Nouns: Genitive Case

01

Usage 1: After Prepositions

The most common trigger for the genitive case is the presence of a preposition. If a noun follows a preposition such as ⁧⁧فِي⁩⁩ (fīfīfiyfy) - in, ⁧⁧عَلَى⁩⁩ (ʿalāʿalāʿalāʿala) - on, ⁧⁧مِنْ⁩⁩ (min) - from, or ⁧⁧إِلَى⁩⁩ (ilāilāilāila) - to, that noun automatically takes the genitive case.

• ⁧الْقَلَمُ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.⁩

  al-qalamu ʿalā al-maktabi.al-qalamu ʿalā al-maktabi.ʾal-qalamu ʿalā ʾal-maktabi.al-qalamu ʿala al-maktabi.

  The pen is on the desk.

• ⁧أَنَا فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  anā fī al-bayti.anā fī al-bayti.ʾanā fiy ʾal-bayti.ana fy al-bayti.

  I am in the house.

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ.⁩

  dhahabtu ilā al-madīnati.dhahabtu ilā al-madīnati.dhahabtu ilā ʾal-madiynati.dhahabtu ila al-madynati.

  I went to the city.

02

Usage 2: Possession (The Idafa)

The second main use is in a possessive construction called the ⁧⁧إِضَافَة⁩⁩ (IḍāfahIḍāfahIḍāfahIḍafah). In English, possession is often marked by 's (the teacher's book) or of (the book of the teacher). In Arabic, this is achieved by placing two nouns next to each other.

The second noun (the possessor) is always in the genitive case.

• ⁧سَيَّارَةُ الْمُدِيرِ.⁩

  sayyāratu al-mudīri.sayyāratu al-mudīri.sayyāratu ʾal-mudiyri.sayaratu al-mudyri.

  The director's car.

• ⁧مِفْتَاحُ الْبَابِ.⁩

  miftāḥu al-bābi.miftāḥu al-bābi.miftāḥu ʾal-bābi.miftaḥu al-babi.

  The key of the door.

03

Endings for Singular Nouns

For singular nouns and broken plurals, the genitive case is marked by changing the final vowel of the word to -i (⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kasrah)). The exact ending depends on whether the word is definite or indefinite.

Definite Nouns

If the noun has the definite article ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (al-al-ʾal-al-), the ending is a short vowel -i.

• ⁧مِنَ الْوَلَدِ.⁩

  mina al-waladi.mina al-waladi.mina ʾal-waladi.mina al-waladi.

  From the boy.

Indefinite Nouns

If the noun is indefinite (no ⁧⁧ال⁩⁩ (alalʾalal)), the ending is -in. This double vowel marking is called ⁧⁧تَنْوِين⁩⁩ (tanwīntanwīntanwiyntanwyn) (nunation).

• ⁧قَلَمُ طَالِبٍ.⁩

  qalamu ṭālibin.qalamu ṭālibin.qalamu ṭālibin.qalamu ṭalibin.

  A student's pen.

• ⁧هُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ كَبِيرٍ.⁩

  huwa fī baytin kabīrin.huwa fī baytin kabīrin.huwa fiy baytin kabiyrin.huwa fy baytin kabyrin.

  He is in a big house.

04

Endings for Dual and Plural Nouns

While singular nouns change their final vowel, dual nouns and sound masculine plurals change their suffix letters entirely in the genitive case.

• Dual Nouns: The suffix ⁧⁧ـَانِ⁩⁩ (-āni-āni-āni-ani) changes to ⁧⁧ـَيْنِ⁩⁩ (-ayni).

• ⁧كِتَابُ الطَّالِبَيْنِ.⁩

  kitābu al-ṭālibayni.kitābu al-ṭālibayni.kitābu ʾal-ṭālibayni.kitabu al-ṭalibayni.

  The two students' book.

• Sound Masculine Plurals: The suffix ⁧⁧ـُونَ⁩⁩ (-ūna-ūna-uwna-wna) changes to ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (-īna-īna-iyna-yna).

• ⁧تَحَدَّثْتُ مَعَ الْمُعَلِّمِينَ.⁩

  taḥaddathtu maʿa al-muʿallimīna.taḥaddathtu maʿa al-muʿallimīna.taḥaddathtu maʿa ʾal-muʿallimiyna.taḥadathtu maʿa al-muʿalimyna.

  I spoke with the teachers.

• Sound Feminine Plurals: These behave like singular nouns but take a simple -i or -in ending. They never take a short a vowel.

• ⁧غُرْفَةُ الْمُعَلِّمَاتِ.⁩

  ghurfatu al-muʿallimāti.ghurfatu al-muʿallimāti.ghurfatu ʾal-muʿallimāti.ghurfatu al-muʿalimati.

  The female teachers' room.

05

The Exception: Possessive Suffix "My"

When a noun is attached to the possessive suffix ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y), meaning my, the genitive case ending is "hidden." The requirement to pronounce the long ī sound overrides the grammatical case ending. The noun remains grammatically genitive, but you do not hear the distinct genitive marker.

• ⁧هَذَا كِتَابِي.⁩

  hādhā kitābī.hādhā kitābī.hādhā kitābiy.hadha kitaby.

  This is my book.

06

Pronunciation Note

In formal Arabic and when reading full texts, these endings are pronounced. However, in natural speech, if the word is at the end of a sentence, the final short vowel (the case ending) is usually dropped. This is known as the "pausal form." Despite this, the word is still considered to be in the genitive case grammatically.