Language/Standard-arabic/Grammar/Differences-from-English-relative-clauses

Standard Arabic Grammar → Relative clauses in Arabic → Differences from English relative clauses

In this lesson, we will learn about relative clauses in Arabic and the differences between Arabic and English relative clauses. Relative clauses are used to describe or provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It's a grammatical construction that is composed of a relative pronoun or adverb and a verb in the subjunctive or indicative mood.

Relative clauses in Arabic are a bit different from those in English. In Arabic, the relative pronoun is usually in the genitive (possessive) case, whereas in English, the relative pronoun is not declined. Also, in Arabic, the verb in the relative clause agrees in gender and number with its antecedent, whereas in English, there is no agreement between the verb and its antecedent.

Let's look at some examples:

Standard Arabic	Pronunciation	English
الجد الذي سافر	al-jaddu al-lathi sāfara	the grandfather who traveled
الباب الذي فتحته	al-bābu alladhi fatahtuhu	the door which I opened
الأشخاص الذين رأيناهم	al-ashkhāsu alladheena ra'aynāhum	the people whom we saw
المكان الذي يجتمع فيه الناس	al-makānu alladhi yajtami'u fīhi al-nāsu	the place where people gather

As you can see, the relative pronoun 'الذي', which means 'who' or 'which', is declined in the genitive case to agree with its antecedent.

Another difference between Arabic and English relative clauses is that in Arabic, the relative clause appears before the main clause, whereas in English, it follows the main clause.

Here are some example sentences to illustrate this point:

• هذا هو الرجل الذي قابلته في المطار. (This is the man who I met at the airport.)

• الطالبة التي تحب اللغة العربية درست في الجامعة الأردنية. (The student who loves Arabic studied at the University of Jordan.)

In both of these Arabic sentences, the relative clause precedes the main clause, whereas in English, the order is reversed.

It's important to note that in Arabic, the relative pronoun also agrees in case with its role in the relative clause. For example, if the relative pronoun acts as the subject of the verb in the relative clause, it will be in the nominative case. If it's the object of the verb, it will be in the accusative case.

Here are some examples:

• هذا هو الطالب الذي فاز بالمسابقة. (This is the student who won the competition.) Here, the relative pronoun 'الذي' is acting as the subject of the verb 'فاز', so it's in the nominative case.

• أنا أحب الكتاب الذي اشتريته الأسبوع الماضي. (I like the book which I bought last week.) Here, the relative pronoun 'الذي' is acting as the object of the verb 'اشتريت', so it's in the accusative case.

In conclusion, relative clauses are an important part of Arabic grammar, and it's essential to understand the differences between Arabic and English relative clauses. By mastering these grammatical structures, you'll be able to communicate more effectively in Arabic and express your ideas more precisely.

Sources

• Relative Clause in Arabic - Wikipedia
• Possessive Case in Arabic - Wikipedia

Table of Contents - Standard Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Arabic script

• Arabic vowels
• Arabic consonants
• Basic Arabic phrases

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Nouns and gender in Arabic

• Definite and indefinite articles
• Masculine and feminine nouns

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Verbs and conjugation in Arabic

• Present tense conjugation
• Past tense conjugation
• Future tense conjugation

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Numbers and counting in Arabic

• Cardinal numbers 1-100
• Ordinal numbers

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Everyday Arabic vocabulary

• Greetings and farewells
• Colors
• Days of the week
• Months of the year

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Food and drink vocabulary

• Basic food vocabulary
• Drinks

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Arabic customs and traditions

• Islam and Arabic culture
• Arabic hospitality

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Arabic music and entertainment

• Arabic music genres
• Arabic dance

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Adjectives in Arabic

• Adjective agreement and placement
• Comparative and superlative

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Pronouns in Arabic

• Personal pronouns
• Possessive pronouns

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Prepositions in Arabic

• Basic prepositions
• Prepositions of time and place

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Interrogatives in Arabic

• Question words
• Question formation

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Adverbs in Arabic

• Formation and placement
• Negation

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Transportation vocabulary

• Public transportation
• Asking for directions

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Shopping and money vocabulary

• Money vocabulary
• Shopping vocabulary

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Arabic literature and poetry

• Classical Arabic literature
• Arabic poetry

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Arabic calligraphy and art

• History of Arabic calligraphy
• Arabic art and architecture

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Weather vocabulary

• Basic weather vocabulary
• Talking about the weather

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Conditional sentences in Arabic

• First and second conditional
• Third conditional and mixed conditionals

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Passive voice in Arabic

• Formation and usage
• Differences from the active voice

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Relative clauses in Arabic

• Formation and usage
• Differences from English relative clauses

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Arabic adjectives and nouns

• Common Arabic adjectives
• Compound nouns in Arabic

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Arabic cinema and TV

• Arabic cinema
• Arabic TV

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Arabic fashion and beauty

• Traditional Arabic dress
• Arabic beauty and cosmetics

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Sports and leisure vocabulary

• Popular Arabic sports
• Leisure activities

Related Lessons

• Read the Vowels
• Learn Arabic Grammar
• Definite and indefinite articles
• THE DECLENSION OF THE SOUND MASCULINE PLURAL
• NOMINATIVE SEPARATE PERSONAL PRONOUNS
• Arabic consonants
• Negation
• Accents
• Arabic vowels
• Word order