Arabic: An Essential Grammar

181

Chapter 25

Adjectival patterns, relative

adjectives (nisbah),

comparatives and

superlatives, diminutives

25.1 Adjectives (^) ّصـ َفـ ُة
َ َأل
There are several adjectival forms in Arabic and the following patterns
for forming adjectives from verbs are the most common:
25.2 Adjectives denoting colours or (bodily) defects are formed
according to the patterns َأ ْف َع ُل


af

alu, masc. sing., and َف ْع َلا ُء fa

la ̄


u,
fem. sing. Both of these patterns are diptotes and the corresponding
broken plural pattern (for both genders) is: ُف ْع ٌل fu

lun (triptote), e.g.
pattern singular plural
(a)َفـا ِعـ ٌل fa ̄

ilun َعـاِل ٌم

a ̄limun, learned عُـَل َما ُء

ulama ̄


u
(b)َفـ ِعـي ٌل fa

ı-lun َك ِبـي ٌر kabı-run, big ِك َبا ٌر kiba ̄run
(c)َفـ َعـ ٌل fa

alun َح َسـ ٌن h
̇
asanun, beautiful,
fine
ِح َسا ٌن h
̇
isa ̄nun
(d)َفـ ْع َلا ُن fa

la ̄nu َك ْس َلا ُن kasla ̄nu, lazy َكـ َساَلى kasa ̄la ̄
(e)َفـ ُعو ٌل fa

u ̄lun َح ُسو ٌد h
̇
asu ̄dun, envious ُح ُس ٌد h
̇
usudun
(f) َم ْف ُعو ٌل maf

u ̄lun َم ْج ُرو ٌح mag ̆ru ̄h
̇
un, injured َم َجا ِري ُح mag ̆a ̄rı

• h
  ̇

u

Masc. sing. (diptote) Fem. sing. (diptote) Masc. and fem. plur.

َأ ْسـ َو ُد^

aswadu, black َسـ ْو َدا ُء sawda ̄

u ُسـو ٌد su ̄dun

َأ ْحـ َمـ ُر^

ah

̇

maru, red َحـ ْمـ َرا ُء h

̇

amra ̄

u ُحـ ْمـ ٌر h

̇

umrun