Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Standard Arabic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to form plurals in Standard Arabic, including irregular plurals, and the different types of plural forms.
Basic Rules
In Standard Arabic, plurals are formed by adding specific markers to singular nouns. Here are the basic rules for forming plurals:
- If a noun is feminine, its plural form is created by adding -āt (-ات) to the singular noun.
- If a noun is masculine and ends with a short vowel (a, i, u), the plural form is created by adding -ūn (-ون), -īn (-ين), or -ān (-ان) to the singular noun.
- If a noun is masculine and ends with a long vowel or consonant, the plural form is created by adding -āt (-ات), or -īn (-ين) to the singular noun.
For example, let's consider the following examples:
| Standard Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كِتَاب (kitaab) | /ki.taːb/ | book |
| كِتَابَات (kitaabaat) | /ki.taː.baːt/ | books (feminine) |
| شَجَرَة (shajara) | /ʃa.d͡ʒa.ra/ | tree |
| شَجَرَات (shajaraat) | /ʃa.d͡ʒa.raːt/ | trees (feminine) |
| قَلَم (qalam) | /ʔa.lam/ | pen |
| أَقْلَام (aqlaam) | /ʔak.laːm/ | pens (masculine, ends with a consonant) |
| كِرْسِيّ (kirsiyy) | /kir.si:j/ | chair |
| كُرَاسِي (kuraasi) | /ku.ra.siː/ | chairs (masculine, ends with a long vowel) |
Note that the form -īn (-ين) is the most common plural marker for masculine nouns ending in a short vowel. However, some plural forms are irregular, and do not follow these basic rules.
Irregular Plurals
Some nouns have irregular plural forms that must be memorized. Here are some examples:
| Standard Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كِتَاب (kitaab) | /ki.taːb/ | book |
| كُتُب (kutub) | /ku.tub/ | books (masculine) |
| أُسْتَاذ (ustadh) | /ʔus.tædʰ/ | teacher (male) |
| أَسَاتِذَة (asaati.dhah) | /ʔæ.sa:.ta.i.dʰa/ | teachers (male) |
| تِمْسَاح (timsaah) | /tim.sa:.ħ/ | crocodile |
| تَمْسَاح (tamsaah) | /tæm.sa:.ħ/ | crocodiles |
In some cases, the plural form changes the meaning of the word from singular. For example:
- قَلْب (qalb) means heart, but قُلُوْب (quloob) means hearts (as in the organ).
- يَد (yad) means hand, but أَيْدِي (aydi) means hands (as in a helper).
Types of Plural Forms
In Standard Arabic, there are two types of plural forms: sound (regular) and broken (irregular).
Sound Plural Form
Sound plural forms follow the basic rules outlined above, and they are formed using the plural markers without modifying any letters or vowels.
Examples:
| Standard Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| مِعْلَم (mi'lam) | /miʕ.lam/ | teacher (female) |
| مَعَلِمَات (ma'li.ma.at) | /ma.ʕa.li.mej.jaːt/ | teachers (female) |
| وَلَد (walad) | /wa.lad/ | boy |
| أَوْلَاد (awlād) | /ʔaw.laːd/ | boys |
| سُوَل (suwal) | /su.wal/ | question |
| أَسْئِلَة (as'ila) | /ʔas.ʔi.la.ha/ | questions (feminine) |
Broken Plural Form
Broken plural forms are formed by modifying the letters or vowels of the singular noun. The most common broken plural forms are those that contain the letters -āt (-ات), -īn (-ين), and -uwn (-ون) in the plural form.
Examples:
| Standard Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| دَرَسَ (darasa) | /da.ra.sa/ | he studied |
| دُرُوس (duroos) | /du.ruːs/ | lessons |
| كَاتِب (kaatib) | /ka:.tib/ | writer |
| كُتَّاب (kuttaab) | /kut.taːb/ | writers |
| كَلْب (kalb) | /kalb/ | dog |
| كِلَاب (kilaab) | /ki.laːb/ | dogs |
Not all broken plural forms use the same pattern, and some can be quite tricky. The best way to learn them is to practice using them in context.
Dialogue
Here's a dialogue to practice the plural forms we've learned:
- Person 1: كِتَابٌ جَدِيْدٌ (kitaabun jadeedun) (A new book.)
- Person 2: كُتُبٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ (kutubun mukhtalifatun) (Different books.)
- Person 1: شَجَرَةٌ خَلَفَ الْبَيْتِ (shajara tun khalaf al-bait) (A tree behind the house.)
- Person 2: شَجَرَاتٌ مَلْئِيَّةٌ بِالْأُزُرُقِ (shajaraatun mal'iyyatun bil-'uzuruk) (Trees full of blueberries.)
Practice
Try to form the plural form for the following nouns:
- desk (maseera)
- word (kalima)
- women (imra'at)
- planet (kawkeh)
Conclusion
In this lesson, we've covered the basic rules for forming plurals in Standard Arabic. We've also learned about irregular plurals, and the different types of plural forms. Make sure to practice using plurals in context to solidify your knowledge. To improve your Standard Arabic Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources
Related Lessons
- Subject pronouns
- Types of Sentences
- Future Tense
- Plural
- Prepositions
- Al ham'za الهمزة
- Accents
- Adjectives
- Coordination words
- Conjugation of the verb to write in the imperfect