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7.4: Demonstrative Pronouns in Arabic

  • Page ID
    278264
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    Learning Objectives

    In this section, you will be able to:

    • Identify Arabic Demonstrative Pronouns in contextualized sentences related to food, meals, and daily routines.

    Introduction

    Demonstrative pronouns (أسماء الإشارة) are used to point to people, objects, or things that are near or far. In English, there are words like "this," "that," "these," and "those." In Arabic, demonstrative pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to. They are essential for identifying and describing items, especially in real-world situations like food, shopping, and daily life.

    Singular Demonstratives

    Singular demonstrative pronouns in Arabic are used to point to one object or person, either near or far. They must match the gender of the noun. Use هذا for masculine nouns that are close, like "هذا طبق" (this is a dish), and هذه for feminine nouns, such as "هذه قهوة" (this is coffee). For things that are farther away, use ذلك for masculine and تلك for feminine nouns. These words help describe items clearly, primarily regarding food or meals on a table or in conversation.

    Singular Demonstratives
    Audio Example in Context Gender Meaning Arabic

    هذا طعامٌ لَذيذٌ Masculine this هذا

    هَذه قهوةٌ عربيّةٌ Feminine this هَذه

    ذلِكَ مطعم مَشهورٌ Masculine that ذلِكَ

    تِلْكَ وَجبَةٌ صحيَّةٌ Feminine that تِلْكَ

    Query \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    Dual Demonstratives

    Dual demonstrative pronouns are used to refer to exactly two items and must agree in gender with the noun. Use هذانِ for two masculine items that are nearby and هاتانِ for two feminine items that are nearby. To refer to two distant items, use ذانك (masculine) and تانك (feminine), but they are not really used in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and are mostly found in classical or formal writing. It’s more common to use other structures or contexts to express the same meaning. These are especially useful when describing or comparing two specific dishes, utensils, or people in a setting such as a kitchen or restaurant.

    Dual Demonstratives
    Audio Example in Context Gender Meaning Arabic

    هذانِ طبقانِ جديدان Masculine these two هذانِ

    هَاتانِ سَلَطتانِ لَذيذتان Feminine these two هَاتانِ

    ذانِكَ طاهيان مشهوران Masculine those two ذانِكَ

    تِلْكَ وَجبَتانِ صحيَّتان Feminine those two تانِكَ

    Query \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    Plural Demonstratives

    Plural demonstrative pronouns are used to point to more than two people or items. In Arabic, هؤلاء is used for human plural nouns (both masculine and feminine), and أولئك is used for distant human plural nouns. For non-human plurals, Arabic uses the singular feminine demonstrative—usually هذه. These pronouns are helpful when describing groups of people, foods, or items in conversations and descriptions.

    Plural Demonstratives
    Audio Example in Context Gender Meaning Arabic

    هؤلاء طلاب يسألون عن المطعمِ الجديدِ human (m/f plural) these هؤلاء

    أولئك طلابٌ جُدَد human (m/f plural) those أُولئك

    Query \(\PageIndex{3}\)

    Practice

    • Use demonstrative pronouns with a partner to describe items on a food menu or dishes on the table. Try to include:
      • Masculine and feminine nouns.
      • Singular, dual, and plural
      • Near and far items

    7.4: Demonstrative Pronouns in Arabic is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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