Arabic: An Essential Grammar

12.7 When the first noun (the annexed) in the genuine

id

̇

a ̄fah con-

struction is qualified by an adjective, the adjective agrees with the noun

in number, gender and case. But the adjective must be placed after the

whole

id

̇

a ̄fah construction, e.g.

12.8 In an unvocalized text it is difficult to know which noun (first

or second) the adjective is referring to when it is placed after an


id
̇

a ̄fah construction. Vowelling/vocalization is the remedy for this,

e.g.

12.9 A complex

id

̇

a ̄fah phrase may contain several nested annexers

(ُم َضا ٌف ِإَل ْي ِه), but only the last annexer may take the definite article,

e.g.

1

ُلَخْدَم

2

ِةَقيِدَح

3

ِريِزَو

4

ِةَّ يِجِراَخـْل

madh

̆

alu h

̇

adı

• qati wazı
  
  
  • ri l-h
    ̆
  
  
  
  

a ̄rig ̆iyyati

1

the gate to (of)

2

the garden of the

3

Minister of

4

Foreign Affairs

َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف ِإَل ْي ِه

Annexer Annexed

noun adjective

َأْل ِب ْن ُت ْلـ َج ِميَل ُة ْلـ َو ْج ِه^

al-bintu -l-g ̆amı

• latu l-wag ̆hi

the girl with a (the) beautiful face

ّـ ُب ْلـ َقـْل ِبَطـيَّ ش ْي ُخ لـَّ َأل^

asˇ-sˇayh

̆

u t

̇

-t

̇

ayyibu l-qalbi

the sheikh with a kind heart

ل ْل َع ْق ِلر ُج ُل ْلـ َقِلي ََُّأل^

ar-rag ̆ulu l-qalı

• lu l-



aqli

the stupid man (lit. the man with little intelligence)

م ٍد ْلـ َج ِدي َد ِةَّيا َر ِة ُم َحَِّ في َسـ م ٍد ْلـ َج ِدي َد ُةَّيا َر ُة ُم َحََّسـ

fı

• sayya ̄rati Muh
  ̇

ammadini l-g ̆adı

• dati sayya ̄ratu Muh
  ̇

ammadini l-g ̆adı

• datu

in Muh

̇

ammad’s new car Muh

̇

ammad’s new car

ص ِغـي ُرَّ َم ْد َخ ُل ْلـ َبـ ْيـ ِت لـ ص ِغـي ِرَّ َم ْد َخ ُل ْلـ َب ْيـ ِت لـ

madh

̆

alu l-bayti s

̇

-s

̇

ag ̇ı

• ru madh
  ̆

alu l-bayti s

̇

-s

̇

ag ̇ı

• ri

the small gate of the house the gate of the small house

65

Id

̇

a ̄fah

construc-

tion, the

five nouns