Arabic: An Essential Grammar

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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
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