Definite and Indefinite Articles

An unknown thing in Arabic is ‫َن ِك َر ٌة‬,

‫ الَمْع ِر َفُة‬is something known

A noun in Arabic is known by; ‫( َخ ْف ِض‬kasra), ‫) َتْن ِو ْي ٌن‬double vowels) and ‫ ( ال الَم ْع ِر َف ُة‬having al at the
beginning.

Indefinite article “a” and “an” in Arabic are represented by Tanwiin(double

vowels)(fathatayn(ًً), kasratayn(ٍٍ), dhwammatayn ( ) ٌ

In Arabic language we have 7 types of definites

1. The proper noun ( ‫)ِإْس ُم اْلَع َلُم‬

2. The definite article “the” ()‫(اْل‬ ‫)ِإْس ُم اْلَمْع ِر َفِة ِب‬
3. The pronoun ( ‫)الَّض ِم ْيُر‬
4. The relative nouns ( ‫َلًة‬
‫)َأْس َم اُء اْلَمْو ُصْو‬
5. Demonstrative nouns ( ‫)َأسَم اُء اِإلَش اَر ِة‬
6. The indefinite noun added before a definite noun from the above ( ‫)الِّص َف ُة‬
7. The noun addressed by O (‫"َي ا‬ ‫)"ِإْس ُم الُم َن اَد ى‬
1. Example:
‫ َن ْهُر َت اَن ا‬، ‫ َأْم ِر ْي َك‬،‫ ُأْو َغ ْن َد‬، ‫َن ْيُرْو ِبْي‬
River tana, America, Uganda, Nairobi
2. Examples;

‫ الَه اِتُف‬، ‫ الَسَم ُك‬، ‫ الِك َت اُب‬،‫ الَقَلُم‬، ‫الَب اُب‬

The phone, the fish, the book, the pen, the door
3. Examples:

‫ َأْن َت‬،‫ ُه َم ا‬، ‫ ِه َي‬، ‫ُه َو‬

You(m), They(dm/f), she, he

Sm Singular masculine Pf Plural feminine

Sf Singular feminine Bp Broken plural
Dm Dual masculine M masculine
Df Dual feminine F feminine
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

Pm Plual masculine

4. Examples
‫ اَّلِذ ْي َن‬، ‫ اَّلِتْي‬،‫اَّلِذي‬
Whom(pm), whom(f), who(m)

5. Examples
‫ َه َذ اِن‬،‫ َهِذِه‬،‫َه َذ ا‬
This(m), this(f), These(dm)

6. Example
‫ َن ْهُر َت اَن ا‬، ‫َم ِد ْي َن ُة َن ْيُرْو ِبْي‬
River Tana, Nairobi city
7. Example
‫ َي ا ُرْو ِحْي‬، ‫ َي ا َح ِبْي ِبْي‬،‫َي ا َر ُج ُل‬
O my heart, O my love, O man

The Definite Article “the”

Definite article “the” is represented by Al(‫ )ال‬al-maa’rifatu ( ‫الَمَع ِر َف ُة‬ ‫)ال‬.
Definite article “the” divides Arabic alphabet into two: Sun letters (‫)ُح ُرْو ُف الَّش ْم ِس َي ِة‬
and the moon letters (‫)ُح ُرْو ُف الَقَم ِر َّي ِة‬.
Sun Letters ( ‫)ُح ُرْو ُف الَّش ْم ِس َي ِة‬

The definite article( ‫ )ال‬affects the below alphabets in 3 ways.

‫ن‬,‫ل‬,‫ظ‬,‫ط‬,‫ض‬,‫ص‬,‫ ش‬,‫ س‬,‫ ز‬,‫ ر‬,‫ ذ‬,‫ د‬,‫ ث‬,‫ت‬
The above 14 letters are affected when at the beginning of a noun by 3 ways;

a) The ‫ ال‬is written but only ‫ ا‬is read when the word is read alone/separately.
‫ اِّت‬- ‫الِّت‬
b) The above sun letters must have a shadda() on them.( ‫)الّت‬ ّ
c) When joining the word with another, you don’t read the ) ‫ّت‬- ‫ (الّت‬.‫ال‬
d) NB: When changing indefinite to definite you remove the tanwiin(Double vowel)
remaining with short vowels.
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

Translation Definite noun Translation Indefinite Letter

noun
The Tv ُ‫الِّت ْلَفاز‬ A tv ‫ِتْلَفاٌز‬ ‫ت‬ 1)
attilfaazu Tilfaazun
The cloth ‫الَّث ْو ُب‬ A cloth ‫َث ْو ٌب‬ ‫ث‬ 2)
aththawbu Thawbun
The house ‫الَّد اُر‬ A house ‫َداٌر‬ ‫د‬ 3)
Addaaru daarun
The corn ‫الَّذ َّر ُة‬ A corn ‫َذ َّر ٌة‬ ‫ذ‬ 4)
Adhdharratu dharratun
The ‫الَّر ُسْو ُل‬ A ‫َر ُسْو ٌل‬ ‫ر‬ 5)
messenger messenger
Arrasuulu rasuulun
The uniform ‫الَّز ُّي‬ A uniform ‫َز ٌّي‬ ‫ز‬ 6)
Azzayyu zayyun
The sky ‫الَّسَم اُء‬ sky ‫َسَم اٌء‬ ‫س‬ 7)
Assamaau samaaun
The sun ‫الَّش ْم ُس‬ sun ‫َش ْمٌس‬ ‫ش‬ 8)
Ashshamsu shamsun
The chest ‫الَّص ْد ُر‬ A chest ‫َص ْد ٌر‬ ‫ص‬ 9)
Aswswadru swadrun
The visitor ‫الَّضْيُف‬ A visitor ‫َض ْيٌف‬ ‫ض‬ 10)
Adhwdhwayfu dhwayfun
The bird ‫الَّط ْيُر‬ A bird ‫َط ْيٌر‬ ‫ط‬ 11)
Atwtwayru twayrun
The
aeroplane
‫الَّط اِئَر ُة‬ An
‫َط اِئَر ٌة‬
atwtwaayratu aeroplane twaayratun
The nail ‫الِّظ ْف ُر‬ A nail ‫ِظ ْف ٌر‬ ‫ظ‬ 12)
The nail thwifrun
The meat ‫الَّلْح ُم‬ A meat ‫َلْح ٌم‬ ‫ل‬ 13)
Allahmu lahmun
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

The star ‫الَّن ْج ُم‬ A star ‫َن ْج ٌم‬ ‫ن‬ 14)

Annajmu najmun

‫; َر َأْي ُت َن ْج ًم ا‬I saw a star.

‫ ; َر َأْي ُت الَّن ْج َم‬I saw the star.
‫ ; َط اَر َط ْيٌر‬a bird flew
‫ ; َط اَر الَّط ْيُر‬the bird flew
‫ ; َو َص َل َضْيٌف‬a visitor arrived.
‫ ; َو َص َل الَّض ْيُف‬the visitor arrived.
‫ ; َأْر َس َل َر ُسْو اًل‬he sent a messenger.
‫ ; َأْر َس َل الَّر ُسْو َل‬he sent the messenger.

‫َو ْق ٌت َج ِم ْي ٌل‬
‫ َو ْق ٌت ُمْم ِتٌع‬-nice time
‫هللا‬
‫الَم اِلُك‬

MOON LETTERS
The definite article (‫ )ال‬affects the following
alphabets in 2 ways;
‫ي‬,‫ ه‬,‫ و‬,‫م‬,‫ ك‬,‫ ق‬,‫ف‬,‫ غ‬,‫ع‬,‫ خ‬,‫ ح‬,‫ ج‬,‫ ب‬,‫ء‬/‫ا‬
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

1. When at the beginning, we write the (‫ )ال‬and pronounce it.

2. We don’t add a shadda (ّ) on a moon letter

3. When joining, we write (‫ )ال‬but only pronounce (‫)ل‬
4. NB: When changing indefinite to definite you remove the tanwiin(Double vowel)
remaining with short vowels.

Translation Definite noun Translation Indefinite Letter

noun
The ‫اَألْر َن ُب‬ A rabbit ‫َأْر َن ٌب‬ ‫أ‬ 1
rabbit
Al-arnabu
The ‫الَبْي ُت‬ ‫َبْي ٌت‬ ‫ب‬ 2
house A house
albaytu
The A camel 3
‫الَج َم ُل‬ ‫َج َم ٌل‬ ‫ج‬
camel
aljamalu
The ‫الِحَص اُن‬ A horse ‫ِحَص اٌن‬ ‫ح‬ 4
horse
alhiswaanu
The ‫الَخ ُرْو ُف‬ A sheep ‫َخ ُرْو ٌف‬ ‫خ‬ 5
sheep
alkharuufu
The eye ‫الَع ْي ُن‬ An eye ‫َع ْي ٌن‬ ‫ع‬ 6
Al-a’ynu
The
‫الَغ َز اُل‬ A gazelle
‫َغ َز اٌل‬ ‫غ‬ 7
gazelle
alghazaalu
The An 8
‫الِفْي ُل‬ ‫ِفْي ٌل‬ ‫ف‬
elephant elephant
alfiilu
The ‫الِقْر ُد‬ A ‫ِقْر ٌد‬ ‫ق‬ 9
monkey monkey
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

alqirdu
The book ‫الِك َت اُب‬ A book ‫ِك َت اٌب‬ ‫ك‬ 10
alkitaabu
The goat ‫الَمْع ُز‬ A goat ‫َمْع ٌز‬ ‫م‬ 11
Almaa’zu
The rose ‫الَو ْر َد ُة‬ A rose ‫َو ْر َد ٌة‬ ‫و‬ 12
alwardatu
The gift ‫الَه ِد َّي ُة‬ A gift ‫َهِد َّي ٌة‬ ‫ه‬ 13
alhadiyyatu
The hand ‫الَي ُد‬ A hand ‫َي ٌد‬ ‫ي‬ 14
alyadu
Examples when joined
1. ‫ – ِإْشَت َر ْي ُت الِّت ْلَفاَز‬ishtaraytu ttilfaaza – I
bought the tv
2. ‫ َغ َس َل الَّث ْو َب‬-ghasala ththawba- he
washed the cloth
3. ‫ – َضَر ْب ُت الِفْي َل‬dhwarabtu lfiila- I beat
the elephant
4. ‫ – ِبْع ُت الَه ِد َّي َة‬bii’tu lhadiyyata- I sold
the gift
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

JOINING LETTERS
NAUGHTY LETTERS
In Arabic,we have six naughty letters. The
naughty letters can’t be joined to their left
and they are;
‫ و‬,‫ ز‬,‫ ر‬,‫ ذ‬,‫ د‬,‫ا‬
Examples; ‫ َلَّذ ٌة‬, ‫ َب ْد ٌر‬, ‫َب اٌب‬
‫نـهاية‬ ‫وسط‬ ‫بداية‬ ‫الـحرف‬
END MIDDLE BEGINNING ISOLATED

‫ـا‬ ‫ـا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬

‫َك َتَبا‬ ‫َقاَل‬ ‫الَقَلُم‬
They 2 male He said The pen
wrote

‫ـد‬ ‫ـد‬ ‫د‬ ‫د‬

‫َو َلٌد‬ ‫َم ْد َر َس ٌة‬ ‫َد َّر اَج ٌة‬
A boy A school A bicycle
 Definite and Indefinite Articles

‫نـهاية‬ ‫وسط‬ ‫بداية‬ ‫الـحرف‬

END MIDDLE BEGINNING ISOLATED

‫ـذ‬ ‫ـذ‬ ‫ذ‬ ‫ذ‬

‫َأَخ َذ‬ ‫َلَّذ ٌة‬ ‫َذ ِلَك‬
He took taste That(m)

‫ـر‬ ‫ـر‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ر‬

‫َم َه ٌر‬ ‫َم ْر َح ًبا‬ ‫َر ُج ٌل‬
dowry Hi/ welcome A man

‫ــز‬ ‫ــز‬ ‫ز‬ ‫ز‬

‫َم ْو ٌز‬ ‫َم َّز َق‬ ‫َز َّر اَفٌة‬
A banana He A giraffe
ripped/teared

‫ـــو‬ ‫ــو‬ ‫و‬ ‫و‬

‫َد ْلو‬ ‫َم ْو ِع ٌد‬ ‫َو َلٌد‬
A bucket An A boy
appointment/
date/meeting
point
Definite and Indefinite Articles