Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Gender-and-Plurals

Moroccan Arabic Grammar → Nouns and Pronouns → Gender and Plurals

As a beginner in Moroccan Arabic, one of the first things you need to master is noun gender and plurals. In this lesson, you will learn the rules concerning the gender and plural forms of nouns in Moroccan Arabic, an important aspect of the language that you will encounter in everyday conversations.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Negative Imperative & Demonstratives.

Gender of Nouns

In Moroccan Arabic, nouns can be either masculine or feminine, and there are several rules that govern the assignment of gender. The following are some of the most common gender rules:

• Nouns that refer to males or have a masculine connotation are masculine. For example, the noun "walad" (meaning son), is masculine.
• Nouns that refer to females or have a feminine connotation are feminine. For example, the noun "bint" (meaning daughter), is feminine.
• Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine, while those ending in other vowels are usually masculine.
• Nouns ending in consonants can be either masculine or feminine, and there are no clear rules for assigning gender to these nouns. You have to memorize them.

Here is a table with examples to illustrate the gender distinction in Moroccan Arabic:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
ولد	wld	son (masculine)
بنت	bnt	daughter (feminine)
يد	yd	hand (feminine)
شمس	shms	sun (feminine)
كتاب	ktāb	book (masculine)
طائر	ṭāʼer	bird (masculine)

Now that you have learned how to assign gender to nouns, it is time to move on to plurals.

Plural of Nouns

In Moroccan Arabic, there are different ways to form the plural of nouns, and the rules depend on the gender and ending of the noun. Here are a few of the most common plural rules:

• For masculine nouns ending in a vowel, the plural is often formed by adding -in. For example, the word "kitab" (book) becomes "kutub" (books) in the plural form.
• For masculine nouns ending in consonants, the plural is often formed by adding -at. For example, the word "kalb" (dog) becomes "klab" (dogs) in the plural form.
• For feminine nouns ending in -a, the plural is often formed by adding -at. For example, the word "bint" (daughter) becomes "banat" (daughters) in the plural form.
• For feminine nouns that end in -iya, the plural can be formed by either adding -at or changing the -iya into -iyat. For example, the word "madrasa" (school) becomes "madaris" or "madrasat" (schools) in the plural form.

Here is a table with examples to illustrate the different plural forms in Moroccan Arabic:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
كتاب	kutub	books (masculine)
حصان	ḥissan	horses (masculine)
باب	bāb	doors (masculine)
بنت	banat	daughters (feminine)
مدرسة	madaris/madrasat	schools (feminine)

As you learn more vocabulary, you will come across many exceptions to the rules outlined above. In many cases, you will simply have to memorize the plural forms of certain nouns.

Pronouns and Gender

Just like nouns, pronouns in Moroccan Arabic are also gendered. For example, the personal pronoun "he" is usually rendered as "huwa" for masculine nouns and "hiya" for feminine nouns.

In addition, possessive pronouns must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. For example, the possessive pronoun "my" in Moroccan Arabic is "diali" for masculine nouns and "dialti" for feminine nouns.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned about the gender and plural rules for nouns in Moroccan Arabic. Whether you are speaking with a friend or a fellow traveler, understanding these rules will help you to better communicate and connect with others.

Remember to keep practicing and checking your progress regularly. Learning a language can be challenging, but with dedication and hard work, you will master it eventually!

Sources

• Moroccan Arabic
• Arabic Grammar

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Verbs "to have", "to be" and "to do" & The verb To learn.

Table of Contents - Moroccan Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction

• Alphabet and Writing
• Pronunciation

  ---

Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Asking for Directions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Plurals
• Demonstratives
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Food and Drink

• Ordering Food in a Restaurant
• Describing Food
• Beverages and Ordering Drinks

  ---

Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

House and Home

• Rooms and Furniture
• Household Chores
• Renting an Apartment

  ---

Adjectives

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Weddings and Celebrations
• Greetings and Etiquette

  ---

Prepositions

• Directional Prepositions
• Temporal Prepositions

  ---

Transportation

• Taking a Taxi
• Public Transportation

  ---

Imperative Mood

• Affirmative Imperative
• Negative Imperative

  ---

Shopping and Bargaining

• Shopping for Clothes
• At the Market
• Bargaining and Haggling

  ---

Historical Sites and Landmarks

• The Medina
• Kasbahs

  ---

Relative Clauses

• Direct and Indirect Object Clauses
• Relative Pronouns

  ---

Health and Emergencies

• At the Hospital
• Emergencies and First Aid

  ---

Passive Voice

• Formation of Passive Constructions
• Uses of the Passive

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Leisure and Entertainment

• Music and Dance
• Sports and Activities

  ---

Holidays and Festivals

• Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha
• Ramadan

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Conditional Mood

• Formation of the Conditional
• Uses of the Conditional

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Regional Dialects

• Darija and Other Dialects
• Language Use and Social Context

  ---

Indirect Speech

• Reported Speech
• Indirect Questions

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Weather and Climate

• Describing the Weather
• Seasons and Climate

Other Lessons

• The verb "to sleep"
• The Ablative Case in Moroccan Arabic
• How to use “to speak” in Moroccan Arabic
• Definite Articles in Moroccan Arabic
• Temporal Prepositions
• The verb "to Get up"
• Alphabet and Writing
• Direct and Indirect Object Clauses
• The Verb "To Talk"
• The verb "To leave"