Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/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.'
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