Arabic grammar How to distinguish between the ٱلْإِسْم ٱلنَّكِرَة (indefinite noun) and the ٱلْإِسْم ٱلْمَعْرِفَة (definite noun).

1. distinguish between the
‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬‫ة‬
(indefinite noun) and the
ِ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ع‬‫م‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬‫ة‬‫ف‬
(definite noun).

2. • ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ or noun is a word ‫ة‬َ‫م‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ك‬ٌ
whose meaning can be
understood without the need
to combine it with another
word.
• ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ or noun Noun is the
name of a person, place or
thing.

3. The nouns are divided in two
kinds
1. ‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫:ٱْل‬ indefinite
noun
2. ‫ة‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ع‬َ‫م‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫:ٱْل‬ definite
noun.

4. ‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫:ٱْل‬ indefinite noun
‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ or indefinite noun is word
used to
refer to a common and non-specific noun
(person, animal, thing …etc.).

5. Examples of ‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ indefinite noun.
• َ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫ب‬ُ‫ذ‬‫ة‬ a fly
• َ‫م‬‫ي‬ِ‫ه‬َ‫ب‬‫ة‬ a beast
• ُ‫ج‬َ‫ر‬‫ل‬ a man
• ‫أ‬ ‫إ‬‫ر‬َ‫م‬‫ة‬ a woman
• ‫ا‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ط‬‫م‬ food
• ‫إ‬‫ل‬َ‫ق‬‫ب‬ a heart

6. ‫ة‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ع‬َ‫م‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫:ٱْل‬ definite noun
1. ‫ة‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ع‬َ‫م‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ or definite noun is proper name
given to a person, animal or thing.
2. The indefinite noun can be changed to definite
noun by adding the prefix ‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ( a definite article)
and by dropping the nunation or tanween.
3. Some nouns don’t need to carry the ‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ to become
definite because the are naming very specific
person (‫ة‬َ‫ز‬‫إ‬‫م‬َ‫ح‬) or place (‫س‬ُ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫ت‬ Tunisia).This kind of
noun is named ‫م‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ُ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ ‫إ‬‫.ٱْل‬

7. Example of definite nouns with ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬
Indefinite nouns Definite nouns
‫ا‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬‫ر‬ a donkey ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫ار‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬ the donkey
‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬‫ب‬ a dog ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬ the dog
‫ل‬‫و‬‫د‬ a boy ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫لد‬‫و‬ the boy
‫إ‬‫ن‬ِ‫ب‬‫ت‬ a girl ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫ت‬‫إ‬‫ن‬ِ‫ب‬ the girl
‫س‬‫ع‬‫ل‬ honey ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫ل‬‫س‬‫ع‬ the honey
‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬ eggs ‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬ the eggs

8. Examples of definite nouns of the category
‫م‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ُ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬
• ‫س‬‫ون‬‫ت‬ Tunisia
• ‫ة‬‫ز‬‫إ‬‫م‬‫ح‬
• ‫ة‬‫فص‬‫ح‬
• ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ Egypt
• ‫ن‬‫م‬‫ي‬ Yemen
• ‫ة‬‫م‬ِ‫اط‬‫ف‬
• ‫ا‬‫ي‬‫إ‬‫ن‬‫ا‬‫يط‬ ِ‫ور‬‫م‬ Mauritania
• ‫ا‬‫ي‬‫إ‬‫ب‬‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬ Libya

9. Which nouns are ‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ك‬َّ‫ن‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ (indefinite noun)
or ‫ة‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ع‬َ‫م‬‫إ‬‫ٱل‬ ‫م‬‫إ‬‫س‬ِ‫إ‬‫ٱْل‬ (definite noun)
• ‫ر‬‫إ‬‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ Egypt
• ‫ن‬‫م‬‫ي‬ Yemen
• ‫ة‬‫م‬ِ‫اط‬‫ف‬
• ‫ار‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬ a donkey
• ‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬ a dog
• ‫د‬‫ل‬‫و‬ a boy
• ‫ل‬‫س‬‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the honey
• ‫لد‬‫و‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the boy
• ‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the eggs
• ‫ة‬‫اب‬‫ب‬‫ذ‬ a fly
• ‫ة‬‫يم‬ِ‫ه‬‫ب‬ a beast
• ‫ل‬‫ج‬‫ر‬ a man

10. Answer
definite noun Indefinite noun
‫إر‬‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ Egypt ‫ار‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬ a donkey
‫ن‬‫م‬‫ي‬ Yemen ‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬ a dog
‫ة‬‫م‬ِ‫اط‬‫ف‬ ‫د‬‫ل‬‫و‬ a boy
‫ل‬‫س‬‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the honey ‫ة‬‫اب‬‫ب‬‫ذ‬ a fly
‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ة‬‫يم‬ِ‫ه‬‫ب‬ a beast
‫لد‬‫و‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the boy ‫ل‬‫ج‬‫ر‬ a man

11. Translate
‫إر‬‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ ‫ار‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬
‫ن‬‫م‬‫ي‬ ‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬
‫ت‬‫إ‬‫ن‬ِ‫ب‬ ‫د‬‫ل‬‫و‬
‫ل‬‫س‬‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ة‬‫اب‬‫ب‬‫ذ‬
‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ة‬‫يم‬ِ‫ه‬‫ب‬
‫لد‬‫و‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ل‬‫ج‬‫ر‬
‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ق‬ ‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬

12. Answers
‫إر‬‫ص‬ِ‫م‬ Egypt ‫ار‬‫م‬ ِ‫ح‬ a donkey
‫ن‬‫م‬‫ي‬ Yemen ‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ك‬ a dog
‫ت‬‫إ‬‫ن‬ِ‫ب‬ a girl ‫د‬‫ل‬‫و‬ a boy
‫ل‬‫س‬‫ع‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the honey ‫ة‬‫اب‬‫ب‬‫ذ‬ a fly
‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the eggs ‫ة‬‫يم‬ِ‫ه‬‫ب‬ a beast
‫لد‬‫و‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the boy ‫ل‬‫ج‬‫ر‬ a man
‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ق‬ a heart ‫ض‬‫إ‬‫ي‬‫ب‬‫إ‬‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ the eggs