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

  ṭālịbụṇ mụjtạhịdụṇṭālibun mud͟jtahidunṭālibú muǧtahidúṭalb mjthd

  a hardworking student (male)

• ⁧طَالِبَةٌ مُجْتَهِدَةٌ⁩

  ṭālịbạẗụṇ mụjtạhịdạẗụṇṭālibatun mud͟jtahidatunṭālibaẗú muǧtahidaẗúṭalbẗ mjthdẗ

  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

  albạytụ ᵃlkạbīrụalbaytu ᵃlkabīruʾalbaytu ᵃlkabiyrualbyt ᵃlkbyr

  the big house

• ⁧بَيْتٌ كَبِيرٌ⁩

  bạytụṇ kạbīrụṇbaytun kabīrunbaytú kabiyrúbyt kbyr

  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 (ụuu) for definite or ⁧ـٌ⁩ (ụṇunú) for indefinite.

• ⁧جَاءَ رَجُلٌ طَوِيلٌ⁩

  jāʼạ rạjụlụṇ ṭạwīlụṇd͟jāʾa rad͟julun ṭawīlunǧāˈa raǧulú ṭawiylújaˈa rjl ṭwyl

  A tall man came.

Accusative Case (Object)

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

• ⁧رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا طَوِيلًا⁩

  rạʼạytụ rạjụlạṇ ṭạwīlạṇraʾaytu rad͟julan ṭawīlanraˈaytu raǧulá ṭawiylárˈayt rjla ṭwyla

  I saw a tall man.

Genitive Case (After Prepositions)

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

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ مَعَ رَجُلٍ طَوِيلٍ⁩

  ḏạhạbtụ mạʕạ rạjụlịṇ ṭạwīlịṇd͟hahabtu maʿa rad͟julin ṭawīlinḏahabtu maʿa raǧulí ṭawiylíḏhbt mʕ rjl ṭwyl

  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 (ūnạūnauwnawn) or ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (īnạīnaiynayn). For feminine, add ⁧⁧ـَاتٌ⁩⁩ (ātụṇātunātúat).

• ⁧مُعَلِّمُونَ مِصْرِيُّونَ⁩

  mụʕạllịmūnạ mịṣrịyyūnạmuʿallimūna miṣriyyūnamuʿallimuwna miṣriyyuwnamʕlmwn mṣrywn

  Egyptian teachers (male)

• ⁧مُعَلِّمَاتٌ مِصْرِيَّاتٌ⁩

  mụʕạllịmātụṇ mịṣrịyyātụṇmuʿallimātun miṣriyyātunmuʿallimātú miṣriyyātúmʕlmat mṣryat

  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 (fụʕạlāʼụfuʿalāʾufuʿalāˈufʕlaˈa) or ⁧⁧فِعَالٌ⁩⁩ (fịʕālụṇfiʿālunfiʿālúfʕal).

• ⁧أَصْدِقَاءُ كُرَمَاءُ⁩

  ʼạṣdịqāʼụ kụrạmāʼụʾaṣdiqāʾu kuramāʾuˈaṣdiqāˈu kuramāˈuˈaṣdqaˈa krmaˈa

  ⁦generous friends (singular: ⁩⁧كَرِيمٌ⁩⁦)⁩

• ⁧رِجَالٌ كِبَارٌ⁩

  rịjālụṇ kịbārụṇrid͟jālun kibārunriǧālú kibārúrjal kbar

  ⁦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

  sạyyārātụṇ jạdīdạẗụṇsayyārātun d͟jadīdatunsayyārātú ǧadiydaẗúsyarat jdydẗ

  new cars (literally: cars new-she)

• ⁧الْجِبَالُ الْعَالِيَةُ⁩

  aljịbālụ ᵃlʕālịyạẗụald͟jibālu ᵃlʿāliyatuʾalǧibālu ᵃlʿāliyaẗualjbal ᵃlʕalyẗ

  the high mountains

• ⁧كِلَابٌ صَغِيرَةٌ⁩

  kịlābụṇ ṣạḡīrạẗụṇkilābun ṣag͟hīratunkilābú ṣaġiyraẗúklab ṣḡyrẗ

  small dogs