Adjectives: Declension

01

Agreement in Gender and Definiteness

The adjective must match the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and definiteness (defined or undefined).

If the noun is feminine (usually ending in ⁧ة⁩ (t)), the adjective must also take the feminine marker ⁧ة⁩ (t).

• ⁧طَالِبٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ⁩

  ṭālibun mujtahidunṭālibun mud͟jtahidunṭālibun muǧtahidunṭalibun mujtahidun

  a hardworking student (male)

• ⁧طَالِبَةٌ مُجْتَهِدَةٌ⁩

  ṭālibatun mujtahidatunṭālibatun mud͟jtahidatunṭālibatun muǧtahidatunṭalibatun mujtahidatun

  a hardworking student (female)

If the noun has the definite article ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-), the adjective must also have ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-). If the noun is indefinite (no ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-)), the adjective remains indefinite.

• ⁧الْبَيْتُ الْكَبِيرُ⁩

  al-baytu al-kabīrual-baytu al-kabīruʾal-baytu ʾal-kabiyrual-baytu al-kabyru

  the big house

• ⁧بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ⁩

  baytun kabīrunbaytun kabīrunbaytun kabiyrunbaytun kabyrun

  a big house

02

Case Declension (Singular)

Adjectives also copy the "case" of the noun. The case is indicated by the short vowel endings on the last letter of the word.

Nominative Case (Subject)

Used when the noun is the subject of the sentence. The ending is ⁧ـُ⁩ (u) for definite or ⁧ـٌ⁩ (un) for indefinite.

• ⁧جَاءَ رَجُلٌ طَوِيلٌ⁩

  jāʾa rajulun ṭawīlund͟jāʾa rad͟julun ṭawīlunǧāʾa raǧulun ṭawiylunjaʾa rajulun ṭawylun

  A tall man came.

Accusative Case (Object)

Used when the noun is the object of a verb. The ending is ⁧ـَ⁩ (aaʾaa) for definite or ⁧ـًا⁩ (ananʾanan) for indefinite. Note that indefinite masculine adjectives usually add an ⁧ا⁩ (āāāa) to support the ending.

• ⁧رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا طَوِيلًا⁩

  raʾaytu rajulan ṭawīlanraʾaytu rad͟julan ṭawīlanraʾaytu raǧulan ṭawiylanraʾaytu rajulan ṭawylan

  I saw a tall man.

Genitive Case (After Prepositions)

Used after prepositions or in possession. The ending is ⁧ـِ⁩ (i) for definite or ⁧ـٍ⁩ (in) for indefinite.

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ رَجُلٍ طَوِيلٍ⁩

  dhahabtu maʿa rajulin ṭawīlindhahabtu maʿa rad͟julin ṭawīlindhahabtu maʿa raǧulin ṭawiylindhahabtu maʿa rajulin ṭawylin

  I went with a tall man.

03

Plural Adjectives: Human Nouns

When describing humans, plural nouns require plural adjectives.

Sound Plurals

Some adjectives follow regular patterns. For masculine, add ⁧⁧ـُونَ⁩⁩ (ūnaūnauwnawna) or ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (īnaīnaiynayna). For feminine, add ⁧⁧ـَاتٌ⁩⁩ (ātunātunātunatun).

• ⁧مُعَلِّمُونَ مِصْرِيُّونَ⁩

  muʿallimūna miṣriyyūnamuʿallimūna miṣriyyūnamuʿallimuwna miṣriyyuwnamuʿalimwna miṣriywna

  Egyptian teachers (male)

• ⁧مُعَلِّمَاتٌ مِصْرِيَّاتٌ⁩

  muʿallimātun miṣriyyātunmuʿallimātun miṣriyyātunmuʿallimātun miṣriyyātunmuʿalimatun miṣriyatun

  Egyptian teachers (female)

Broken Plurals

Many common adjectives do not follow the regular rule. Instead, they change their internal vowel structure. This is called a "broken plural." You must memorize these forms as you learn the vocabulary. Common patterns include ⁧⁧فُعَلَاءُ⁩⁩ (fuʿalāʾufuʿalāʾufuʿalāʾufuʿalaʾu) or ⁧⁧فِعَالٌ⁩⁩ (fiʿālunfiʿālunfiʿālunfiʿalun).

• ⁧أَصْدِقَاءُ كُرَمَاءُ⁩

  aṣdiqāʾu kuramāʾuaṣdiqāʾu kuramāʾuʾaṣdiqāʾu kuramāʾuaṣdiqaʾu kuramaʾu

  ⁦generous friends (singular: ⁩⁧كَرِيمٌ⁩⁦)⁩

• ⁧رِجَالٌ كِبَارٌ⁩

  rijālun kibārunrid͟jālun kibārunriǧālun kibārunrijalun kibarun

  ⁦big/old men (singular: ⁩⁧كَبِيرٌ⁩⁦)⁩

04

Plural Adjectives: Non-Human Nouns

There is a crucial exception in Arabic grammar: Non-human plural nouns are treated as feminine singular.

When you describe plural inanimate objects, animals, or concepts (anything that is not a human), you must use the feminine singular form of the adjective. You do not use the plural adjective.

• ⁧سَيَّارَاتٌ جَدِيدَةٌ⁩

  sayyārātun jadīdatunsayyārātun d͟jadīdatunsayyārātun ǧadiydatunsayaratun jadydatun

  new cars (literally: cars new-she)

• ⁧الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيَةُ⁩

  al-jibālu al-ʿāliyatual-d͟jibālu al-ʿāliyatuʾal-ǧibālu ʾal-ʿāliyatual-jibalu al-ʿaliyatu

  the high mountains

• ⁧كِلَابٌ صَغِيرَةٌ⁩

  kilābun ṣaghīratunkilābun ṣaghīratunkilābun ṣaghiyratunkilabun ṣaghyratun

  small dogs