Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(a) The accusative and genitive forms are ِكَل ْي kilay (masc.) and ِكْل َت ْي

kiltay (fem.). These forms are used only when they are followed

by a suffix pronoun, e.g.

(b) The verb with ِك َلا kila ̄ is in the singular

ِك َلا  ْلـ َخ ِبي َر ْي ِن َر َأ ْي ُت ِكْل َتا  ْلـ َخ ِبي َر َت ْي ِنَر َأ ْي ُت

ra

aytu kila ̄ l-h

̆

abı

• rayni. ra

aytu kilta ̄ l-h

̆

abı

• rtayni.

I saw both experts.

(lit. I saw each one of the two experts.)

ِب ِك َلا  ْلـ َخ ِبي َر ْي ِنَم َر ْر ُت ِب ِكْل َتا  ْلـ َخ ِبي َر َت ْي ِنَم َر ْر ُت

marartu bi-kila ̄ l-h

̆

abı

• rayni. marartu bi-kilta ̄ l-h
  ̆

abı

• ratayni.

I passed by both the experts.

(lit. I passed by each one of the two experts.)

Masculine Feminine

يٌّ ِك َلا ُه َما َأ ْج َن ِب ي ٌةَِّكْل َتا ُه َما َأ ْج َن ِب

kila ̄-huma ̄

ag ̆nabiyyun. (nom.) kilta ̄-huma ̄

ag ̆nabiyyatun. (nom.)

Both of them are foreigners.

َر َأ ْي ُت ِكَل ْي ِه َما َر َأ ْي ُت ِكْل َت ْي ِه َما

ra

aytu kilay-hima ̄. (acc.) ra

aytu kiltay-hima ̄. (acc.)

I saw both of them.

َم َع ِكَل ْي ِه َما َم َع ِكْل َت ْي ِه َما

ma



a kilay-hima ̄ (gen.) ma



a kiltay-hima ̄ (gen.)

with both of them

(lit. with each one of the two)

واِّك َلا ْلـ َخ ِبي َر ْي ِن َسا َف َر َج ً ًواِّكْل َتا ْلـ َخ ِبي َر َت ْي ِن َسا َف َر ْت َج

kila ̄ l-h

̆

abı

• rayni sa ̄fara (sing.) g ̆awwan. kilta ̄ l-h
  ̆

abı

• ratayni sa ̄farat (sing.)

g ̆awwan.

Both experts flew by air.

(lit. Each one of the two experts flew by air.)

176

Interroga-

tive

particles

and

pronouns,

vocative

particles