Baitul Ilm Notes for Classical Arabic Class 2011-12Reference Book: An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic by W. M. Thackston

Lesson: 05 (Pg 62 - 13)

© 2011 Baitul Ilm  Page 1 of 4

The adjective agrees with its modified noun in state, case, gender and number *. Of

gender/number agreement there are two types, (1) strict and (2) deflected.

#Gender of

 Noun Number

Refer to

PeopleAgreement Comments

A AnySingular

Does Not

MatterStrict

Dual

B Masculine Plural Yes StrictBroken Plural

Preferred

C FemininePlural –  

Sound/BrokenYes Strict

D Feminine Plural - Sound NoStrict Quran

Deflected Post Qur'an

E AnyPlural -Broken

 No

Deflected

Mostly(exceptions

exist)

See Notes Below

(A)  The adjective is always in strict agreement with all singular and dual nounsirrespective of gender. There is no exception to this rule.

i.  A masculine singular noun is modified by a masculine singular adjective.

مظ يى س

س   (11:78) 

 س   ج

ا رز

سيغ   (25:8) 

ب

ا

ب يآرب يع ع

ا

ج   (4:153) 

ii.  A feminine singular noun is modified by a feminine singular adjective.

جيش

ه  جذ غب  يخا 

حا ي   (33:50) 

ش خا شج   ححا   (9:121) 

iii.  A masculine dual noun is modified by a masculine dual adjective. E.g.

 سه يهس يهب  

* See notes for lesson 02.

 

Baitul Ilm Notes for Classical Arabic Class 2011-12Reference Book: An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic by W. M. Thackston

Lesson: 05 (Pg 62 - 13)

© 2011 Baitul Ilm  Page 2 of 4

iv.  A feminine dual noun is modified by a feminine dual adjective.  E.g.

زهزيشأرب يهي يشأر   

(B)  The adjective is in strict agreement with a masculine plural noun, if the noun refers

to people.

i.  A broken adjective is used with a broken noun if one exists. For example:

  جبس

ii.  A broken adjective is used with a sound noun. For example: يي جبس  

iii.  A sound adjective is used with a broken noun if broken adjective does not

exists. E.g.

 س

 ش

ب

ن جب ب   (21:105) 

نش 

 ر ـ قب

جب ثم بعج اش

ي

ي   (21:26) 

iv.  A sound adjective is used with a sound noun when neither noun nor adjective

has a broken plural. For example:بن  يي  

(C)  The adjective is in strict agreement with a feminine plural noun, if the noun refers

to people. The noun can be sound or broken.

بزب بد  ب

فبنـ

ب  ن ت ث

   بفبد

د   (4:34) 

ب شغ سا

ص   ج   

   بدي

بد ي  يغ

 يثبس   جبد

 بدد عبئبث زبد ربئجبدقب  (66:5) 

(D)  For sound feminine plural inanimate objectsi.  In the Qur’an, all nouns tend to take strict adjectival agreement. This is rare

outside of Qur’anic Arabic.  

ii.  In post Qur’anic Arabic, plurals tend to take deferred agreement. For example:

 بد جشح

(E)  If the plural broken noun refers to things (and not people), irrespective of gender ,

the adjective is mostly in deflected  agreement.

ش

بد ي

 ؤ  

 ش  بديشب   (6:141) 

ك آبد ث ب  ض   بد   (2:99) 

 

Baitul Ilm Notes for Classical Arabic Class 2011-12Reference Book: An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic by W. M. Thackston

Lesson: 05 (Pg 62 - 13)

© 2011 Baitul Ilm  Page 3 of 4

The adjective will usually be feminine singular. It may also be feminine plural, but

this is rare. In rare cases, the adjective can be masculine broken plural as well for

masculine nouns. Examples:

ب

ا

حش ب بي   (79:11) 

بس

ن بغ  ر   بقب

ا

بي

 

ي

ا

ح   (2:80) 

ى سفؤس  ب ب شعا

شب

 ف غبد   (41:16) 

(زت ش)=زت بس  

 Pronouns (

 نبئ ) : There are two sets of pronouns in Arabic, independent (   ه

)

and attached (   زهن ). The Independent pronouns are:

Plural

( )

Dual

(   ي)

Singular

(شي)

 ى

They (all)

ب  

They (two)

 

He, itش)

ن (نبئت 

3rd

 Person Masculine

 

They (all)

ب  

They (two)

 

She, it(

ن (نبئت 

3rd

 Person Feminine

زى  

You (all)

ب ز  

You (two)

ذ  

You(   بن

ن )

2nd

 Person Masculine

ز  

You (all)

ب ز  

You (two)

ذ  

You

(   بن

ن )

2nd

 Person Feminine

  -ب  

(   زن

ن   ش

ن ى  )

1st Person Masculine &

Feminine

3rd

 person and 2nd

 person masculine plural will take a خ

 when the pronoun is followed

 by a word beginning with .*ن ضح  

* See lesson 02 notes for more information about نم

 ضح

.

 

Baitul Ilm Notes for Classical Arabic Class 2011-12Reference Book: An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic by W. M. Thackston

Lesson: 05 (Pg 62 - 13)

© 2011 Baitul Ilm  Page 4 of 4

1.  These pronouns are used as independent subjects of non-verbal sentences. Few

examples:

وقم

 

ـه

ن

  (112:1) 

و

 

ه    

ثم   (2:29) 

 

ه

بس  في ـ

 ن    رض  جب  ل    (9:40) 

 شش   بس

ن ي يب

 

ىثبسه

 ي ة ى  بي    (5:37) 

   برب نب يبهيقب

 

جحن ث   (6:29) 

ن

 

ى ه

  مجبط

 

  جبط   (2:187) 

ك

ت

ة  و

  (5:109) 

ب ث    اب فب ب ع بربم 

 

ج ب  ب ج

ي ر   (28:35) 

 ى  ـ

من

 

ر    (2:216) 

سفبل  ى   (79:24) 

 

حن

ي    (2:139) 

2.  These pronouns are used to divide subject from predicate in non-verbal sentences

when the predicate has the definite article “ل”. 

جن  ي  

  ـ

  ن   (2:120) 

ثزش   كب    (108:3) 

If the pronoun is removed in above sentences, the predicates would be confused with a

. and the sentences would appear incompleteخ