives and pronouns in Arabic grammar. For example, if a speaker wanted to say "The yellow car" in Arabic, they would say "السيّارة الصفراء" (al-siyyara al-ṣafrā’). Notice how the adjective "yellow" also takes on a feminine marker, agreeing with the gender of the noun "car."

Gender in Pronouns

Arabic pronouns, like nouns, can be masculine or feminine. In addition, they can also be singular or plural. Here is a table of the personal pronouns in Arabic:

Person	Singular	Plural	Masculine	Feminine
1st person	أنَا (anā)	نَحنُ (naḥnu)	مُذَكَّر (muḏakkar)	مُؤَنَّث (mu’annath)
2nd person (m/f)	أنتَ (anta)	أنتِ (anti)	مُذَكَّر (muḏakkar)	مُؤَنَّث (mu’annath)
3rd person (m)	هو (huwa)	هُم (hum)	مُذَكَّر (muḏakkar)	–
3rd person (f)	هي (hiya)	هُنَّ (hunna)	–	مُؤَنَّث (mu’annath)

Notice that the personal pronouns not only indicate gender, but also indicate the status of the speaker or the person(s) being referred to.

Gender in Verbs

Just like nouns and pronouns, verbs in Arabic grammar can also take on a gender. In order to formulate the correct verb tense, it is essential to know the gender of the subject. Here is a table illustrating the gender agreement in Arabic verbs:

Tense	3rd person masculine singular	3rd person feminine singular	3rd person masculine plural	3rd person feminine plural
Present tense	يَأكُلُ (ya’kulu)	تَأكُلُ (ta’kulu)	يَأكُلونَ (ya’kuloona)	يَأكُلنَ (ya’kulna)
Past tense	أكَلَ (akala)	أكَلَتْ (akalat)	أكَلُوا (akaluu)	أكَلْنَ (akalna)

This table shows how the verbs "to eat" is conjugated according to the gender of the subject. Notice that the verb changes depending on whether the subject is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. For example, "He eats" would be "يَأكُلُ" (ya’kulu), while "She eats" would be "تَأكُلُ" (ta’kulu).

Gender and Culture

In Arabic culture, gender plays an important role in everyday life. In many Arab countries, there are strict gender roles and expectations. For example, men are often expected to be the breadwinners of the family while women are primarily responsible for raising children and managing the household.

It is important for Arabic language learners to be aware of these cultural tendencies in order to communicate effectively with native Arabic speakers. Knowing how to use gendered language appropriately can help build trust and respect when interacting with Arabic-speaking communities.

Dialogue

To help illustrate gender in Arabic, here is a short dialogue between two people:

• Person 1: هَلْ رأَيْتَ الكِتَابَ الجَديد؟ (hal ra’ayta al-kitāba al-jadīda?) - Have you seen the new book?
• Person 2: نَعَمْ، اشْتَرَيْتُه مِنَ الْمَكْتَبَةِ (na’am, ishtaraītu-hu min al-maktabati) - Yes, I bought it from the bookstore.
• Person 1: هَلْ هُوَ جَميلٌ؟ (hal huwa jamīlun?) - Is it beautiful?
• Person 2: نَعَمْ، هُوَ جَميلٌ جِدّاً (na’am, huwa jamīlun jiddan) - Yes, it is very beautiful.

Notice in this dialogue how person 1 uses the masculine pronoun "هو" (huwa) to refer to the book, despite the fact that "book" in Arabic is actually a feminine noun "كتاب" (kitab).

Conclusion

In conclusion, gender is an important aspect of Standard Arabic grammar that affects the formation and the meaning of words. Arabic has several markers and indicators that designate gender, such as the endings of nouns and personal pronouns. Understanding gender in Arabic can help learners build clear and effective communication skills with native speakers, while also promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness.

If you want to further improve your Arabic grammar skills, you can check our Find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have. You can also check our Grammar page for more lessons and resources.

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Arabic grammar
• Arabic language
• Gender roles in the Arab World