Possessive Adjectives: Suffix Form

01

Singular Possessive Suffixes

The specific suffix changes based on the person (first, second, or third) and the gender of the "owner."

• My: ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y)
• Your (male): ⁧⁧ـكَ⁩⁩ (-kạ-ka-ka-k)
• Your (female): ⁧⁧ـكِ⁩⁩ (-kị-ki-ki-k)
• His: ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h)
• Her: ⁧⁧ـهَا⁩⁩ (-hā-hā-hā-ha)

Here is how they attach to the word ⁧⁧كِتَابٌ⁩⁩ (kịtābụṇkitābunkitābúktab) - a book. Note that the "n" sound of the indefinite ending (⁧⁧تَنْوِين⁩⁩ (tạnwīntanwīntanwiyntnwyn)) is removed before adding the suffix.

• ⁧هَذَا كِتَابِي.⁩

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

  This is my book.

• ⁧أَيْنَ كِتَابُكَ؟⁩

  ʼạynạ kịtābụkạ?ʾayna kitābuka?ˈayna kitābuka?ˈayn ktabk?

  Where is your book? (to a male)

• ⁧سَيَّارَتُهُ جَدِيدَةٌ.⁩

  sạyyārạtụhụ jạdīdạẗụṇ.sayyāratuhu d͟jadīdatun.sayyāratuhu ǧadiydaẗú.syarth jdydẗ.

  His car is new.

02

Plural and Dual Possessive Suffixes

Arabic also has specific suffixes for plural owners ("our", "their", "your") and dual owners (two people).

• Our: ⁧⁧ـنَا⁩⁩ (-nā-nā-nā-na)
• Your (plural, male/mixed): ⁧⁧ـكُمْ⁩⁩ (-kụm-kum-kum-km)
• Your (plural, female): ⁧⁧ـكُنَّ⁩⁩ (-kụnnạ-kunna-kunna-kn)
• Their (plural, male/mixed): ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hụm-hum-hum-hm)
• Their (plural, female): ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (-hụnnạ-hunna-hunna-hn)
• Your (dual, two people): ⁧⁧ـكُمَا⁩⁩ (-kụmā-kumā-kumā-kma)
• Their (dual, two people): ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-hụmā-humā-humā-hma)

• ⁧هَذَا بَيْتُنَا.⁩

  hặḏā bạytụnā.hād͟hā baytunā.hāḏā baytunā.hḏa bytna.

  This is our house.

• ⁧هَلْ هَذَا فَصْلُكُمْ؟⁩

  hạl hặḏā fạṣlụkụm?hal hād͟hā faṣlukum?hal hāḏā faṣlukum?hl hḏa fṣlkm?

  Is this your (plural) classroom?

• ⁧أُحِبُّ أَصْدِقَاءَهُمْ.⁩

  ʼụḥịbbụ ʼạṣdịqāʼạhụm.ʾuḥibbu ʾaṣdiqāʾahum.ˈuḥibbu ˈaṣdiqāˈahum.ˈaḥb ˈaṣdqaˈahm.

  I like their friends.

03

Nouns Ending in ⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗ) (ة)

If a noun ends with the feminine marker ⁧ة⁩ (tāʼ mạrbūṭạẗtāʾ marbūṭahtāˈ marbuwṭaẗtaʼ mrbwṭẗ), the shape of the letter changes when a suffix is added. The "tied" ⁧ة⁩ opens up into a regular ⁧⁧ت⁩⁩ (tāʼtāʾtāˈtaʼ) to allow the suffix to connect.

For example, ⁧⁧مَدْرَسَةٌ⁩⁩ (mạdrạsạẗụṇmadrasatunmadrasaẗúmdrsẗ) - school becomes:

• ⁧مَدْرَسَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ.⁩

  mạdrạsạtī kạbīrạẗụṇ.madrasatī kabīratun.madrasatiy kabiyraẗú.mdrsty kbyrẗ.

  My school is big.

• ⁧زُرْتُ مَدِينَتَهَا.⁩

  zụrtụ mạdīnạtạhā.zurtu madīnatahā.zurtu madiynatahā.zrt mdyntha.

  I visited her city.

04

Case Endings and the "My" Suffix

In Arabic, nouns usually have a short vowel at the end indicating their grammatical case (u, a, or i).

For most suffixes (like ⁧⁧ـكَ⁩⁩ (-kạ-ka-ka-k), ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h), ⁧⁧ـنَا⁩⁩ (-nā-nā-nā-na)), this case vowel is pronounced before* the suffix.

* However, the "My" suffix (⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y)) is an exception. It forces the letter before it to take a ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ) (i) sound, regardless of the grammatical case. The original case vowel disappears.

Compare "your dog" (keeping the case vowel 'u') vs "my dog" (losing the case vowel):

• ⁧كَلْبُكَ لَطِيفٌ.⁩

  kạlbụkạ lạṭīfụṇ.kalbuka laṭīfun.kalbuka laṭiyfú.klbk lṭyf.

  Your dog is cute.

• ⁧كَلْبِي لَطِيفٌ.⁩

  kạlbī lạṭīfụṇ.kalbī laṭīfun.kalbiy laṭiyfú.klby lṭyf.

  My dog is cute.

05

Vowel Harmony in 3rd Person Suffixes

The third-person suffixes starting with h (⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h), ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hụm-hum-hum-hm), ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (-hụnnạ-hunna-hunna-hn), ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-hụmā-humā-humā-hma)) change their vowel sound based on what comes immediately before them.

Normally, the vowel is u (e.g., ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hụ-hu-hu-h), ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hụm-hum-hum-hm)). However, if the noun ends in a ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ) vowel (i) or the letter ⁧⁧يَاء⁩⁩ (yāʼyāʾyāˈyaʼ) (y), the suffix vowel changes to i (e.g., ⁧⁧ـهِ⁩⁩ (-hị-hi-hi-h), ⁧⁧ـهِمْ⁩⁩ (-hịm-him-him-hm)) to make pronunciation smoother. This often happens after prepositions.

• ⁧هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهِ.⁩

  hụwạ fī bạytịhị.huwa fī baytihi.huwa fiy baytihi.hw fy byth.

  He is in his house.

(Notice it is ⁧⁧بَيْتِهِ⁩⁩ (bạytịhịbaytihibaytihibyth), not ⁧⁧بَيْتِهُ⁩⁩ (bạytịhụbaytihubaytihubyth), because of the preposition ⁧⁧فِي⁩⁩ (fīfīfiyfy)).

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى مَكْتَبِهِمْ.⁩

  ḏạhạbtụ ʼịlā mạktạbịhịm.d͟hahabtu ʾilā maktabihim.ḏahabtu ˌilā maktabihim.ḏhbt ˌila mktbhm.

  I went to their office.

(It becomes ⁧⁧ـهِمْ⁩⁩ (-hịm-him-him-hm) instead of ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hụm-hum-hum-hm)).

06

The Alternative "My" Suffix (⁧ـيَ⁩ (-yạ))

While "my" is usually ⁧⁧ـِي⁩⁩ (-ī-ī-iy-y), it changes to ⁧⁧ـيَ⁩⁩ (-yạ-ya-ya-y) if the noun already ends in a long vowel (like ā, ī, or ū). This prevents two long vowels from clashing.

• ⁧هَذِهِ عَصَايَ.⁩

  hặḏịhị ʕạṣāyạ.hād͟hihi ʿaṣāya.hāḏihi ʿaṣāya.hḏh ʕṣay.

  This is my stick.

• ⁧تِلْكَ دُنْيَايَ.⁩

  tịlkạ dụnyāyạ.tilka dunyāya.tilka dunyāya.tlk dnyay.

  That is my world.