Nouns: Declension — Standard Arabic Grammar

In Arabic, the ending of a noun changes to show its role in a sentence. Look at the word for 'the man' in these three examples:

⁧وَصَلَ الرَّجُلُ.⁩
waṣala ar-rajulu.waṣala ar-rad͟julu.waṣala ʾar-raǧulu.waṣala ar-rajulu.
The man arrived.
⁧رَأَيْتُ الرَّجُلَ.⁩
ra’aytu ar-rajula.ra’aytu ar-rad͟jula.ra’aytu ʾar-raǧula.ra’aytu ar-rajula.
I saw the man.
⁧فِي البَيْتِ.⁩
fī al-bayti.fī al-bayti.fiy ʾal-bayti.fy al-bayti.
In the house.

See how the ending changes? -u when the noun is the subject (the doer), -a when it is the object (the receiver), and -i after a preposition. These three endings are the backbone of Arabic grammar.

Definiteness

An indefinite noun ('a house') adds an extra -n sound at the end, called (tanwīntanwīntanwiyntanwyn): -un, -an, or -in. Adding the prefix (al-al-ʾal-al-) makes it definite ('the house') and drops the -n.

⁧بَيْتٌ⁩
baytun
a house
⁧البَيْتُ⁩
al-baytual-baytuʾal-baytual-baytu
the house

Gender

Every noun is either masculine or feminine. Most feminine nouns end in ⁧ة⁩ (tāʾ marbūṭatāʾ marbūṭatāʾ marbuwṭataʾ marbwṭa) — a soft 'a' or 'h' sound that turns into 't' when a suffix is added.

⁧طَالِبٌ⁩
ṭālibunṭālibunṭālibunṭalibun
a (male) student
⁧طَالِبَةٌ⁩
ṭālibatunṭālibatunṭālibatunṭalibatun
a (female) student

Arabic also has forms for exactly two items (dual) and three or more (plural).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Standard Arabic course

448 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Declension” is about in bold:

هذه صديقتي آنا, وهي طالبة.
hặḏịhị ṣạdīqạtⁱ ī ʼānnā, wạ hịyạ ṭālịbạẗụṇ.hād͟hihi ṣadīqatⁱ ī ʾānnā, wa hiya ṭālibatun.hāḏihi ṣadiyqatⁱ iy ˈānnā, wa hiya ṭālibaẗú.hḏh ṣdyqtⁱ y ʾana, w hy ṭalbẗ.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
لدي سيارتان, ودراجتان هوائيتان وثلاث دراجات نارية.
lạdạyyạ sạyyārạtānị, wạ dạrrājạtānị hạwāʼịyyạtānị wạ ṯạlāṯụ dạrrājātịṇ nārịyyạẗịṇ.ladayya sayyāratāni, wa darrād͟jatāni hawāʾiyyatāni wa t͟halāt͟hu darrād͟jātin nāriyyatin.ladayya sayyāratāni, wa darrāǧatāni hawāˌiyyatāni wa ṯalāṯu darrāǧātí nāriyyaẗí.ldy syartan, w drajtan hwaˌiytan w ṯlaṯ drajat naryẗ.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33
أشتري موزة واحدة, وست بيضات.
ʼạštạrī mạwzạẗạṇ wāḥịdạẗạṇ, wạ sịttạ bạyḑātịṇ.ʾas͟htarī mawzatan wāḥidatan, wa sitta bayḍātin.ˈaštariy mawzaẗá wāḥidaẗá, wa sitta bayḍātí.ˈaštry mwzẗ waḥdẗ, w st byḍat.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43

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