1.6: Grammar (1) النسبة، ال التعريف، أدوات الاستفهام
In this section, you will be able to:
- Acquire more information about the definite article "الـ"
- Understand the "Nisba" adjectives.
- Use question words (interrogative nouns)
The Definite Article الـ
In the first book, " Introduction to Arabic I ," you learned about the definite article "الـ," and the pronunciation of the definite article with the moon and sun letters. A noun in Arabic is counted definite if it is:
- Relative pronouns, we did not study them yet.
- Demonstrative pronouns, like هذا (this for masculine), and هذه (this for feminine).
- Proper nouns, like: رَنا، مِصْر، ليبيا، علي، سوريا، أمريكا، جون
- The first noun of a genitive construction, like: كِتابُ الطّالِبِ، طالِبُ المَدْرَسَةِ
- A noun with the definite article is attached، like: الكِتابُ، المَدْرَسَةُ، الطالِبُ، الطَّقْسُ، الأُسرَةُ
- Also, in Arabic abstract concepts are treated as definite nouns, like the words Arabic (العربية), and English (الانجليزية).
You should know that you can't use Tanween at the end of the noun and the definite article at the beginning of the same noun.
Forming the "Nisba" Adjectives
- "Nisba" adjectives are adjectives that are formed by adding the letter "Yaa" ياء and الشدة "Shadda," or ياء "Yaa," الشدة "Shadda," and تاء مربوطة "Taa Marbouta."
- "Nisba" adjectives are derived from places, place names, names of affiliation, professions, and a lot of proper nouns. For example عَربيّ - عَرَبيَّة ، أمريكيّ- أَمريكيَّة
How to derive the "Nisba" adjectives
To form "Nisba" adjectives, follow the following steps:
- Remove تاء مربوطة"Taa Marbouta," any final "ا' long vowel Alif, or any final يا "Yaa and Alif."
- Remove if there is any definite article.
- Add "Yaa" ياء and الشدة "Shadda," or ياء "Yaa," الشدة "Shadda," and تاء مربوطة "Taa Marbouta" depending on the word if it is masculine or feminine.
Watch this video to learn more about Nisba adjectives النسبة. This video has a captioned in Arabic and English.
Let us practice by identifying the nationality some of the Arabic Countries and following the steps to create Nisba Adjective:
| Audio for Nisba adjectives masculine and feminine. | Nisba Adjective Feminine form | Nisba Adjective Masculine form | What needs to be removed | Name of the Arabic Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
عِراق يّة | عِراق يّ | remove الـ | العِراق |
|
|
كُوَيْت يّة | كُوَيْت يّ | remove الـ | الكُوَيْت |
|
|
إمارات يّة | إمارات يّ | remove الـ | الإمارات |
|
|
قَطَر يّة | قَطَر يّ | remove nothing | قَطَر |
|
|
يَمَن يّة | يَمَن يّ | remove الـ | اليَمَن |
|
|
عُمان يّة | عُمان يّ | romove ng | عُمان |
|
|
سُّعود يّة | سُّعود يّ | remove الـ, ة, and ي | السُّعوديّة |
|
|
بَحْرين يّة | بَحْرين يّ | remove الـ | البَحْرين |
|
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أُرْدُن يّة | أُرْدُن يّ | remove الـ | الأُرْدُن |
|
|
فِلِسطين يّة | فِلِسطين يّ | remove nothing | فِلِسطين |
|
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لُبْنان يّة | لُبْنان يّ | remove nothing | لُبْنان |
|
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سور يّة | سور يّ | remove يا | سوريا |
|
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مِصْر يّة | مِصْر يّ | remove nothing | مِصْر |
|
|
لِيب يّة | لِيب يّ | remove يا | لِيبيا |
|
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سّودان يّة | سّودان يّ | remove الـ | السّودان |
|
|
صُّـومال يّة | صُّـومال يّ | remove الـ | الصُّـومال |
|
|
تونِس يّة | تونِس يّ | remove nothing | تونِس |
|
|
جَزائِر يّة | جَزائِر يّ | remove الـ | الجَزائِر |
|
|
موريتان يَّة | موريتان يّ | remove ة, and ي | موريتانيَة |
Practice the "Nisba" adjectives تدريبات النسبة
Interrogative Words in Arabic أدوات الاستفهام في اللغة العربية
You learned some of interrogative words in the first Book, " Introduction to Arabic I ."
Asking Yes- No Questions
To do this you can use Hamza "أ" or هَلْ.
- Using the Hamza "أَ" as a prefix at the start of the verb, like أَتُحِبُّ الشّايَ الأخضر ؟
- Using the Hamza "أَ" with nouns must coordinate the conjunction of choice "أَم," like أَهُوَ سامي أم حَسَن؟
- Using "هَلْ" by placing it at the start of the sentence, and the answer is either "نَعم" or "لا"
Asking Questions
To ask questions in Arabic, we use one of seven interrogative nouns. These are: مَنْ ‘who’, مَا ‘what’, مَتَى ‘when’, أَيْنَ ‘where’, كَمْ ‘how many/much’, كَيْفَ ‘how’, and أَيّ ‘which.’ The answer must be information is not known before, by mentioning what is asked about.
Prepositions may pair up with interrogative words, and the preposition comes first. Like مِنْ أيْنَ؟ 'from where", في أَيّ؟ 'in which', معَ مَنْ؟ 'with who'.
Watch the video to learn more about interrogative words in Arabic أدوات الاستفهام بالعربية