Arabic: An Essential Grammar

16.2 The demonstrative pronouns can be used both independently (as

nouns) and adjectivally in Arabic:

Note: In the adjectival construction the noun must be preceded by the definite

article.

16.3 When a demonstrative pronoun is used as the subject in a

nominal sentence where the predicate is a noun made definite by the

article َأْلـ...

al-, a third-person personal pronoun must be inserted

between the subject and predicate to serve as a copula ‘is, are’, e.g.

that, that one

singular dual plural

masc. fem. masc. fem. masc. and fem.

Nom.

ِ

ذِلك

ا

ُأول ِئ َك َتا ِن َك َذا ِن َك ِتْل َك َذا َك

d

̄

a ̄lika or d

̄

a ̄ka tilka d

̄

a ̄nika ta ̄nika

u ̄la ̄

ika

that (one) those two those (ones)

Acc.

ِ

ذِلك

ا

ُأول ِئ َك َت ْي ِن َك َذ ْي ِن َك ِتْل َك َذا َك

and d

̄

a ̄lika or d

̄

a ̄ka tilka d

̄

aynika taynika

u ̄la ̄

ika

gen. that (one) those two those (ones)

Note: Regarding the spelling rules for the hamzah in ه ُؤلا ِء

ا

and ُأو َلا ِئ َك, see chapter 20.

Independently Adjectivally

ه َذا َقَل ٌم

ا

ه َذا ْل َقَل ُم َق ِصي ٌر

ا

ha ̄d

̄

a ̄ qalamun. ha ̄d

̄

a ̄ l-qalamu qas

̇

ı

• run.

This (is) a pen. This pen (is) short (small).

ذِل َك ِح َصا ٌن

ا

ذِل َك ْلـ ِح َصا ُن َس ِري ٌع

ا

d

̄

a ̄lika his

̇

a ̄nun. d

̄

a ̄lika l-his

̇

a ̄nu sarı

• 
  un.

That (is) a horse (stallion). That horse (is) fast.

ه َذا ُه َو ْل َقَل ُم

ا

ه ِذ ِه ِه َي ْل ِب ْن ُت

ا

ل ُمو َنَّه ُؤ َلا ِء ُه ُم ْلـ ُم َع

ا

ha ̄d

̄

a ̄ huwa l-qalamu. ha ̄d

̄

i-hi hiya l-bintu. ha ̄

ula ̄

i humu l-mu



allimu ̄na.

This is the pen. This is the girl. These are the teachers.

99

Demon-

strative,

reflexive

and

reciprocal

pronouns