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 (-ka)
• Your (female): ⁧⁧ـكِ⁩⁩ (-ki)
• His: ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hu)
• Her: ⁧⁧ـهَا⁩⁩ (-hā-hā-hā-ha)

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

• ⁧هَذَا كِتَابِي.⁩

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

  This is my book.

• ⁧أَيْنَ كِتَابُكَ؟⁩

  ayna kitābuka?ayna kitābuka?ʾayna kitābuka?ayna kitabuka?

  Where is your book? (to a male)

• ⁧سَيَّارَتُهُ جَدِيدَةٌ.⁩

  sayyāratuhu jadīdatun.sayyāratuhu d͟jadīdatun.sayyāratuhu ǧadiydatun.sayaratuhu jadydatun.

  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 (-kum)
• Your (plural, female): ⁧⁧ـكُنَّ⁩⁩ (-kunna-kunna-kunna-kuna)
• Their (plural, male/mixed): ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hum)
• Their (plural, female): ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (-hunna-hunna-hunna-huna)
• Your (dual, two people): ⁧⁧ـكُمَا⁩⁩ (-kumā-kumā-kumā-kuma)
• Their (dual, two people): ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-humā-humā-humā-huma)

• ⁧هَذَا بَيْتُنَا.⁩

  hādhā baytunā.hādhā baytunā.hādhā baytunā.hadha baytuna.

  This is our house.

• ⁧هَلْ هَذَا فَصْلُكُمْ؟⁩

  hal hādhā faṣlukum?hal hādhā faṣlukum?hal hādhā faṣlukum?hal hadha faṣlukum?

  Is this your (plural) classroom?

• ⁧أُحِبُّ أَصْدِقَاءَهُمْ.⁩

  uḥibbu aṣdiqāʾahum.uḥibbu aṣdiqāʾahum.uḥibbu ʾaṣdiqāʾahum.uḥibu aṣdiqaʾahum.

  I like their friends.

03

Nouns Ending in ⁧تَاء مَرْبُوطَة⁩ (tāʾ marbūṭa) (ة)

If a noun ends with the feminine marker ⁧ة⁩ (tāʾ marbūṭatāʾ marbūṭatāʾ marbuwṭataʾ marbwṭa), the shape of the letter changes when a suffix is added. The "tied" ⁧ة⁩ opens up into a regular ⁧⁧ت⁩⁩ (tāʾtāʾtāʾtaʾ) to allow the suffix to connect.

For example, ⁧⁧مَدْرَسَةٌ⁩⁩ (madrasatun) - school becomes:

• ⁧مَدْرَسَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ.⁩

  madrasatī kabīratun.madrasatī kabīratun.madrasatiy kabiyratun.madrasaty kabyratun.

  My school is big.

• ⁧زُرْتُ مَدِينَتَهَا.⁩

  zurtu madīnatahā.zurtu madīnatahā.zurtu madiynatahā.zurtu madynataha.

  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 (-ka), ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hu), ⁧⁧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 (kasra) (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.⁩

  kalbuka laṭīfun.kalbuka laṭīfun.kalbuka laṭiyfun.kalbuka laṭyfun.

  Your dog is cute.

• ⁧كَلْبِي لَطِيفٌ.⁩

  kalbī laṭīfun.kalbī laṭīfun.kalbiy laṭiyfun.kalby laṭyfun.

  My dog is cute.

05

Vowel Harmony in 3rd Person Suffixes

The third-person suffixes starting with h (⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (-hu), ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (-hum), ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (-hunna-hunna-hunna-huna), ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (-humā-humā-humā-huma)) change their vowel sound based on what comes immediately before them.

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

• ⁧هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهِ.⁩

  huwa fī baytihi.huwa fī baytihi.huwa fiy baytihi.huwa fy baytihi.

  He is in his house.

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

• ⁧ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى مَكْتَبِهِمْ.⁩

  dhahabtu ilá maktabihim.

  I went to their office.

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

06

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

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

• ⁧هَذِهِ عَصَايَ.⁩

  hādhihi ʿaṣāya.hādhihi ʿaṣāya.hādhihi ʿaṣāya.hadhihi ʿaṣaya.

  This is my stick.

• ⁧تِلْكَ دُنْيَايَ.⁩

  tilka dunyāya.tilka dunyāya.tilka dunyāya.tilka dunyaya.

  That is my world.