Arabic nouns and adjectives
Arabic nouns and adjectives are declined according to [|case], state, gender and number. While this is strictly true in Classical Arabic, in colloquial or spoken Arabic, there are a number of simplifications such as loss of certain final vowels and loss of case. A number of derivational processes exist for forming new nouns and adjectives. Adverbs can be formed from adjectives.
Noun and adjective inflection (Classical Arabic)
s and adjectives in Classical Arabic are declined according to the following properties:- Case
- State
- Gender : an inherent characteristic of nouns, but part of the declension of adjectives
- Number
Overview of inflection
The following table is an overview of noun and adjective inflection in Classical Arabic:NOTE:
- The plural forms listed are actually separate declensions. Most singular adjectives of the indicated declensions, as well as some singular nouns, are declined in the plural according to the indicated plural declensions. However, most nouns have a plural from a different declension — either a sound plural or a broken plural. Some adjectives also have broken plurals. See the discussion below on case for more details.
- The so-called "sound masculine" and "sound feminine" plural declensions refer to form, not gender – grammatically masculine nouns often have sound feminine plurals, and occasionally vice versa.
- Diptotes are declined exactly like regular triptotes other than in the singular indefinite state.
- In the defective-in--in declension, accusative -iyan occurs in singular nouns, while -iya occurs in broken plurals.
- There are only limited classes of invariable nouns and adjectives and none have their own plural declension; instead, they decline like one of the other singular or plural declensions.
- Only a limited number of nouns in -an have a dual in -awāni/-awayni; all of these are short nouns with a two-character stem, and are spelled in Arabic script with a "tall alif" rather than '. Examples are ' عصاً "stick".
| Singular | Declension | Meaning | Gender | Type,Notes | Root | Plural | Declension |
| ' | triptote | hand | feminine | root noun | y-d | ' | broken plural defective in -in |
| ' | triptote | hand | feminine | root noun | y-d | ' | broken plural defective in -in |
| ' | "long construct" triptote | father | masculine | root noun | ʼ-b | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | day | masculine | root noun | y-w-m | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote in -ah | night | feminine | root noun | l-y-l | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote in -ah | night | feminine | root noun | l-y-l | ' | broken plural defective in -in |
| ' | triptote | sea | masculine | root noun | b-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | sea | masculine | root noun | b-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | sea | masculine | root noun | b-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | sea | masculine | root noun | b-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | land | feminine | root noun | ʼ-r-ḍ | ' | broken plural defective in -in |
| ' | triptote | land | feminine | root noun | ʼ-r-ḍ | ' | sound masculine plural |
| ' | triptote | student | masculine | Form I active participle | ṭ-l-b | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | student | masculine | Form I active participle | ṭ-l-b | ' | broken plural triptote in -ah |
| ' | triptote | teacher | masculine | Form II active participle | ʻ-l-m | ' | sound masculine plural |
| ' | triptote in -āh | life | feminine | Form I verbal noun | ḥ-y-w | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote | animal | masculine | derived noun in -ān | ḥ-y-w | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | defective in -in | judge | masculine | Form I active participle | q-ḍ-y | ' | broken plural triptote in -āh |
| ' | triptote in -ah | lawsuit | feminine | derived noun | q-ḍ-y | ' | broken plural invariable -ā |
| ' | defective in -an | hospital | masculine | Form X noun of place | š-f-y | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote | book | masculine | derived noun | k-t-b | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | desk, office | masculine | Form I noun of place | k-t-b | ' | broken plural diptote |
| ' | triptote in -ah | library | feminine | Form I noun of place | k-t-b | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote in -ah | library | feminine | Form I noun of place | k-t-b | ' | broken plural diptote |
| ' | invariable -ā | world | feminine | nominalized feminine elative adjective | d-n-y | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | diptote | desert | feminine | nominalized feminine color/defect adjective | ṣ-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural defective in -in |
| ' | diptote | desert | feminine | nominalized feminine color/defect adjective | ṣ-ḥ-r | ' | broken plural invariable -ā |
| ' | diptote | desert | feminine | nominalized feminine color/defect adjective | ṣ-ḥ-r | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote in -ah | tree | feminine | noun of unity | š-ǧ-r | ' | triptote, root noun, collective singular |
| ' | triptote in -ah | tree | feminine | noun of unity | š-ǧ-r | ' | sound feminine plural, plural of paucity |
| ' | triptote in -ah | tree | feminine | noun of unity | š-ǧ-r | ' | broken plural triptote, plural of variety |
| ' | triptote | slave, servant | masculine | derived noun | ʻ-b-d | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | slave, servant | masculine | derived noun | ʻ-b-d | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | slave, servant | masculine | derived noun | ʻ-b-d | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | servant, human being | masculine | derived noun | ʻ-b-d | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote | television | masculine | borrowed noun | — | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | triptote | film | masculine | borrowed noun | — | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | triptote in -ah | cigarette | feminine | borrowed noun | — | ' | broken plural diptote |
The following table shows some examples of adjective inflections.
| Type,Notes | Root | Meaning | Masculine Singular | Declension | Feminine Singular | Declension | Masculine Plural | Declension | Feminine Plural | Declension |
| ' | ' | big | ' | triptote | ' | triptote in -ah | ' | broken plural triptote | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ' | ' | big | ' | triptote | ' | triptote in -ah | ' | broken plural diptote | ' | sound feminine plural |
| elative | ' | bigger, biggest | ' | diptote | ' | invariable -ā | ' | sound masculine plural | ' | sound feminine plural |
| elative | ' | bigger, biggest | ' | diptote | ' | invariable -ā | ' | broken plural diptote | ' | sound feminine plural |
| ', third-weak | ' | near, low | ' | triptote | ' | triptote in -ah | ' | broken plural diptote | ' | sound feminine plural |
| elative, third-weak | ' | nearer, nearest; lower, lowest | ' | invariable -ā | ' | invariable -ā | ' | broken plural defective in -in | ' | broken plural defective in -an |
| elative, third-weak | ' | nearer, nearest; lower, lowest | ' | invariable -ā | ' | invariable -ā | ' | sound masculine plural defective in -an | ' | sound feminine plural |
| color/defect | ' | red | ' | diptote | ' | diptote | ' | broken plural triptote | ' | broken plural triptote |
| ' | ' | thirsty | ' | diptote | ' | invariable -ā | ' | broken plural triptote | ? | ? |
| ' | ' | thirsty | ' | diptote | ' | invariable -ā | broken plural invariable -ā | ? | ? |