Personal Pronouns — Standard Arabic Grammar

Arabic verbs already tell you who is doing the action through their prefix — so standalone pronouns are mainly used for emphasis or clarity:

⁧أَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.⁩
ʼạdrụsụ ᵃllụḡạẗạ ᵃlʕạrạbịyyạẗạ.ʾadrusu ᵃllug͟hata ᵃlʿarabiyyata.ˈadrusu ᵃlluġaẗa ᵃlʿarabiyyaẗa.ˈadrs ᵃlḡẗ ᵃlʕrbyẗ.
I study the Arabic language. (Neutral statement)
⁧أَنَا أَدْرُسُ اللُّغَةَ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.⁩
ʼạnā ʼạdrụsụ ᵃllụḡạẗạ ᵃlʕạrạbịyyạẗạ.ʾanā ʾadrusu ᵃllug͟hata ᵃlʿarabiyyata.ˈanā ˈadrusu ᵃlluġaẗa ᵃlʿarabiyyaẗa.ˈana ˈadrs ᵃlḡẗ ᵃlʕrbyẗ.
I am studying the Arabic language. (Emphasizing that I am the one doing it)

The first sentence is a neutral statement. Adding (ʼạnāʾanāˈanāˈana) stresses that I am the one doing it.

Singular Pronouns

The first person is gender-neutral, but second and third person distinguish male from female.

(ʼạnāʾanāˈanāˈana) - I (male or female)
(ʼạntạʾantaˈantaˈant) - you (to a male)
(ʼạntịʾantiˈantiˈant) - you (to a female)
(hụwạhuwahuwahw) - he (also 'it' for masculine nouns)
(hịyạhiyahiyahy) - she (also 'it' for feminine nouns)

⁧أَنَا سَعِيدٌ.⁩
ʼạnā sạʕīdụṇ.ʾanā saʿīdun.ˈanā saʿiydú.ˈana sʕyd.
I am happy.
⁧أَنْتِ ذَكِيَّةٌ جِدًّا.⁩
ʼạntị ḏạkịyyạẗụṇ jịddạṇ.ʾanti d͟hakiyyatun d͟jiddan.ˈanti ḏakiyyaẗú ǧiddá.ˈant ḏkyẗ jda.
You are very smart.
⁧هُوَ فِي الْبَيْتِ.⁩
hụwạ fī ᵃlbạytị.huwa fī ᵃlbayti.huwa fiy ᵃlbayti.hw fy ᵃlbyt.
He is in the house.

Plural Pronouns

(nạḥnụnaḥnunaḥnunḥn) - we
(ʼạntụmʾantumˈantumˈantm) - you all (male or mixed)
(hụmhumhumhm) - they (male or mixed)
(hụnnạhunnahunnahn) - they (all female)

Arabic also has dual pronouns for exactly two people — (ʼạntụmāʾantumāˈantumāˈantma) you two and (hụmāhumāhumāhma) they two — covered in the dual topic.

⁧نَحْنُ هُنَا.⁩
nạḥnụ hụnā.naḥnu hunā.naḥnu hunā.nḥn hna.
We are here.
⁧هُمْ طُلَّابٌ.⁩
hụm ṭụllābụṇ.hum ṭullābun.hum ṭullābú.hm ṭlab.
They are students.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Standard Arabic course

70 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Personal Pronouns” 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
إنه نائم أيضا. هي ليست نائمة.
ʼịnnạhụ nāʼịmụṇ ʼạyḑạṇ. hịyạ lạysạt nāʼịmạẗạṇ.ʾinnahu nāʾimun ʾayḍan. hiya laysat nāʾimatan.ˌinnahu nāˌimú ˈayḍá. hiya laysat nāˌimaẗá.ˌinh naˌim ˈayḍa. hy lyst naˌimẗ.
He is also sleeping. She isn't.
Lesson 16
أنت مسلية. أعتقد أنك مسلية.
ʼạntị mụsạllịyạẗụṇ. ʼạʕtạqịdụ ʼạnnạkị mụsạllịyạẗụṇ.ʾanti musalliyatun. ʾaʿtaqidu ʾannaki musalliyatun.ˈanti musalliyaẗú. ˈaʿtaqidu ˈannaki musalliyaẗú.ˈant mslyẗ. ˈaʕtqd ˈank mslyẗ.
You are funny. I think you are funny.
Lesson 169

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