Nouns: Accusative Case

01

The Direct Object

The most common use of the accusative is to indicate who or what is being acted upon. In English, word order usually dictates this (Subject-Verb-Object). In Arabic, the case ending marks the object, allowing for more flexible word order, though Verb-Subject-Object is standard.

• ⁧شَرِبَ الْوَلَدُ الْحَلِيبَ.⁩

  šạrịbạ ᵃlwạlạdụ ᵃlḥạlībạ.s͟hariba ᵃlwaladu ᵃlḥalība.šariba ᵃlwaladu ᵃlḥaliyba.šrb ᵃlwld ᵃlḥlyb.

  The boy drank the milk.

• ⁧زَارَ أَحْمَدُ صَدِيقًا.⁩

  zārạ ʼạḥmạdụ ṣạdīqạṇ.zāra ʾaḥmadu ṣadīqan.zāra ˈaḥmadu ṣadiyqá.zar ˈaḥmd ṣdyqa.

  Ahmed visited a friend.

02

Definite Nouns (The Ending -a)

When a noun is definite (marked by the article ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (alalʾalal) or by being a proper noun), the accusative case is marked by a single short vowel -a (⁧⁧فَتْحَة⁩⁩ (fạtḥạẗfatḥahfatḥaẗftḥẗ)) placed above the final letter.

In unvocalized texts (texts without diacritics), this short vowel is not written, so you must rely on context to know the noun is the object.

• ⁧فَتَحَ الرَّجُلُ الْبَابَ.⁩

  fạtạḥạ ᵃrrạjụlụ ᵃlbābạ.fataḥa ᵃrrad͟julu ᵃlbāba.fataḥa ᵃrraǧulu ᵃlbāba.ftḥ ᵃrjl ᵃlbab.

  The man opened the door.

• ⁧سَمِعْتُ الْأَذَانَ.⁩

  sạmịʕtụ ᵃlʼạḏānạ.samiʿtu ᵃlʾad͟hāna.samiʿtu ᵃlˈaḏāna.smʕt ᵃlˈaḏan.

  I heard the call to prayer.

03

Indefinite Nouns (The Ending -an)

When a noun is indefinite (meaning "a" or "an"), the accusative case is marked by the -an sound (⁧⁧فَتْحَتَان⁩⁩ (fạtḥạtānfatḥatānfatḥatānftḥtan)). This involves two important changes:

• Pronunciation: The word ends in an "an" sound.
• Spelling: For most masculine nouns, you must add a silent ⁧⁧أَلِف⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) (⁧⁧ا⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf)) to the end of the word to "carry" the double vowel symbol. This ⁧⁧أَلِف⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf) is written even in texts that do not use other diacritics, making it a helpful visual clue.

• ⁧قَرَأَ الطَّالِبُ كِتَابًا.⁩

  qạrạʼạ ᵃṭṭālịbụ kịtābạṇ.qaraʾa ᵃṭṭālibu kitāban.qaraˈa ᵃṭṭālibu kitābá.qrˈa ᵃṭalb ktaba.

  The student read a book.

• ⁧رَأَيْتُ بَيْتًا كَبِيرًا.⁩

  rạʼạytụ bạytạṇ kạbīrạṇ.raʾaytu baytan kabīran.raˈaytu baytá kabiyrá.rˈayt byta kbyra.

  I saw a big house.

04

Spelling Exceptions: ⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗ)

There is a major exception to the spelling rule above. If a noun ends in ⁧ة⁩ (⁧⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗtāʾ marbūṭahtāˈ marbuwṭaẗtaʼ mrbwṭẗ)), you do not add the extra ⁧⁧أَلِف⁩⁩ (ʼạlịfʾalifˈalifˈalf). The double vowel symbol is placed directly over the ⁧ة⁩. This is common for feminine nouns.

• ⁧أَكَلْتُ تُفَّاحَةً.⁩

  ʼạkạltụ tụffāḥạẗạṇ.ʾakaltu tuffāḥatan.ˈakaltu tuffāḥaẗá.ˈaklt tfaḥẗ.

  I ate an apple.

• ⁧كَتَبَتْ فَاطِمَةُ رِسَالَةً.⁩

  kạtạbạt fāṭịmạẗụ rịsālạẗạṇ.katabat fāṭimatu risālatan.katabat fāṭimaẗu risālaẗá.ktbt faṭmẗ rsalẗ.

  Fatima wrote a letter.

05

Adverbs of Time

Nouns indicating when an action happens are almost always placed in the accusative case. This transforms a noun like "morning" into the adverb "in the morning."

• ⁧أَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْعَمَلِ صَبَاحًا.⁩

  ʼạḏhạbụ ʼịlā ᵃlʕạmạlị ṣạbāḥạṇ.ʾad͟hhabu ʾilā ᵃlʿamali ṣabāḥan.ˈaḏhabu ˌilā ᵃlʿamali ṣabāḥá.ˈaḏhb ˌila ᵃlʕml ṣbaḥa.

  I go to work in the morning.

• ⁧سَأُسَافِرُ غَدًا.⁩

  sạʼụsāfịrụ ḡạdạṇ.saʾusāfiru g͟hadan.saˈusāfiru ġadá.sˈasafr ḡda.

  I will travel tomorrow.