Noun In Arabic, Explanation Plus 100 Nouns In ARABIC

Noun In Arabic

In Arabic, any word that has meaning is called “kalimah,” and it is divided into three categories: noun, verb, and particles. In this lesson, we will learn about nouns in Arabic, including their types, functions, how to identify them, and examples.

What Is a Noun in Arabic?

The Arabic word for a noun is written as اِسْم (pronounced ism), and the plural is written as أسماء (asmaa). A noun is defined as a word that has a meaning on its own and does not have a tense. It’s important to note that in Arabic, ism covers more than just what we think of as “nouns” in English; it also includes pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

How To Identify a Noun in Arabic?

To identify a noun in Arabic grammar, you can classify it based on four criteria:

  1. Gender: Is the noun masculine or feminine?
  2. Plurality: Is the noun singular, dual, or plural?
  3. Derivation: Is the noun not derived, derived from a source, or derived from a gerund?
  4. Definiteness: Is the noun definite or indefinite?

Types of Nouns

There are two main types of nouns in Arabic:

  1. Definite
  2. Indefinite

Characteristics of Arabic Nouns

To use any Arabic noun correctly in a sentence or phrase, it’s important to understand certain characteristics of that noun. These characteristics are explained briefly below.

RELATED: Arabic Possessive Pronouns With Examples (Dhamir muttasil)

Gender in Arabic Nouns

Arabic nouns can be classified as either masculine (اَلْمُذَكَّرُ) or feminine (اَلْمُؤَنَّثُ). By default, a noun is considered masculine unless it has specific signs that make it feminine.

Feminine Nouns in Arabic

In Arabic, when a tā’ marbūṭa (ـة) is added to the end of a masculine noun, it becomes feminine. For example:

  • ابنٌ (son) becomes ابنة (daughter).
  • حسنٌ becomes حسنة.
  • ملك (king) becomes ملكة (queen).

This rule often applies to adjectives as well.

In some cases, the presence of alif maqsūrah (ى) or alif mamdūdah (ـاء) at the end of a word indicates that it is feminine, such as:

  • حسنى (a beautiful lady)
  • زهراء (radiant)

There are also nouns that are feminine without any specific feminine ending. These are known as (مؤنث سِماعِي) – nouns that are recognized as feminine based on tradition. Examples include:

  • Words that refer to women, like أم (mother) or عروس (bride).
  • Names of countries, like الشام (Syria), مصر (Egypt), or الروم (The Roman Empire).
  • Parts of the body that come in pairs, like hand, foot, ear, and eye.

Additionally, there are other nouns that are treated as feminine in Arabic, such as:

  • أرض (earth)
  • حرب (war)
  • دار (house)
  • خمر (wine)
  • ريح (wind)
  • سوق (market)
  • شمس (sun)
  • نار (fire)
  • نفس (soul)

Even though some words end with tā’ marbūṭa (ة), they are masculine because they refer to males, such as:

  • طَرَفة (name of a poet)
  • خليفة (leader of the Muslims)
  • علامة (a very learned scholar)

Just like adjectives must match their nouns in definiteness or indefiniteness, they must also match in gender.

Gender in Arabic Nouns: Masculine and Feminine

In Arabic, every noun is classified as either masculine (مذكر) or feminine (مؤنث). Understanding the gender of a noun is crucial because it affects the form of adjectives, verbs, and pronouns that relate to the noun.

Masculine Nouns (اسم مذكر)

  • Definition: Generally, nouns that refer to male beings or objects that are considered grammatically masculine.
  • Identification: Most masculine nouns do not have a specific ending, making them easier to identify.

Examples:

  • رجل (rajul) – man
  • قلم (qalam) – pen
  • كتاب (kitāb) – book
  • جبل (jabal) – mountain

In Sentences:

  • هذا رجل طويل (hādhā rajul tawīl) – This is a tall man.
  • قلمك جديد (qalamuka jadīd) – Your pen is new.

Feminine Nouns (اسم مؤنث)

  • Definition: Nouns that refer to female beings or objects considered grammatically feminine.
  • Identification: Feminine nouns often end with a “taa marbuta” (ة), but not always. There are also some nouns that are feminine by meaning, even if they don’t end in “ة”.

Examples:

  • مدرسة (madrasa) – school
  • شجرة (shajara) – tree
  • شمس (shams) – sun (note: doesn’t end in “ة” but is still feminine)

In Sentences:

  • هذه شجرة كبيرة (hādhihi shajara kabīra) – This is a big tree.
  • المدرسة مغلقة (al-madrasa mughlaqa) – The school is closed.

Special Cases:

  • Nouns with Inherent Gender: Some nouns have an inherent gender, regardless of the object they describe. For example, شمس (shams – sun) is always feminine, and قمر (qamar – moon) is always masculine.
  • Gendered Pairs: Some nouns have both masculine and feminine forms.
    • Examples:
      • ولد (walad) – boy / بنت (bint) – girl
      • معلم (muʿallim) – male teacher / معلمة (muʿallima) – female teacher

Number

Arabic nouns are categorized into three groups based on number: singular (الْمُفْرَدُ), dual (الْمُثنَّى), and plural (اَلْجَمْعُ).

  • Singular (مُفْرَد): Refers to one person or thing.
  • Dual (مُثَنَّى): Refers to two people or things. The dual form is made by adding ـان to the singular noun.
  • Plural (جَمْع): Refers to three or more people or things.

The plural can be formed in two ways:

  1. Sound Plural (الجَمْع السَّالِم): This is a regular plural formed by adding ـون for masculine nouns and ـات for feminine nouns.
  2. Broken Plural (جَمْع التَّكْسِير): This is an irregular plural that doesn’t follow a set pattern and can have various forms, so it’s not explained in detail here.

Number in Arabic Nouns: Singular, Dual, and Plural

Arabic nouns can express singularity, duality, or plurality.

Singular Nouns (مفرد)

  • Definition: Refers to a single person, object, or idea.

Examples:

  • ولد (walad) – boy
  • كتاب (kitāb) – book
  • بيت (bayt) – house

In Sentences:

  • ولد يلعب في الحديقة (walad yalʿab fī al-ḥadīqa) – A boy is playing in the garden.
  • لديّ كتاب جديد (ladayya kitāb jadīd) – I have a new book.

Dual Nouns (مثنى)

  • Definition: Refers to two persons, objects, or ideas. Dual nouns usually end with “ان” (ān) in the nominative case and “ين” (ayn) in the accusative/genitive cases.

Examples:

  • ولدان (waladān) – two boys
  • كتابان (kitābān) – two books

In Sentences:

  • لديّ كتابان (ladayya kitābān) – I have two books.
  • رأيتُ ولدين (ra’aytu waladayn) – I saw two boys.

Note: The ending changes depending on the grammatical case:

  • Nominative: -ان (ān)
  • Accusative/Genitive: -ين (ayn)

Plural Nouns (جمع)

Arabic plurals can be regular (sound) or broken (irregular).

Regular (Sound) Plurals:

  • Masculine Plural (جمع المذكر السالم): Ends with “ون” (ūn) in the nominative case and “ين” (īn) in the accusative/genitive cases.
    • Example: معلمون (muʿallimūn) – male teachers
  • Feminine Plural (جمع المؤنث السالم): Ends with “ات” (āt).
    • Example: معلمات (muʿallimāt) – female teachers

In Sentences:

  • المعلمون في الصف (al-muʿallimūn fī al-ṣaff) – The male teachers are in the class.
  • المعلمات في المدرسة (al-muʿallimāt fī al-madrasa) – The female teachers are in the school.

Broken (Irregular) Plurals (جمع التكسير):

  • Definition: Formed by altering the structure of the singular noun. These plurals do not follow a set pattern and must be memorized.

Examples:

  • كتاب (kitāb) – book -> كتب (kutub) – books
  • ولد (walad) – boy -> أولاد (awlād) – boys
  • بيت (bayt) – house -> بيوت (buyūt) – houses

In Sentences:

  • قرأت كتب كثيرة (qara’tu kutub kathīra) – I read many books.
  • الأولاد يلعبون (al-awlād yalʿabūn) – The boys are playing.

Definiteness in Arabic Nouns: Definite and Indefinite

Arabic nouns can be definite (معرفة) or indefinite (نكرة). This distinction impacts how nouns are used in sentences and how they interact with adjectives.

Definite Nouns (معرفة)

  • Definition: Refers to specific nouns, usually indicated by the definite article “ال” (al-), which means “the”.

Examples:

  • الكتاب (al-kitāb) – the book
  • المدرسة (al-madrasa) – the school

In Sentences:

  • الكتاب على الطاولة (al-kitāb ʿalā al-ṭāwila) – The book is on the table.
  • المدرسة مغلقة (al-madrasa mughlaqa) – The school is closed.

Indefinite Nouns (نكرة)

  • Definition: Refers to general or non-specific nouns, without “ال”.

Examples:

  • كتاب (kitāb) – a book
  • مدرسة (madrasa) – a school

In Sentences:

  • كتاب على الطاولة (kitāb ʿalā al-ṭāwila) – A book is on the table.
  • مدرسة مفتوحة (madrasa maftūḥa) – A school is open.

The Effect of Definiteness on Adjectives:

When a noun is definite, the adjective describing it must also be definite. Conversely, if the noun is indefinite, the adjective must be indefinite.

Examples:

  • الكتاب الكبير (al-kitāb al-kabīr) – The big book
  • كتاب كبير (kitāb kabīr) – A big book

100 Nouns In Arabic

Here is a table with 100 Arabic nouns and their meanings in English:

Arabic NounEnglish Meaning
كتاب (kitāb)Book
مدرسة (madrasa)School
رجل (rajul)Man
امرأة (imra’a)Woman
بيت (bayt)House
سيارة (sayyāra)Car
شجرة (shajara)Tree
قمر (qamar)Moon
شمس (shams)Sun
طفل (ṭifl)Child
ولد (walad)Boy
بنت (bint)Girl
قلم (qalam)Pen
ساعة (sāʿa)Clock/Watch
طاولة (ṭāwila)Table
كرسي (kursī)Chair
ماء (mā’)Water
خبز (khubz)Bread
تفاحة (tuffāḥa)Apple
مدينة (madīna)City
قرية (qarya)Village
باب (bāb)Door
نافذة (nāfidha)Window
كلب (kalb)Dog
قطة (qiṭṭa)Cat
كتاب (kitāb)Book
صورة (ṣūra)Picture
وردة (warda)Flower
بحر (baḥr)Sea
جبل (jabal)Mountain
طريق (ṭarīq)Road
شارع (shāriʿ)Street
نهر (nahr)River
سماء (samā’)Sky
أرض (arḍ)Earth
نار (nār)Fire
ريح (rīḥ)Wind
عين (ʿayn)Eye
أذن (udhun)Ear
يد (yad)Hand
قدم (qadam)Foot
رأس (ra’s)Head
فم (fam)Mouth
قلب (qalb)Heart
رجل (rijl)Leg
جسم (jism)Body
عقل (ʿaql)Mind
كتاب (kitāb)Book
وقت (waqt)Time
يوم (yawm)Day
ليل (layl)Night
صباح (ṣabāḥ)Morning
مساء (masā’)Evening
صديق (ṣadīq)Friend
حب (ḥubb)Love
مال (māl)Money
سعادة (saʿāda)Happiness
سيارة (sayyāra)Car
طائرة (ṭā’ira)Airplane
قطار (qiṭār)Train
سفينة (safīna)Ship
فاكهة (fākihah)Fruit
خضار (khudār)Vegetable
لحم (laḥm)Meat
سمك (samak)Fish
أرز (aruzz)Rice
جبن (jubn)Cheese
طعام (ṭaʿām)Food
شاي (shāy)Tea
قهوة (qahwa)Coffee
عصير (ʿaṣīr)Juice
حليب (ḥalīb)Milk
ملح (milḥ)Salt
سكر (sukkar)Sugar
مدينة (madīna)City
بلد (balad)Country
شارع (shāriʿ)Street
سوق (sūq)Market
مطعم (maṭʿam)Restaurant
فندق (funduq)Hotel
مسجد (masjid)Mosque
كنيسة (kanīsa)Church
مستشفى (mustashfā)Hospital
مدرسة (madrasa)School
جامعة (jāmiʿa)University
مكتبة (maktaba)Library
غرفة (ghurfa)Room
مطبخ (maṭbakh)Kitchen
حمام (ḥammām)Bathroom
نوم (nawm)Sleep
علم (ʿilm)Knowledge
دين (dīn)Religion
إيمان (īmān)Faith
صلاة (ṣalāh)Prayer
صوم (ṣawm)Fasting
حج (ḥajj)Pilgrimage
زكاة (zakāh)Charity
قرآن (Qur’ān)Quran
حديث (ḥadīth)Saying (of the Prophet SAW)

This table covers a variety of commonly used Arabic nouns along with their English meanings.