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 (ʕạlāʿalāʿalāʕla) - on, ⁧⁧مِنْ⁩⁩ (mịnminminmn) - from, or ⁧⁧إِلَى⁩⁩ (ʼịlāʾilāˌilāˌila) - to, that noun automatically takes the genitive case.

• ⁧الْقَلَمُ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ.⁩

  alqạlạmụ ʕạlā ᵃlmạktạbị.alqalamu ʿalā ᵃlmaktabi.ʾalqalamu ʿalā ᵃlmaktabi.alqlm ʕla ᵃlmktb.

  The pen is on the desk.

• ⁧أَنَا فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩

  ʼạnā fī ᵃlbạytị.ʾanā fī ᵃlbayti.ˈanā fiy ᵃlbayti.ˈana fy ᵃlbyt.

  I am in the house.

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ.⁩

  ḏạhạbtụ ʼịlā ᵃlmạdīnạẗị.d͟hahabtu ʾilā ᵃlmadīnati.ḏahabtu ˌilā ᵃlmadiynaẗi.ḏhbt ˌila ᵃlmdynẗ.

  I went to the city.

02

Usage 2: Possession (The Idafa)

The second main use is in a possessive construction called the ⁧⁧إِضَافَة⁩⁩ (ʼịḑāfạẗʾiḍāfahˌiḍāfaẗˌiḍafẗ). 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.⁩

  sạyyārạẗụ ᵃlmụdīrị.sayyāratu ᵃlmudīri.sayyāraẗu ᵃlmudiyri.syarẗ ᵃlmdyr.

  The director's car.

• ⁧مِفْتَاحُ الْبَابِ.⁩

  mịftāḥụ ᵃlbābị.miftāḥu ᵃlbābi.miftāḥu ᵃlbābi.mftaḥ ᵃlbab.

  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 (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ)). 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.⁩

  mịnạ ᵃlwạlạdị.mina ᵃlwaladi.mina ᵃlwaladi.mn ᵃlwld.

  From the boy.

Indefinite Nouns

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

• ⁧قَلَمُ طَالِبٍ.⁩

  qạlạmụ ṭālịbịṇ.qalamu ṭālibin.qalamu ṭālibí.qlm ṭalb.

  A student's pen.

• ⁧هُوَ فِي بَيْتٍ كَبِيرٍ.⁩

  hụwạ fī bạytịṇ kạbīrịṇ.huwa fī baytin kabīrin.huwa fiy baytí kabiyrí.hw fy byt kbyr.

  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 (-ānị-āni-āni-an) changes to ⁧⁧ـَيْنِ⁩⁩ (-ạynị-ayni-ayni-yn).

• ⁧كِتَابُ الطَّالِبَيْنِ.⁩

  kịtābụ ᵃṭṭālịbạynị.kitābu ᵃṭṭālibayni.kitābu ᵃṭṭālibayni.ktab ᵃṭalbyn.

  The two students' book.

• Sound Masculine Plurals: The suffix ⁧⁧ـُونَ⁩⁩ (-ūnạ-ūna-uwna-wn) changes to ⁧⁧ـِينَ⁩⁩ (-īnạ-īna-iyna-yn).

• ⁧تَحَدَّثْتُ مَعَ الْمُعَلِّمِينَ.⁩

  tạḥạddạṯtụ mạʕạ ᵃlmụʕạllịmīnạ.taḥaddat͟htu maʿa ᵃlmuʿallimīna.taḥaddaṯtu maʿa ᵃlmuʿallimiyna.tḥdṯt mʕ ᵃlmʕlmyn.

  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.⁩

  ḡụrfạẗụ ᵃlmụʕạllịmātị.g͟hurfatu ᵃlmuʿallimāti.ġurfaẗu ᵃlmuʿallimāti.ḡrfẗ ᵃlmʕlmat.

  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.⁩

  hặḏā kịtābī.hād͟hā kitābī.hāḏā kitābiy.hḏa ktaby.

  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.