Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Reflexive-Pronouns
In this lesson, we will learn about reflexive pronouns in Egyptian Arabic and how to use them. Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and the object in a sentence refer to the same person or thing.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns in Egyptian Arabic are formed by adding the prefix "نَفْسَ" (nafs) to the corresponding subject pronoun. See the table below for examples:
Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
أنا نَفْسِيَ | ana nafsiya | myself |
أنتَ نَفْسَكَ | anta nafsak | yourself (singular masculine) |
أنتِ نَفْسِكَ | anti nafsik | yourself (singular feminine) |
هو نَفْسُهُ | huwa nafsu | himself |
هي نَفْسَهَا | hiya nafsa-ha | herself |
احنا نَفْسَنَا | eHna nafsna | ourselves |
انتوا نَفْسَكُمْ | entu nafsekum | yourselves (plural masculine) |
انتوا نَفْسَكُمْ | ento nafsakom | yourselves (plural feminine) |
هُمْ نَفْسَهُمْ | hum nafsu-hum | themselves (masculine) |
هُنْ نَفْسَهُنَ | hun nafsa-hun | themselves (feminine) |
For example, if you want to say "I dressed myself", you would say "أنا لَبْسْتُ نَفْسِيَ" (ana labest nafsiya).
It's important to note that in Egyptian Arabic, the reflexive pronoun is placed directly after the verb, unlike in English where it comes before the verb.
Using Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns in Egyptian Arabic are used in a variety of situations. Here are some common examples:
- Daily routines: "I wake myself up at 6am" would be "أنا بَصِّحْ نَفْسِي عَ الساعة ٦ الصبح" (ana bassiH nafsiya 'ala-s-saa'a sita s-sobH).
- Personal care: "She washes herself" would be "هي تَغْسِلْ نَفْسَهَا" (hiya taghsil nafsa-ha).
- Reciprocal actions: "They love each other" would be "هُمْ بَيْحَبُّوا بَعْضِهُمْ" (hum bayHubbu ba'dihum).
It's also important to remember that in Egyptian Arabic, reflexive pronouns are not used when the action is being done for someone else. For example, "I washed my son" would be "أنا غَسَّلْتُ وَلَدي" (ana gassaltu waladi), not "أنا غَسَّلْتُ نَفْسِي" (ana gassaltu nafsiya).
Practice
Here are some examples for you to practice using reflexive pronouns in Egyptian Arabic:
- I cut myself =
- They dressed themselves =
- She combs her hair herself =
Check your answers below:
- أنا قَطَّعْتُ نَفْسِي = (ana QaTTa'tu nafsiya)
- هُمْ لَبَّسُوا نَفْسَهُمْ = (hum labbasu nafsu-hum)
- هي بِشِّطْ شَعْرَهَا نَفْسَهَا = (hiya bishTiT sha'raha nafsa-ha)
Sources
Related Lessons
- Adjectives
- Verbs to speak
- How to Use "فى" (There is)
- Future Tense
- To Be Verb
- Comparatives and Superlatives
- Questions Words
- Past Tense
- Negation
- Give your Opinion