Object pronouns in Arabic show who or what is receiving the action of a verb. These pronouns are added directly to the end of the verb in a sentence. In this lesson, we’ll learn about Arabic object pronouns, how to use them, and see some examples.
Object Pronouns in Arabic
Object pronouns in Arabic are attached as suffixes to the end of the verb. They change depending on who or what they refer to, in terms of gender and number.
Here are the Arabic object pronouns:
- ـني (ni): For the first person singular (me)
- ـكَ (ka): For the second person singular masculine (you, singular, masculine)
- ـكِ (ki): For the second person singular feminine (you, singular, feminine)
- ـه (hu): For the third person singular masculine (him)
- ـها (ha): For the third person singular feminine (her)
- ـنا (nā): For the first person plural (us)
- ـكما (kuma): For the second person dual (you two, masculine or feminine)
- ـكم (kum): For the second person plural masculine (you, plural, masculine)
- ـكن (kunna): For the second person plural feminine (you, plural, feminine)
- ـهما (huma): For the third person dual (they two, masculine or feminine)
- ـهم (hum): For the third person plural masculine (them, masculine)
- ـهن (hunna): For the third person plural feminine (them, feminine)
These pronouns are attached to the verb to show who is receiving the action.
The complete Arabic object pronouns are tabulated below:
Arabic | Transliteration | English |
ـني | -ni | me |
ـكَ | -ka | you (masc.) |
ـكِ | -ki | you (fem.) |
ـه | -hu | him |
ـها | -ha | her |
Dual | ||
ـنا | -na | us (two people) |
ـكما | -kuma | you (two people) |
ـهما | -huma | them (two people) |
Plural | ||
ـنا | -na | us |
ـكم | -kum | you (masc.) |
ـكن | -kunna | you (fem.) |
ـهم | -hum | them (masc.) |
ـهن | -hunna | them (fem.) |
RELATED: Arabic Personal Pronouns With Examples (Essential Guide)
Object pronouns are a key part of Arabic. They show who or what is receiving the action in a sentence.
These pronouns change based on the gender and number of the noun they refer to, so using the right form is essential for correct grammar.
In Arabic, object pronouns are added to the end of the verb, unlike in English where they come before the verb. They also change depending on the tense and mood of the verb.
Understanding these forms and their use will help you speak and understand Arabic better.
Examples of Object Pronouns in Arabic
Here are some examples of how object pronouns are used in Arabic:
- I saw him: رأيته (ra’aytu-hu)
- She gave it to us: أعطتها لنا (a’tat-ha lanā)
- You (singular, masculine) called me: دعوتني (da’awt-ni)
- They gave it to you (plural, feminine): أعطوه لكنّ (a’taw-hā lakinn)
In Arabic, the object pronoun “ـه” (hu) is used for masculine singular nouns. For example, in “I saw him” (رأيته – ra’aytu-hu), “ـه” (hu) is added to the end of the verb “رأيت” (ra’aytu) to show that the object is masculine and singular.
The pronoun “ـها” (ha) is used for feminine singular nouns. For instance, in “I saw her” (رأيتها – ra’aytu-ha), “ـها” (ha) is added to the end of the verb “رأيت” (ra’aytu) to show that the object is feminine and singular.
Arabic also has object pronouns for dual and plural nouns:
- For masculine plural: “I saw them” is رأيتهم (ra’aytu-hum).
- For feminine plural: “I saw them” is رأيتهن (ra’aytu-hunna).
It’s important to match the object pronoun’s gender and number with the noun it refers to for correct grammar.
Singular
- He asked me سألني (sa’alni)
- He asked you (masc.) سألكَ (sa’alaka)
- He asked you (fem.) سألكِ (sa’alaki)
- He asked him سأله (sa’alahu)
- He asked her سألها (sa’alaha)
Dual
- He asked us سألنا (sa’alna)
- He asked you سألكما (sa’alkuma)
- He asked them سألهما (sa’alhuma)
Plural
- He asked us سألنا. (sa’alna)
- He asked you (masc.) سألكم (sa’alkum)
- He asked you (fem.) سألكن (sa’alkunna)
- He asked them (masc.) سألهم (sa’alhum)
- He asked them (fem.) سألهن (sa’alhunna)
More Examples
- يحبّك الله “Allah loves you” (m)
- يحبّكِ الله “Allah loves you” (f)
- يحبّنا الله Allah loves us”
- يحبّها الله “Allah loves her”
- أحبّك “I love you” (m)
- أحبّكِ “I love you” (f)
- أحبّنا “I love us”
- أحبّها “I love her”
Note: Even thought, the possesive Pronouns and objects pronouns are quite similar, there is a slight difference between them. The main difference is possesive Pronouns are attached to nouns while object pronouns are attached to verbs.