Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note: A separate pronoun can be added as an apposition to a word containing a

suffix pronoun to give special emphasis, e.g.

َتْنَأ َكِب ُتْرَرـَم

marartu bi-ka

anta.

I passed by you. (Yo u are the one I passed by.)

15.3 Sometimes the verb is preceded by a separate personal pronoun

referring to the subject to put stress on the statement or subject, or

to make the expression clear and to avoid misunderstandings in an

unvocalized text, e.g.

ط ِبي َبَّ َأ َ نا َش َكر ُت ل^

ana ̄ sˇakartu t

̇

-t

̇

abı

• ba. I thanked the doctor.

َس ِم ْع َت ْلـ َخ َب َر َأ ْن َت^

anta sami



ta l-h

̆

abara. Yo u heard the piece of news.

ب َكُّب ِ ك/ ُأ ِحَُّأ َ نا ُأ ِح^

ana ̄

uh

̇

ibbu-ki (f.) /

uh

̇

ibbu-ka (m.). I (certainly) love

you.

15.4 The suffix pronouns ت ِصَل ُةَّض َما ِئ ُر ْلـ ُمَّ َأل function as accusative

and genitive forms of the personal pronouns. They can be attached to

nouns, prepositions or verbs:

singular dual plural

1. 
   

   ـي.. ِ. /..ı

   
   

   / ..ـ ِني /..nı
   
      -
   
         / (as in the plural) ..ـ َنا /..na ̄/

   
   

my me our, us

2. m. ..ـ َك /..ka/ ..ـ ُك َما /..kuma ̄/ ..ـ ُك ْم /..kum/

your, you your, you (two) your, you

2. f. ..ـ ِك /..ki/ ..ـ ُك َما /..kuma ̄/ نَّ ..ـ ُك /..kunna/

your, you your, you (two) your, you

3. m. ..ـ ُه /..hu/ ..ـ ُه َما /...huma ̄/ ..ـ ُه ْم /..hum/

his, him, its, it their, them (two) their, them

3. f. ..ـ َها /..ha ̄/ ..ـ ُه َما /...huma ̄/ نَّ ..ـ ُه /..hunna/

her, its, it their, them (two) their, them

Separate

personal

pronouns

and suffix

pronouns

88